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[Golfbuddy]

I think KenT is the welding equivalent to Shakespear. That was the best essay on welding that I have ever read. Respect to Ken.  

[Crazydad]

I think KenT is the welding equivalent to Shakespear. That was the best essay on welding that I have ever read. Respect to Ken.  

I will second that, i know a welder that has been on so many courses that he could wallpaper his front room with the Certificates, but he is not capable of explaining things the way you have in your post.

You must be very good at your Job.

[Ken T]

Thanks for that SGB & CD,
No I am not an expert, I studied it at Night Classes for 3 years and passed all the exams, But that was 7 years ago, and I believe that welding is a skill that should be practised regularly to be good at. A guy who welds every day will be a lot better than me, despite bits of paper. However if this starts people off, then great. Once you get the 'bug' for it, sign up to a local college for a training course. Its cheap and I think its an art better taught by someone showing you, rather than reading a book. I fancy having a go soon, welding up an adaptable trailer, that can cope with different loads, eg lots of supports for taking motorbikes, supporting sheets of plywood, carrying cement mixers, taking stuff to the dump etc. Anyone fancy a bit of design work ?.
Ken

[Golfbuddy]

Thanks for that SGB,
No I am not an expert, I studied it at Night Classes for 3 years and passed all the exams, But that was 7 years ago, and I believe that welding is a skill that should be practised regularly to be good at. A guy who welds every day will be a lot better than me, despite bits of paper. However if this starts people off, then great. Once you get the 'bug' for it, sign up to a local college for a training course. Its cheap and I think its an art better taught by someone showing you, rather than reading a book. I fancy having a go soon, welding up an adaptable trailer, that can cope with different loads, eg lots of supports for taking motorbikes, supporting sheets of plywood, carrying cement mixers, taking stuff to the dump etc. Anyone fancy a bit of design work ?.
Ken

Well, I'm trying to teach myself Autocad at the moment and that also is something that is better to be shown by someone else rather than trying to read it in a book. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is impossible to teach yourself, unless that is, you know better. (That's Life. circa 1977)  

I may be able to help with some engineering drawings about 2020.  

[CaptainZok]

Thanks for all the info guys.
Well we've had a play about this evening, got as far as making a few straight runs and sticking some old disc pads together.
Those of you who saw Tonygnome's love of fire at Newent, imagine what happens when you give him a welder to play with.
So it looks like its gonna cost me a bloody fortune in steel and rods now.  
I think I'll be looking at one of those auto dimming helmets in the near future, the hand shield is a right pain and I'm sure being able to see what your doing before striking up is a great help.
As you've all said its just practice, we've both learned a lot in an evenings playing got as far as keeping a single run of weld right across the workpiece which don't sound much but looking at our first birds**t attempts is quite an achievement.
I'm even thinking about knocking up a bench for the shed out of some angle iron as a first project, if Tony lets me use the bloody thing for long enough.

[Ken T]

Oh I nearly forgot, on the safety aspect. ( this will destroy my street cred !!!)  
If welding a car, as well as disconnecting the battery and alternator as Tony H said, have a fire extinguisher handy AT ALL TIMES. I was once putting a patch inside the offside front  wheel arch of a Cavalier, when I noticed a glow through the helmet. OK, this normally means you have set the underseal alight, so what you do with a MIG is to half press the trigger which starts the gas (CO2) flowing which will put out the flame. Unfortunately it didn't and I flipped up the helmet, only to see petrol driping down from the pipe other side of the wheel arch, nicely on flame. OH *********. I grabbed a nearby bucket of water and threw it on the fire, which as we all know did absolutely no use at all, in fact made things worse. Fortunately the mind cleared a bit, and I remembered a cheap £10 car fire extinguisher I had bought some time back, which quickly put out the flames. All things are fun provide you play in a safe fashion, and watch out for petrol pipes !!!!  
Ken

[Golfbuddy]

[size=14]Newsflash:[/size]

[size=12]Bolton House Burns To The Ground[/size]

A house in Bolton has been destroyed by fire. Initial reports suggest that it was started by a young boy and his father trying to weld their garden shed together.

Despite neither having a rather clue what they were doing, they were convinced that you could weld tongued and grooved timber.

The investigation continues.

