I started off welding up a few pieces of flat stock, one next to the other. Not challenging enough so I
moved onto welding up thick flatstock to round tubing. Now THATs where I started to learn how to play the
puddle. When first learning to weld you don't need to jump feet first into welding. There are dynamics going on that
you need to learn and understand. Take it in steps.
As you begin to learn welding you'll see, or at least I did, that the art of welding has a lot to do with patience, observation and understanding.
Patience: Let the metals come to the right temperature where they begin to form a "nice" puddle,
not just any puddle (You can't go sticking the rod into a newly formed puddle it just sucks the heat
out of it. You'll know this is happening when the rod wants to stick to the metal you're trying to weld.) You need to let the puddle "age". By saying it needs to age, I'm saying that it needs to form up and create a mature state. Read this all to mean that you can't stick your
welding rod immediately into the puddle. Give it a chance to form. Allowing the puddle to age permits the weld to penetrate the metals and create the bond that is neccessary for a good weld joint.
Observation: Look at what is happening in front of you. The dynamics of the two metals. Play the flame over
both of the two metals you're joining. See what the flame is doing.
Understanding: What is the reaction of the metal to the flame ? How do the metals react when you place the rod in front of the flame ?
What does the metal do when it's close to blowing a hole through it ?
Blow holes into the metal to see what leads up to that point. Stick the rod into the puddle at different times to see what it does in each instance.
Hold the flame at diffent angles to see what it does. LEARN by doing. You're your own teacher here.
It's all learning at this stage so push yourself to learn what to do and what NOT to do. When things aren't working the way you think it should. THINK ! What are you doing ? If it ain't working, then
I'd say you're doing something wrong. Change one thing at a time. I found early on that the heat of the flame has a lot to do with welding. Duhhhh ! Well, yeah duh, but the slightest change in the length of that feather changes A LOT of things. More than you'd think unless
you're out there practicing and seeing what happens when this or that setting is changed. If the puddle hasn't started to form in approx. 15 seconds then the flame isn't hot enough.
You need to turn up the acetylene and then adjust the flame with the oxygen. The size rod... The angle of the flame... they all affect the welding environment.
I'm only speaking from a few hours of practice. But those hours have been intense with learning. I'm not just playing
out there in the garage. I'm having a lot of fun, but I'm thinking the entire time. Constantly asking myself "why is it doing that?" "what would it do if... ?"
The above weld is one of my first weld joints joining a very thick metal with thin-walled tubing and with an angle. It's not bad but I have a lot more to learn. A lot more to understand. But I can see where I started and the progress that I've made in
a short amount of time.
I can talk until I'm blue in the face but like I was told in the very begining, by everyone I spoke to.... practice practice practice. Learn by doing. OK, off to practice a little more. I'll keep you updated in the weeks ahead.
April 12, 2007: ... yeah it's been awhile.
Back out to the garage... time to do a little more practicing. I've been working so hard on getting the aileron ribs completed that I pushed learning to weld to the side
for awhile. Well, it's time to start practicing again.
Picked up the torch and put the #5 tip in it. Man does that do a number on heavy metal. Heats it right up. Changed the tip to the #3 to see what the difference in heating was and the #3 barely made a puddle after 15 - 20 seconds on the
same piece of tubing.
With only the two size tips, I'll need to purchase a few additional sizes. When I get to the point of knowing what I'm doing I'll know what tips are needed for what job. I'm a little ways from that point right now
but it'll be here soon enough.
Close to a month break from welding. Well, I wouldn't call it a break. I really didn't want to stop "learning." As mentioned before, the push to get the aileron ribs finished took top ranking for awhile.
Summer isn't that far off and that's my time line for starting to tack weld the fuselage together followed by welding it up. Less than two months so I need to get out there and push
that puddle.
I knew it... just knew it was going to happen ! It happened last time. As with anything... time away from the task and you tend to lose a lot of what "skill" you already had. I found myself practicing most of the basics again. I went out there with the intent to practice
for an hour, no matter how bad I was. I forced my way past fustration so that I could get back to where I was a month ago. No sense in calling it a night (after 10 mintues) when I found I lost a lot of what I knew. I'd never get to the point of being able to weld that fuselage
with an attitude like that. Another session and I'll be there.
I'll have the chance to practice for a few hours this weekend. I should be bending the tail feathers too : )