CRVB91 Posted March 3 Author Posted March 3 Some of my assessment pieces in order - PLUS my first level 2 weld (a PF weld, using pulse setting on the welder, can confirm I definitely prefer direct arc) I have finished my level one earlier than expected and am now looking into doing an apprenticeship. My tutor says I am more than capable of doing the 18 month course alongside a work placement (work 4 days a week/college 1 day a week) - so as of Thursday we'll be doing some stick welding 😁 Thanks all for the encouragement and for following along - I haven't been this determined to achieve anything in a really long time & I'm super passionate about it. 8 Quote
Gearclash Posted March 4 Posted March 4 2 hours ago, CRVB91 said: so as of Thursday we'll be doing some stick welding In my opinion welding schools should teach stick welding before MIG. 4 1 Quote
whweldit Posted March 4 Posted March 4 Looking good. Good luck! Taught welding at county area high school (there were 15 tech programs) I always did basic stick first. MiG was taught later in year. Started students on simple 6013 rods then 6010 then 7018’s. 1 Quote
acem Posted March 4 Posted March 4 I was taught gas welding then stick. Never was taught mig. Not as popular 40 years ago. 2 Quote
Sledgehammer Posted March 4 Posted March 4 I was taught gas, stick, and then mig. Mostly stick but after you get that the mig seems fairly easy. We only had 6011 rods and rusty stuff to weld on. The first time I used a clean metal rod it baffled me how nice things looked. 😂 3 1 Quote
CRVB91 Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 3 hours ago, Sledgehammer said: I was taught gas, stick, and then mig. Mostly stick but after you get that the mig seems fairly easy. We only had 6011 rods and rusty stuff to weld on. The first time I used a clean metal rod it baffled me how nice things looked. 😂 We get given a stack of rusty stuff and have to clean it up before we do our assessment piece, they say to just practice on the rusty stuff and only bother cleaning for the assessments but I do tend to give it all a quick cleanup for this reason, you just get an overall better weld and its easier to weld the clean stuff too 😅 1 Quote
midnightman Posted March 4 Posted March 4 I always teach my apprentices mig first, then stick, then tig. Learn to develop the skills of holding consistent arc length, angle, and travel speed with the most forgiving process, then move on to the processes that require a little more. 2 Quote
CRVB91 Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 23 minutes ago, midnightman said: I always teach my apprentices mig first, then stick, then tig. Learn to develop the skills of holding consistent arc length, angle, and travel speed with the most forgiving process, then move on to the processes that require a little more. Yep, exactly that! Quote
int 504 Posted March 4 Posted March 4 learned gas first then stick. Got a job in a factory welding and the foreman said you're going to weld these headers for the steam presses. use that. My introduction to Mig a 400 amp Airco with a wire feeder which wasn't very common in 69. Made the machines that made plywood. 3 Quote
acem Posted March 4 Posted March 4 I was taught at in an informal class for farmers and other non professionals back when I was a teenager in the early 80s. They told us to use 6011 rod because we would be welding dirty, rusty steel on the farm or in the oil field. I remember they had something called a high frequency box? that made the 6011 start easier. 1 Quote
Diesel Doctor Posted March 4 Posted March 4 I liked gas welding and brazing. Something about the magic of it all? 1 Quote
oleman Posted March 4 Posted March 4 1 hour ago, Diesel Doctor said: I liked gas welding and brazing. Something about the magic of it all? I once built a duel exhaust system for our 4X4 Travelal all curves were made by gas welding sliced tube. I burned a lot of O2 and Acetylene gas on that project, and learned alot. Actually, I also like laying out and assembling printed circuit boards using low temperature solder on tiny electronics parts when they are large enough to see and building assembles from > 1/2" mild steel but not so large that heavy lifting is required. Quote
Sledgehammer Posted March 4 Posted March 4 Once you get good with that, learn to forge weld 😎 1 Quote
1586 Jeff Posted March 4 Posted March 4 5 minutes ago, Sledgehammer said: Once you get good with that, learn to forge weld 😎 Show off! But as Dizzy Dean said, “It ain’t bragging’ if you can do it!”. 2 Quote
CRVB91 Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 47 minutes ago, Sledgehammer said: Once you get good with that, learn to forge weld 😎 I love to watch it being done - so who knows 😏 Quote
CRVB91 Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 3 hours ago, Diesel Doctor said: I liked gas welding and brazing. Something about the magic of it all? Certainly is, I started doing it because I fell in love with watching it being done - there is a kind of magic about it! In all forms! Quote
Rawleigh99 Posted March 4 Posted March 4 i wish my welds look as good as yours. The one thing I do on everything I weld is clean it to bright metal! I was never a fan of the 60 series rods. 1 1 Quote
Diesel Doctor Posted March 4 Posted March 4 A man I have watched for years on YouTube is Engels Coach Shop out of Joliet, Montana. He built the 20 Mule Team Borax Wagons and water tank. His craftsmanship is mainly in wood but he also does all the iron work out of necessity. He is a true perfectionist with a peaceful way of telling his story. He is currently building an 8 passenger and an 11 passenger horse drawn Yellowstone coach. The next time I am through Joliet, I will have to stop, say "HI" and "Thank You". 5 Quote
whweldit Posted March 5 Posted March 5 Always started students on 6013. Nice easy rod to strike and carry arc. Let them get use to proper sound and the sparks flying. Made nice smooth welds that would give student some confidence going forward. 3 Quote
acem Posted March 5 Posted March 5 2 hours ago, Rawleigh99 said: i wish my welds look as good as yours. The one thing I do on everything I weld is clean it to bright metal! I was never a fan of the 60 series rods. On some of my field repairs, if I cleaned up all the rust I sometimes wouldn't have had any steel left to weld! 1 4 Quote
whweldit Posted March 5 Posted March 5 As I have mentioned I taught welding at county technical high school. Students did a lot of live work projects in shop. This is just one example of what they made. Live work gave them real world experience in problem solving. 7 Quote
iowaboy1965 Posted March 5 Posted March 5 Used to be an old guy that ran what he called a blacksmith shop in Laurel Iowa. Dad and all the farmers took him stuff they were not sure or capable of fixing. After he retired he helped dad out some on the farm. He showed me a bit how to stick weld when I was approximately 12 to 14. Very interesting guy. Had been in ww2 and had a lot of stories. Rip Otto Hansen. 7018...had a journeyman used to say when he had trouble starting 7018 and it stuck to the the piece. "Freaking Indians! See there they stuck an arrow in it." 2 2 Quote
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