[Jakedaawg]

IF that's your first weld, I think you got a career in front of you bud!

That is not bad at all, I have trained a couple of guys and they were not that pretty, then again, I never let them weld on scrap more than once or twice

I am in the business of fixing & building shit so its rare I can weld on nice and fresh aluminum. 1/8" is a really good thickness and aluminum seems to just flow really good, 1/4" and 3/16" can be a little tricky unless you are able to increase your amps to the 200 range.

Either way, its looking really good.

Not sure which weld you think was the first attempted. On page one of this thread the first post pic is the first weld ever with TIG.

On page two The second post down from top shows another butt weld, this would probably represent the fourth or fifth beads.

I made a second coupon to practice on so one could cool while practicing on the other.

The lap and tee joints above are probably the14-15 beads I have attempted as padding was getting boring.

I am going to get a ride to town and buy some proper sheet aluminum. That way I can cut several cupons and pad one with a bead, move on to the next, and so forth. That way they can cool. In the end i will have completely padded quite a few coupons and hopefully gotten better at the feeding and footpedal aspect. I havent had an issue with tungsten dipping. only happened twice and thats when I hit it with the filler. I also am prt=etty sure that I am holding the tungsten close enough, I get good arcs like in jody's videos. I try and keep the point of the tungsten less than 1/8 in from the piece, more like 3/32'.

I'll get the hang of it. It may be easier once I get out of this darn neck brace thing so I can actually turn my head and look easier at what I am doing.

[Jakedaawg]

well, the aluminum is coming along fine.

For kicks, I tried some perfectly clean mild steel. Not so good there. I must have a case of the opposites, I can learn aluminum bu not steel.

On another note, I am right handed but find I do much better when I hold the torch in my left? Is that normal?

[exnailpounder]

well, the aluminum is coming along fine.

For kicks, I tried some perfectly clean mild steel. Not so good there. I must have a case of the opposites, I can learn aluminum bu not steel.

On another note, I am right handed but find I do much better when I hold the torch in my left? Is that normal?

You have to do what is the most comfortable for you. My friend is right handed but plays guitar left handed and also shoots guns left handed (he is cross-eye dominant). Mild steel welds very easy but you must grind off the scale or it won't be easy. Stainless welds even better. Knowing each metal's welding characteristics is vital. Glad to hear the AL is coming along nice for you.

[Olivero]

I was referring to the first one but all of them in general, it looks good.

Which hand you use depends on you, I use either depending on what I am welding, nothing bad can come out of you learning to use both hands, sometimes you get in situations where you won't be able to do the entire seam with your right hand but can with your left, then you can either weld upside down or use your other hand.

Aaaah.... The things we get into.

[Jakedaawg]

The lesson I learned last night...You know almost immediately if you forgot to turn on the gas!

[cj737]

The lesson I learned last night...You know almost immediately if you forgot to turn on the gas!

I bet there's not a person who's welded with gas that hasn't done this. At least twice.

A good habit is to hold the torch towards your face and bump the pedal so you can confirm flow across your cheek or by sound (close to your ear).

[exnailpounder]

The lesson I learned last night...You know almost immediately if you forgot to turn on the gas!

Watching tungsten turn into a cloud of dust is a great clue that you forgot something. I haven't done it in awhile on the tig machine but I do it all the time on the mig. Wait til you forget to hook up your ground and the High Frequency reaches out to remind you. That will always get your attention. You might have to go wipe after the first time

[motox]

my first Tig machine i had to turn on the water cooler.
fried a few torch hoses learning that lesson...
craig

[LtBadd]

my first Tig machine i had to turn on the water cooler.
fried a few torch hoses learning that lesson...
craig

I'm with you on that one...

[Jakedaawg]

So, I am gonna get some real practice soon. We just got the last of the boats out of the shop so I should be able to drag in an old pontoon that i've had laying in the lot soon. With the surgery I am on a weight limit but I'll get a buddy to help and will drag it in with the tractor.

I plan on setting it up on the typical blocks we use to set a boat in the shop. This means the bottom of the toon will be about ten inches off the floor.

When we get a toon with water in it we drill 1/4" holes at the boat ramp to drain them so we can trailer them down the road with out tipping them over going around a corner. So, i figure first I will practice filling holes from the bottom. Any advice appreciated.

Another issue we run into on real boats with leaks is cracks around the M brackets that hold the toon to the deck stringers.

Any advice on how to artificially crack this toon to practice repairs? Usually it takes a moron, a really big motor, and agressive driving. These are usually cracks that are then bent in leaving a gap. The guy that did the best work had a way of pulling the bent part back up. I suspect he welded tabs on and used a slide hammer to fit things back up. Then repaired and removed tabs.

Either way, just cutting slots in with a cutting wheel is not going to simulate the necessary repair. I need to figure out how to crack the metal I am thinking. Again, advice and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I am near Traverse City, Mi. Any one in the area I would be more than willing to compensate for some tutoring.

[Jakedaawg]

I also plan on working up a solution for installing drain plugs. Although toons have baffles and the drains only work for the stern most section it is a common request from customers. I think there is a better way than the way the local guy has been doing it.

[exnailpounder]

I also plan on working up a solution for installing drain plugs. Although toons have baffles and the drains only work for the stern most section it is a common request from customers. I think there is a better way than the way the local guy has been doing it.

