I've been welding for less than a year after taking some welding classes as part of an industrial mechanic apprenticeship in a food processing plant (2 stick classes and 1 tig). My job is mostly machine repair, but the company wants us to know a little bit of everything, as is common nowadays in industry since demarcation lines have been broken down. We've had some really skilled welders come out of our apprenticeship program, but it was more out of the practice and time they put it rather than the amount of jobs we actually do with extensive welding.
I've been stuck on nights in the parts room due to some slow production time, so I've been putting in some shop time running TIG beads on different joints. 90% of the welding and fabrication we do here, other than structural or motor mounts, is stainless because of this being a food facility, so I've been practicing on that because it's too expensive to weld stainless all the time in class. It's helping in my class!
Anyways, I figured I'd introduce myself and I'll probably be asking you guys some dumb questions as I go along!
Also, here's one of the cart racks I made in the spring after my stick class. These racks hold 400 lb. rolls of film for bagger machines. 2x4x1/4 316 SS for the arms, 4x1/4 ss flat stock for the extensions, and the risers were 1/4" SS diamond plate (this one was leftovers. Of the 5 I made, the other 4 were just regular 1/4" sheet because the planner freaked out about the price of the diamond plate when I said I made the first one out of it haha) cut with a water-cooled plasma cutter using Solidworks (I dunno how to do that--had to get somebody to put that in after I did basic layout. Some of the stuff they make on that our general maintenance department is incredible). Used 1/8" and some 3/32" 316 rods (right? You use the same number rod for SS that is the metal? I don't remember exactly...). Braces 2x2x1/4 angle.
A little rough, but they haven't broken off and let a roll go on anybody's knees yet....
- first pass
- first pass.jpg (27.73 KiB) Viewed 353 times
- finished and sanded arm
- finished arm.jpg (26.08 KiB) Viewed 353 times
- fillet for brace (ignore the booger on top and booger for allen wrench holder)
- fillet.jpg (44.44 KiB) Viewed 353 times
