Welding Tips and Tricks

I am not sure where to begin. I haven't logged in for months, wish I could say honestly I was busy but no. All this time I have wondered about the math. I see pos trucks with a engine stick welder and I dream. Then I wonder about the math required to make repairs or simple fabrication jobs. Then I am stuck. I remember trying to build things out of wood. Cutting pieces the right length, making sure something is square, measuring and telling myself in my own way the length of a piece to be cut, making sure the whole damn thing lines up. I don't like wood. What mathematical skills are required to build a (not huge) structure or fabricate a patch panel? I know it's not just point and pull the trigger, and watch pieces join. I have a bad time, always have, remembering math. Maybe it's my IQ. I am not a junkie and I am not an alcoholic, I don't rob banks or stalk. I don't do anything to cause brain dysfunction. That is why I say maybe it's my IQ, some people are not capable of doing what they want to do. So, if math needed can be explained, I would really appreciate it.

Jeff

Whats a patch panel?

I'm assuming a patch panel in sheet metal. to answer the OP, if you can't operate a tape measure and a protractor, you can't build much. fractions, adding, subtracting, decimals, Pythagorean theorem (a^2+b^2=c^2), square roots(need a calc for that). sure, you can eyeball it all, but seriously, basic tapemeasure skills at a bare minimum. most importantly, being able to cut or bend to your lines and taking material thickness/bend radius/other error into account while laying things out.

Patch panel meaning in sheet metal or thicker metal. I reminded myself of a famous ship's hull restored. Any area too thin to be saved it was marked with a white border surrounding the area. I forgot the name of the ship but I think it was a ship in war. Expensive. Anyways. Now the technical part of welding makes sense. Thank you ogorir.