Welding school to Graduation and stuff in between!

Today started with switching to a heavier duty Bernard gun. Apparently we're going to use the one I put on yesterday, with the smaller Millermatics.

Anyway, first ever pass with MIG on 1/8" and making a T -



Second try I dialed in a heat a little more, and went a little slower -



Those were just stringer beads.

Played around a little more on my third T shown on the left -

 

Few more for fun!

Now I'm just gluing shit together -

 

GMAW is cool because it is relatively easy and it builds confidence. It can also be used to prepare you for SMAW and GTAW as you focus on gun angle (rod angle for SMAW and torch angle for GTAW). As you continue to understand how work angle and travel angle affect puddle size and shape and heat input, you will be better prepared to make minor adjustments on SMAW and GTAW with hand positioning, grip, and planning your path to ensure proper angles.

Learning and focusing on your Contact Tip to Work Distance (CTWD) will help prepare you for the other two as well. remember to roll your wrists and not get locked in too tight in one hand position.

remember the ABCs of welding: Always Be Comfortable

keep up the good work and enjoy every minute of it!

 

I'm learning all of that way too quickly already in that I can see the difference in the way I lay a puddle out, etc. It's nuts.

I do need to remind myself to roll my wrists more as I do very little of that and more often do small movements with my hand/arm.

 

What ever works sometimes every combination within a few inches .

 

New week, more MIG!

Haven't been assigned to do anything just yet but I ran some more T's and decided to try some lap welds -



Should've ran my stringers first before I took it upon myself to write in cursive

 

Looking good you must have decent hand eye coordination which does make things easier.

 

Thank you!

As someone mentioned though, I need to be more consistent with my speed.

I know why I'm inconsistent halfway through a pass though, I move my arm steadily until I reach a point where I "bump" or "slide" a tad on the table. So it's not my hand, but instead it's the arm I lean on as I slide/drag myself.

Need to figure out a better posture.

 

I used to do the same thing. A practice dry run (snap in drill) will help with this. I tighten my shoulder to unload my elbow and forearm to reduce drag and use the dry run to ensure I can float the entire run before lighting up. I still get excited from time to time just watching the puddle and then I forget it is too late and have locked up weight on my elbow and forearm.

 

breathing helps, too. two deep breaths, hood down, deep breath, slowly let out as you run the bead

 

See these are the things a good teacher shares !!

No matter cutting or welding when working at a table always make a practice run to see the hose or gun does not hang up your body or the weldment is in the best position make things as easy as you can.

The torch hoses are not under the cut that happens quite often.

When your out of position all bets are off

 

So, I took everyone's advice, as well as one more tip from someone in class. I feel I did much better today.

To start, my wife's cousin had asked me to "make her a tree" after having announced yesterday I was taking classes for welding.

This is what I came up with for her as a joke



But it wasn't before I ran a bead first -



Our instructor was sick today so I took it upon myself to weld something stupid together, as others do on their down time. He'll be out a few days due to having to take a COVID test and all.

Having found a piece of flat bar that was slightly bent, I took it and welded it to a straight piece. Cut some steel out and closed up the sides -



Thought it was cool for a moment only to remember we had a plasma cutter....so off with the flat bar and on with round tubing -



I had that triangular piece, for some reason, so thought I'd weld it on for good measure you know -



Totally don't know why I got it all cleaned up



And some more welding -

 

That is interesting no substitute teacher ??

They let you run wild in the welding lab?

 

No there was.

It's just I'm pretty far ahead already so yeah.

 

So today was a rather fun day yet again!

Yesterday it was mentioned, jokingly, that I should make some bed stiffeners.

I laughed at the idea until I figured, well that shouldn't be hard since it's just a bracket.

Today I ran a long (for me) bead taking what I learned yesterday -



Followed up with a short one, then the other side -



I'm a little happy with how consistent I'm becoming, though I have a very long way to go.

Also making sure I have good penetration cause if you don't have that, you might as well tape it together -



Going back to the bed stiffeners, here was my idea -



And here it was coming together -







As easy of a job as it is for everyone else, I'm proud of what I made. I'm only on my 4th day of welding, with minimal instruction, yet I hope I look forward to welding each time I pick up the gun for years from now -

 

Thinking about all that grinding, brings me back to what @jbrandt said "a grinder and paint, makes you the welder you ain't"

 

I certainly didn't coin that phrase, I just live by it.

I do want to go back to my older projects and maybe try and purdy them up a bit since I've gotten a little better.

Looking at my sliders, I'm just glad no one really sees that.

 

Hoping one day I can be as good as you

 

Why do you hate yourself?

 

Must be that catholic upbringing; comes out of nowhere from time to time