Latest Work Completed Mantua, New Jersey
Original Site:
September 2004
E-mail: usav8or@yahoo.com
Aircraft Welding 101: Part Too
or as I say, “Time in the saddle.”
I'm trying to get a handle on just how I need to start this welding thing...
Got all the equipment and the tanks, rods, etc. Spoke to Howard Bates at the EAA Chapter
meeting on 1/17/07 and he said that he'd help me with a few basic things; torch lighting, etc.
Spoke to Howard at length
after the meeting asking quite a few questions that I had from just reading the articles by Budd Davision. Answered all
that I had. The DVD set that I just purchased is really giving a lot of insight into the basics of the build and welding up of a fuselage. Oh, yeah, I forgot
to mention that I found a DVD on welding on a site called tinmantech.com.
First hurdle to overcome... GETTING STARTED ! As in a lot of the things we do, it's the GETTING
STARTED that is one of the biggest hurdles to get over.
I'm just a bit hesitant about getting the nozzles on the tanks. I don't want to blow out a diaphram.
Ahhhh... the joys of learning a new craft. Something else to add hours to the making of this biplane.
Welding... you think you're all set to begin to learn and you're still missing pieces to
the puzzle. Bought the welding set-up from Wag-Aero. It's a beautiful piece of hardware.
Don't mind me, I get excited over a well made hammer or screw driver. Anyways... I finally
get a little bit more than a few minutes of time to spare so I decide that I'll get this
puppy hooked up and start burning some holes (this is on a Sunday afternoon, by the way.)
I pull everything I have out of the box, gathered up a few things that I got from G & E
Welding, rolled out the two tanks that Denise picked up, and started putting fittings together.
Moving along pretty good, actually a little too easily. There's a catch, right? Yeah... there
was. Of ALL the items I've purchased, wait, get this... it's the VERY last fitting that I'm hooking
up; the pressure gauge for the acetylane. "What the heck is this ?" It's a male fitting coming off
the acetylane AND it's a thingamahozy prope coming off of the acetylene pressure gauge (and yes, there
is a gauge specifically for each of the two gases) with ANOTHER male end ??? I dig through the box that I
received that had all the pieces from Wag-Aero; each piece having it's own spot on a foam insert.
"Hmmmmm.... nothing missing. Could it be that THIS double female fitting I need wasn't supplied by
Smith, the torch welding manufacture, assuming that I knew that I would need it" Uhhh... yeah....
and it's the reason, the ONLY reason I'm telling you this story right now.
A $4.95 item kept me from starting to weld.
Take a look at the list below. You may have more than what I have jotted down, but, have at least
what I have written below so that you aren't stuck holding a torch that only has the oxygen flowing
to it.
1. Torch
2. Several size tips for torch
3. Ignighter (don't use matches... you have a good chance of burning the ends off your fingers.)
4. Pressure Gauge for the Oxygen
5. Pressure Gauge for the acetylene?
6. Double ended female fitting to allow the Acyt pressure gauge to attach to the acyet tank
7. 12' long light-weight double-hose that connects to your torch
8. Another double-hose to connect the light-weight hose to the tanks (you can get away with not having this but 12' really isn't that long, you'll be happy you spent the few additional dollars for the extra 12')
9. Back pressure check Valve guards for each hose to protect against flash backs (I attached between the two sets of hoses)
10. Goggles
11. Welders cap
12. Leather welding gloves
13. RG45 1/16th welding rods, good to have a few RG45 3/32 rods too
14. A few fire bricks to lay your practice work on 15. Fire Extinguisher