13-06-2011, 02:45 PM
Hi,
Thanks Alan for sharing your story; it just highlights the difference between levels of skill in welding.
Thanks also David; yes the Record 5" tool rest costs around £15 as shown in the link in the previous post;a couple of my recent turning jobs would have been easier had I made the rest earlier including making the set of wooden radio knobs; at least I'm now better equipped for such turning jobs in future.
I've just had a quick look on eBay and a brand new stick welder at 130A can still be bought for £60 and such a welder would prove extremely useful; another welder I spotted with no bids on it starting at £20 is a 200A unit but requiring a simple repair or switch change. One point worth mentioning is not to buy small DIY packs of welding electrodes as these will prove very expensive; the best bet is to find a local industrial supplier of full boxes; my last box a few years ago cost £17 and will last for ages as long as it is kept dry.
For a novice the stick welder will prove the easiest to learn and with a bit of practice on scrap metal such as angle iron strong welds will soon be achieved; the first welds will look ghastly and possibly the weld laid down won't even be in the correct position and the whole area around the weld will be covered in spatter. Welding thicker metal is easiest using a stick welder because as already mentioned thin sheet steel tends to get blown full of holes until experience is gained; I've welded rusty exhausts but this takes considerable practice and patience. Hand held welding masks do take some getting used to but these were in common use when I trained on welding equipment so now I feel at home using one. I think every novice must have suffered sore eyes whilst learning stick welding; I still occasionally get caught out whilst striking an arc and end up looking at a brilliant star for a couple of hours; if you are not sure what I mean you will fully understand once trying to stick weld for the first time.
Working in the pit we used to have huge 3 phase oil cooled welders that throbbed in our hand as the weld was laid on RSJ's or very thick steel plate.
I totally agree with you David regarding safety concerns using oxy/acetylene equipment; this equipment isn't for a novice and in my opinion even the smaller sets should not be sold unless a certificate of competence could be shown. Whilst learning to weld in the National Coal Board training centre I was frightened out of my wits one day as an apprentice accidentally pulled over a full size oxygen bottle; as it fell the gauges were snapped off against the metal bench and the shriek of high pressure escaping gas was terrifying; fortunately the instructor was quickly on the scene and closed the bottle valve. The apprentice had changed the bottle but omitted to secure it to the wall with the chain. Such a fright for a sixteen year old does no good for normal bowel functions.
Whilst at the training centre which at that time was a working pit (Crigglestone) we apprentices were walking up to the canteen at dinner time and saw a short distance away a guy dancing around for his life as a hose with flames shooting out of it lashed around like a snake; the hose had become detached from the oxy/acetylene cutting torch he had been using.
We were taught how to assemble the hoses and gauges etc. blowing the hoses through and then blowing the bottle necks clear before fitting the gauges; oxy/acetylene is extremely dangerous.
Many years ago my younger brother made the 6 o'clock news on TV; he had been awoken from bed to find the entire front of the block of flats he was staying in had disappeared. Cooking in the flats was done by bottled gas and these were big bottles; one had been connected wrongly and leaked; my brother survived; he never heard the explosion.
Whether welding in a garage or on a car fire hazards are forever present and need closely guarding against; petrol tanks and carpets in a car and flammable substances in a garage or workshop must not be allowed to come into contact with any heat produced by welding including sparks that travel a good distance. This also applies to grinding operations.
You mentioned a planer throwing a knife Alan in a previous post and this reminds me of a story I read many years ago of a guy changing and setting up planer blades on a big industrial planer/thicknesser. He had completed the job apart from the last blade when the telephone rang and he answered it; after a lengthy conversation he returned to the machine and powered it up; as it came up to full speed the machine destroyed itself.
One major attribute of this forum is being allowed to fully discuss subjects that would be classed as "off topic" on other forums; this thread began with making a wooden box but is now into welding. I think this is great as so much valuable information is added to the benefit of all.
