Welding Tips and Tricks

I've welded in high school, stick. 10 years later, again in a maint. position. 20 years after that, I petitioned my company to spend $250 for a Flux core machine for occasional but needed use. I never got pretty welds but they had to hold and did. I stupidly got a 10lb spool and when the Flux was too old, I would have to lite the oxy to make welds functional (anybody else ever do that?).
I've done gas welding a bit but not much.

My point is that TIG is sooo civilized! It's great compared to all the others. No bb sized red drops falling into my shoes! (I did the dance) I TIG weld in front of my garage now on a wooden table in short pants - wind willing, with cardboard put up so the neighbors kids don't stare at the arc. No fires! At that company I stick welded, there was a 12 foot steel table to weld on. Wouldn't you know, one time a hot ball rolled down the table into the trash can! The rest you know. I'm sorry it took me so long.

A case of my overlooking the obvious...again. Now if that damn wind would die down...

nelson wrote:I've welded in high school, stick. 10 years later, again in a maint. position. 20 years after that, I petitioned my company to spend $250 for a Flux core machine for occasional but needed use. I never got pretty welds but they had to hold and did. I stupidly got a 10lb spool and when the Flux was too old, I would have to lite the oxy to make welds functional (anybody else ever do that?).
I've done gas welding a bit but not much.

My point is that TIG is sooo civilized! It's great compared to all the others. No bb sized red drops falling into my shoes! (I did the dance) I TIG weld in front of my garage now on a wooden table in short pants - wind willing, with cardboard put up so the neighbors kids don't stare at the arc. No fires! At that company I stick welded, there was a 12 foot steel table to weld on. Wouldn't you know, one time a hot ball rolled down the table into the trash can! The rest you know. I'm sorry it took me so long.

A case of my overlooking the obvious...again. Now if that damn wind would die down...

We've probably all had the hot bb's in the shoe, that is anyone who's done any stick welding. I haven't stick welded in years, seems I've mostly worked in a TIG shop and I don't miss it (stick welding)