HI from Hawaii
Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 2:03 pm
Hi, from the Big Island of Hawai'i - I finally got logged on here after several aborted tries, and much help from Joey Collier. I am a life-long artist - I guess I can say that since I am 70, day after this coming Christmas. I learned to more or less TIG in 1991 on an old Airco 300Amp for my sculpture and carried it over into my knife making of 22 years as well.
One of my long time friends, Bob Taylor grew up in the welding supply industry, and taught me the basics of my newly purchased used Airco, and another friend, a pipe fitter, the late TC Collins, taught me some more on TIG and stick welding.
I am sold on the TIG process as the most versatile method for my needs as I can switch from bronze to steel to S/steel just by picking up a different rod - I don't care that it is slower, it is more controllable. My friend Bob Taylor says "Don't bring a TIG to a MIG fight.", as he mostly uses a MIG, but I am not production orientated.
My fascination with metallurgy in general and applied to my knife forging, the joy of being to be able to join two pieces of metal and even build up areas w/ weld to be later shaped and sculpted is what I love about the TIG process. Having seen a few of your amazing videos on welding tips, I want to become a better welder, even though I have been bumbling along for all these years.
One of my long time friends, Bob Taylor grew up in the welding supply industry, and taught me the basics of my newly purchased used Airco, and another friend, a pipe fitter, the late TC Collins, taught me some more on TIG and stick welding.
I am sold on the TIG process as the most versatile method for my needs as I can switch from bronze to steel to S/steel just by picking up a different rod - I don't care that it is slower, it is more controllable. My friend Bob Taylor says "Don't bring a TIG to a MIG fight.", as he mostly uses a MIG, but I am not production orientated.
My fascination with metallurgy in general and applied to my knife forging, the joy of being to be able to join two pieces of metal and even build up areas w/ weld to be later shaped and sculpted is what I love about the TIG process. Having seen a few of your amazing videos on welding tips, I want to become a better welder, even though I have been bumbling along for all these years.
-- 'rusted' mild steel ball, 5/8" blued mild steel bar, forged bird "body", blued w/ copper 'petals and forged steel tongue.
-- Named after the elements: Ti-titanium, Ni - nickel, Cr-chrome, etc., etc. body is color anodized Ti, as are the "thorns", top "V" is nickel 'damascus' [200 layers nickel/1095 pattern welded steel], copper 'snake below blued, shallow dome of mild steel, bronze 'insulators' holding legs of S/steel triangulated, bifurcated, rutilated quartz crystal at tip.
-- 7" forged O-1 steel blade, nickel silver - copper - nickel silver guard, stag handle, 9 original Scagel leather washers via Frank Gambol bordered by ebony spacers, bronze spacers, new leather, nickel silver butt cap.
-- 26,000 layers 1084/L-6 steels, CA Buckeye burl sheath [saya] and handle, carved water buffalo horn sheath tip, throat, butt cap. Plain buffalo horn cord loop, collar [fuchi] behind tsuba [guard].
-- Tooled leather sheath eaglewing, S/steel bolster and butt cap, black coral spacer, walrus ivory handle w leather and red liner spacers.
-- Mountain Mehogany wood, 1 5/8" long.