[CaptainZok]

Oh I nearly forgot, on the safety aspect. ( this will destroy my street cred !!!)  
If welding a car, as well as disconnecting the battery and alternator as Tony H said, have a fire extinguisher handy AT ALL TIMES. I was once putting a patch inside the offside front  wheel arch of a Cavalier, when I noticed a glow through the helmet. OK, this normally means you have set the underseal alight, so what you do with a MIG is to half press the trigger which starts the gas (CO2) flowing which will put out the flame. Unfortunately it didn't and I flipped up the helmet, only to see petrol driping down from the pipe other side of the wheel arch, nicely on flame. OH *********. I grabbed a nearby bucket of water and threw it on the fire, which as we all know did absolutely no use at all, in fact made things worse. Fortunately the mind cleared a bit, and I remembered a cheap £10 car fire extinguisher I had bought some time back, which quickly put out the flames. All things are fun provide you play in a safe fashion, and watch out for petrol pipes !!!!  
Ken

I used to help a mate welding cars and a squeezy bottle of water was the usual way of quenching underseal fires, wet rags round anything that couldn't be removed and make sure you KNOW your nowhere near petrol lines, Oxy-Acet seems to just eat through them.

[CaptainZok]

[size=14]Newsflash:[/size]

[size=12]Bolton House Burns To The Ground[/size]

A house in Bolton has been destroyed by fire. Initial reports suggest that it was started by a young boy and his father trying to weld their garden shed together.

Despite neither having a rather clue what they were doing, they were convinced that you could weld tongued and grooved timber.

The investigation continues.

LMAO. It could happen, the angle grinders his second fave toy now.

[Baron Von Spongebob]

Enjoy your welding..
I have done plenty of welding in the past both with Arc an Mig..
The latter being the easiest..A pleasurable experience..Wheres the metal..  

[Ken T]

Thanks for all the info guys.
Well we've had a play about this evening, got as far as making a few straight runs and sticking some old disc pads together.
Those of you who saw Tonygnome's love of fire at Newent, imagine what happens when you give him a welder to play with.
So it looks like its gonna cost me a bloody fortune in steel and rods now.  
I think I'll be looking at one of those auto dimming helmets in the near future, the hand shield is a right pain and I'm sure being able to see what your doing before striking up is a great help.
As you've all said its just practice, we've both learned a lot in an evenings playing got as far as keeping a single run of weld right across the workpiece which don't sound much but looking at our first birds**t attempts is quite an achievement.
I'm even thinking about knocking up a bench for the shed out of some angle iron as a first project, if Tony lets me use the bloody thing for long enough.

More power to your arc !.
I have a workshop table made by a friend out of 1" by 1" angle by about 3mm thick. It is remarkably stable, and doesn't shake. When welding this thickness, turn the current up, and use thick rods, about 3.25mm. They don't seem too expensive, Machinery mart wants about £11 for 2.5kg. Keep them dry, else they "go off" !. Some people put them in the oven for a while to dry out, although what this  does to food cooked after is anyone's guess !!  
Ken

[Baron Von Spongebob]

Thanks for all the info guys.
Well we've had a play about this evening, got as far as making a few straight runs and sticking some old disc pads together.
Those of you who saw Tonygnome's love of fire at Newent, imagine what happens when you give him a welder to play with.
So it looks like its gonna cost me a bloody fortune in steel and rods now.  
I think I'll be looking at one of those auto dimming helmets in the near future, the hand shield is a right pain and I'm sure being able to see what your doing before striking up is a great help.
As you've all said its just practice, we've both learned a lot in an evenings playing got as far as keeping a single run of weld right across the workpiece which don't sound much but looking at our first birds**t attempts is quite an achievement.
I'm even thinking about knocking up a bench for the shed out of some angle iron as a first project, if Tony lets me use the bloody thing for long enough.

More power to your arc !.
I have a workshop table made by a friend out of 1" by 1" by about 3mm thick. It is remarkably stable, and doesn't shake. When welding this thickness, turn the current up, and use thick rods, about 3.25mm. They don't seem too expensive, Machinery mart wants about £11 for 2.5kg. Keep them dry, else they "go off" !. Some people put them in the oven for a while to dry out, although what this  does to food cooked after is anyone's guess !!   Ken

That explains it then..SWMBO Cooking