I would imagine it would be tough to weld in anything for a drain at the bottom of a pontoon, especially one soaked with contamination and only a foot off the floor. Maybe you could drill and thread a hole and then thread in an aluminum piggy-back drain plug replacement and just weld in the shank. As far as the cracking goes...maybe push the boat off a cliff and hope it cracks no clue how to induce cracking. My buddy has a pontoon and I have seen the cracks you are talking about. He is bringing it over in the spring to get the cracks fixed and I intend to fashion some sort of gussets to weld in to stop further cracking.

[cj737]

Welding on "used" aluminum boats requires a great deal of cleaning first. Got to be clean, clean, clean, and then cleaned a bit more. Acetone wiped, then stainless brushed before welding.

The pontoons are often pretty thin too, so heat control will be very important. You might experiment with smaller cups, a #5 or #6 to help limit the heat exposure. Recently I added an extension to a Jon boat, and used 150amps (with foot pedal) 60% balance, and 150Hz. I used a #6 with a 3/32 tungsten and often used 1/8" rod, but a good deal of 3/32 road too.

When I got to joining the extension to the transom, I turned on the Pulser to help control the warping of the existing transom as it was already potato chipped pretty well from banging into duck blinds.

For filling cracks, you might try a backing plate of copper or brass, then weld it closed in a few passes. But clean/grind the crack to help remove the impurities.

[Jakedaawg]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I realize that cleaning is important. Weld prep seems to be the most important part of being successful after building the skills needed.

The toon I have to practice on is an old crushed one that got replaced. Its been outside for a number of years and was also in service for about 8 years so should be about average in the "dirty" department.

I know plugs can be installed because I have had several done. Each welder seems to have their own way of doing it. I have several examples to experiment with so I will figure it out.

Ill post up some pics once I get it in the shop.

Really would be nice to figure out how to put cracks in but I amm sure a big enough rock or hammer might be able to replicate some of the abuse these things see.

Many boats are owned by what I call 85%er's. That is 85% of the people who own boats probably shouldn't. These folks have figured out some really unique ways to damage their boats. Blows my mind at times. Now I just have to figure out how to replicate some of the damage so I can practice.

[Jakedaawg]

Tried a butt weld joint on 3/8" Aluminum. Man, you really got to stick alot of Rod down deep with each dab. Filler fingers need serious practice for something like that.

[Jakedaawg]

20161227_203826-1701x3024.jpg (64.8 KiB) Viewed 996 times

Here is latest serious practice.
3/32" e3 tungsten
Flow set ~15
3\32 5356filler
Tacked on each end at 250A
Fillet preformed with machine set at 280
Pps 0.7
Pk T 40
Bk A 25%

[Jakedaawg]

If I were to cut this for etching and looking to see how well I did will an abrasive cut off wheel in my angle grinder work or do I have to use a band saw like Jody does?

[Jakedaawg]

1/4" plate to plate in a T weld.I'll post a pig with a tape measure on it

[Jakedaawg]

20161227_204913-1701x3024.jpg (76.99 KiB) Viewed 996 times

[Jakedaawg]

I ran out of filler because so much could be stabed in with each dab.

Sure wish Jody would make a video with the filler Rod having marks so we could see how much Rod actually goes into each dab. Any one got a connection to him to mention that suggestion?

[Jakedaawg]

I was useing the pedal and only had it floored at the beggining.

On a side note, at the beginning of the threads someone suggested using the pedal backwards where you press down with your heel. I have been doing that and it works real well for me I like it

[exnailpounder]

Your filler rod should meter itself into your puddle. Too much filler and you cool the puddle and it gets ropey, too little and your puddle flattens out. Adding filler properly comes with time...you just kind of think your filler into the weld.

[Olivero]

Regulating the amount of filler you put it in is something I still am not all that great at, given I have been welding for 2 years you would think it would be good by now but its really not

Your don't need a huge bead, just dab it in, I used to trail my filler as in I would kind of lay it where I wanted it and weld towards it and weld it in without really moving my filler at all, just letting it stay and welding into it but the puddle easily gets out of control that way, best way is to keep the puddle going and just dab in, pull it back, dab it in, etc. Filling holes you will need smaller than 3/32" rod, I recommend some 1/16" rod, and you gotta just go slow with it, I have filled gaps and holes overhead, vertical, flat, pretty much every direction and its just take it slow, I tend to fill the hole by pulsing the pedal very lightly and then once its filled, let it cool and then really heat it up and make sure its done good.

For deeper holes you have to try to fill it up from the bottom of the hole which can be tricky.

Practice, practice and more practice

How do you like the E3 electrodes? Its all I use.

[LtBadd]

Your filler rod should meter itself into your puddle. Too much filler and you cool the puddle and it gets ropey, too little and your puddle flattens out. Adding filler properly comes with time...you just kind of think your filler into the weld.

The force is strong with this one...

With time and practice, and the geometry of the joint you'll know how much to add, and also what diameter filler you'll want to use for a given job.

[exnailpounder]

Your filler rod should meter itself into your puddle. Too much filler and you cool the puddle and it gets ropey, too little and your puddle flattens out. Adding filler properly comes with time...you just kind of think your filler into the weld.

The force is strong with this one...

With time and practice, and the geometry of the joint you'll know how much to add, and also what diameter filler you'll want to use for a given job.

You know how it feels when you shove in too much rod and you hit the bottom of the puddle and kinda sticks when you take it out. It's hard to explain. Too little amps or too big of rod will cause sticking also. Gosh, somehow I feel like I should make a dirty joke here before somebody else does