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks Alan for sharing your story; it just highlights the difference between levels of skill in welding.
Thanks also David; yes the Record 5" tool rest costs around £15 as shown in the link in the previous post;a couple of my recent turning jobs would have been easier had I made the rest earlier including making the set of wooden radio knobs; at least I'm now better equipped for such turning jobs in future.
I've just had a quick look on eBay and a brand new stick welder at 130A can still be bought for £60 and such a welder would prove extremely useful; another welder I spotted with no bids on it starting at £20 is a 200A unit but requiring a simple repair or switch change. One point worth mentioning is not to buy small DIY packs of welding electrodes as these will prove very expensive; the best bet is to find a local industrial supplier of full boxes; my last box a few years ago cost £17 and will last for ages as long as it is kept dry.
For a novice the stick welder will prove the easiest to learn and with a bit of practice on scrap metal such as angle iron strong welds will soon be achieved; the first welds will look ghastly and possibly the weld laid down won't even be in the correct position and the whole area around the weld will be covered in spatter. Welding thicker metal is easiest using a stick welder because as already mentioned thin sheet steel tends to get blown full of holes until experience is gained; I've welded rusty exhausts but this takes considerable practice and patience. Hand held welding masks do take some getting used to but these were in common use when I trained on welding equipment so now I feel at home using one. I think every novice must have suffered sore eyes whilst learning stick welding; I still occasionally get caught out whilst striking an arc and end up looking at a brilliant star for a couple of hours; if you are not sure what I mean you will fully understand once trying to stick weld for the first time.
Working in the pit we used to have huge 3 phase oil cooled welders that throbbed in our hand as the weld was laid on RSJ's or very thick steel plate.
I totally agree with you David regarding safety concerns using oxy/acetylene equipment; this equipment isn't for a novice and in my opinion even the smaller sets should not be sold unless a certificate of competence could be shown. Whilst learning to weld in the National Coal Board training centre I was frightened out of my wits one day as an apprentice accidentally pulled over a full size oxygen bottle; as it fell the gauges were snapped off against the metal bench and the shriek of high pressure escaping gas was terrifying; fortunately the instructor was quickly on the scene and closed the bottle valve. The apprentice had changed the bottle but omitted to secure it to the wall with the chain. Such a fright for a sixteen year old does no good for normal bowel functions.
Whilst at the training centre which at that time was a working pit (Crigglestone) we apprentices were walking up to the canteen at dinner time and saw a short distance away a guy dancing around for his life as a hose with flames shooting out of it lashed around like a snake; the hose had become detached from the oxy/acetylene cutting torch he had been using.
We were taught how to assemble the hoses and gauges etc. blowing the hoses through and then blowing the bottle necks clear before fitting the gauges; oxy/acetylene is extremely dangerous.
Many years ago my younger brother made the 6 o'clock news on TV; he had been awoken from bed to find the entire front of the block of flats he was staying in had disappeared. Cooking in the flats was done by bottled gas and these were big bottles; one had been connected wrongly and leaked; my brother survived; he never heard the explosion.
Whether welding in a garage or on a car fire hazards are forever present and need closely guarding against; petrol tanks and carpets in a car and flammable substances in a garage or workshop must not be allowed to come into contact with any heat produced by welding including sparks that travel a good distance. This also applies to grinding operations.
You mentioned a planer throwing a knife Alan in a previous post and this reminds me of a story I read many years ago of a guy changing and setting up planer blades on a big industrial planer/thicknesser. He had completed the job apart from the last blade when the telephone rang and he answered it; after a lengthy conversation he returned to the machine and powered it up; as it came up to full speed the machine destroyed itself.
One major attribute of this forum is being allowed to fully discuss subjects that would be classed as "off topic" on other forums; this thread began with making a wooden box but is now into welding. I think this is great as so much valuable information is added to the benefit of all.
Kind regards, Col.
