New-ish Metal Burner

shipj0 · Wed Aug 19, 2015 11:34 pm

I purchased my first welder about 2 years ago and have been working on learning by watching Welding Tips and Tricks videos, reading Forums, and practicing. I won't say I am a welder as there is still a lot of trail ahead of me to get to that outfit. I am just an out of the house (as opposed to outhouse) hobbyist who has come to enjoy burning metal. I am working on learning both MIG and TIG, primarily in Aluminum or is it Alumineum.

So far I have built a welding rack for my welders (who has not done that), put a custom bench / storage box in my Jon boat, raised the consoles on my Jon boat by welding 2" x 5" rectangular tubing under the original consoles, and put a custom splash well in my Jon boat. Current plans are to build an ATV Trailer, custom gas tanks for the Jon Boat and an 11' skiff. Probably need a little more practice before I start the airplane.

Thought I would try joining the conversation to tell some experiences, ask some questions and share some learning. Attached are a couple of pix of my latest project, please feel free to critique or suggest.

Cheers

Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:17 pm

Welcome, Shipj0,

I'd say your fabrication skills are excellent, and your aluminum welding skills are well above what the experience you quoted suggests. You're definitely on the right path.

You've found an excellent resource, here. Every craft and trade imaginable, at every skill level, and no BS. Every question is treated with the same respect, whether advanced metallurgy or "I plugged it in. Now what?"

If you intend to participate regularly, it will be more comfortable for everyone if you'll sign with a first name or nickname. It creates familiarity, and helps the forum feel like a group of friends.

Steve S

shipj0 · Fri Aug 21, 2015 12:37 am

Thanks for the good words and advise.

Jim

Boomer63 · Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:47 am

Nice work! From my experience, and this is only what I have encountered, the biggest problem self-taught noobs have with aluminum is that they don't weld with the heat turned up enough. They have enough volts to do a good looking weld that sort of holds, but will easily break.

Mike · Fri Aug 21, 2015 1:16 pm

Welcome to the forum.

shipj0 · Fri Aug 21, 2015 6:12 pm

Boomer63 wrote:Nice work! From my experience, and this is only what I have encountered, the biggest problem self-taught noobs have with aluminum is that they don't weld with the heat turned up enough. They have enough volts to do a good looking weld that sort of holds, but will easily break.

Boomer63,
Thanks for the guidance. I struggle with that a lot, weld cold or burn through, the balance is difficult. With MIG, I am really bad, looks like a big old hairy brown caterpillar on one end of the weld crawling towards the hole on the other. I just can't seem to get to the right place for any long welds. One thing with TIG I will claim to be an expert at though is dipping tungsten in to the weld, I could give a class on that. Also getting pretty good at sharpening Tungsten. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Jim

Fri Aug 21, 2015 7:40 pm

BTW, Jim,

Boomer63 is Gary.

The regulars get so familiar, we forget to sign our posts from time to time...

Steve S

Boomer63 · Sat Aug 22, 2015 9:40 am

Shipj) - Thank you for your posts! I have to tell you, I will put my stick welding on structural or pipe up against anyone, and I am very, very confident in my TIG skills; but I do struggle with wire. I mean, I can do it! Carbon, aluminum and stainless! Production, various gas mixes, hard wire, inner shield, dual shield, pulse, short arc, spray transfer etc. etc. etc! I just don't like it. Wait, I mean I love it for fabrication work that I do, and if I could only have one welder it would be my blue 252. It is difficult to explain, I guess I might say I just don't respect it as much as I do the other processes.

I don't even know if any of this makes sense! But if you have the basic TIG skills, the cross over to the wire feed side is fairly easy.

Thanks!
Gary

shipj0 · Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:41 pm

Boomer63 wrote:I don't even know if any of this makes sense!

Too funny, It makes perfect sense actually. Nice to know that you like the Miller 252. I have looked at that machine as an upgrade possibility somewhere down the road. I'll post some MIG stuff later, maybe there are folks out there who can learn from my mistakes. I could write a book on mistakes if I just knew what I don't know.
Jim

Boomer63 · Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:41 am

shipj0 wrote:
Boomer63 wrote:I don't even know if any of this makes sense!
Too funny, It makes perfect sense actually. Nice to know that you like the Miller 252. I have looked at that machine as an upgrade possibility somewhere down the road. I'll post some MIG stuff later, maybe there are folks out there who can learn from my mistakes. I could write a book on mistakes if I just knew what I don't know.
Jim

I tell the students, and have been telling this for years, that the difference between a noob and a ten year man is the noob don't know what he don't know. Sounds almost like something Yoggi Berra would say!!??