[TheForge] Welding, soldering and anvil questions

[Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer]

Saint Phlip wrote:
> OK, I think it's the click stop amp adjustment, if that's what you
> mean when you turn the pointer, and it clicks when you hit the various
> amperages. Yeah, I've heard you guys talk about different welders, and
> got the impression that they're a good, solid basic machine, although
> I get the impression that there's some rivalry between Lincoln and
> Miller, rather like the rivalry between Chevy and Ford ;-)
Very much so.
> 
> OK, you said:
> 
> "It's frustrating at first until you master
>> starting the arc without sticking."
> 
> I take it, then, that  if I DON'T do a controlled start up like that,
> the rod will attach itself to the piece, and do nothing?
The rod will fuse to the piece and heat up to ugly, if you cant wrest it 
free quickly enough. It's something everybody gets to do a lot of, 
especially at first. It's also a symptom of not enough amperage sometimes.
  And by
> implication, the goal here is to not quite touch the piece with the
> rod? Or am I brushing the rod against the piece? 
Just like quickly striking a match, but with a short, controlled stroke 
that ends quite close to the work.
Most seasoned welders use a little pecking/tapping motion instead.

> Then you said:
> 
> " Joint preparation and good penetration for that."
> 
> How do I determine whether good penetration has been achieved?
That's what the book is for. Basically, you want to make sure you get 
complete fusion through the thickness of the weld. On thicker metal, a 
"V" is cut or ground at the joint so the puddle penetrates to the bottom.
A 4 1/2" angle grinder is a good tool for  joint preparation.
The more critical the weld, the fussier the joint prep.
Welding distortion becomes a big consideration with arc welding.
Arc welding is harsh and elemental.
It's fast , rigid, and kinda messy, but satisfying once you get over the 
initial learning hump.

> 
> Am looking at the Lincoln site now. It's pretty basic, but I'm picking
> up some stuff. Will try the Miller site next. I'm finding I know a lot
> of what they're teaching, likely picked up by simply being around a
> lot of it, and listening to you guys. I think I've got a good basic
> understanding of the process- it's the details and the hands on
> experience I need, and it's looking like this stuff will give me
> enough information to get started.
You'll do just fine Phlip. It's mostly a matter of putting in enough 
hours that certain movements become automatic cause there isn't enough 
time to think about it before you react.
Keep your eye on the arc and the details of the puddle.
Expose no skin, wear tight weave cotton or wool, or leather that the 
harsh light can't penetrate.
Others will have much more to add doubtless.
> 
> Thanks ;-)
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 11:55 PM, Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer
> <artgawk at thegrid.net> wrote:
>>
>> Saint Phlip wrote:
>>> Well, guys, my local flea market came through for me ;-) I picked up
>>> an almost brand-new Lincoln AC-225 welder for $150 last week,
>> Good deal..those are good honest, enduring , easy to repair and get
>> parts for etc. A very versatile tool.
>> Is it the click stop amp adjustment or the crank adjustment type?
>>  but
>>> there's a bit of a problem- I haven't a clue about stick welding. As
>>> it happens, I picked it up because I'm tired of all the offers I've
>>> had to teach me to weld, that have never come through, so I got it so
>>> I can teach MYSELF to weld.
>> I did...not so hard Phlip. It's frustrating at first until you master
>> starting the arc without sticking.
>> 2 basic ways to start an arc, both require a bare ( bright) steel
>> surface and a solid ground connection.
>> 1 is to strike the end of the rod like you were striking a match,
>> keeping the rod end close to the steel at the end of the stroke.
>> 2 is to use a little pecking or tapping movement...lifting the tip just
>> barely clear at the end.
>>  However, not being totally nuts, I thought
>>> I'd ask you guys if you've come across a website that can teach me
>>> what I need to know to get started without electrocuting myself
>> Do not put the ground clamp in your armpit and lick the electrode.
>> Wear dry, rubber soled lace up boots...and good leather welding gloves.
>>  or
>>> burning the barn down,
>> Never do that...sparks fly far!
>>  or making pretty but useless welds,
>> Joint preparation and good penetration for that.
>>  or burning
>>> my material to a crisp. It would also be nice if it could tell me what
>>> sort of rod I need for various projects.
>> Rod selection is the key to making that machine as versatile as it can
>> be. The vendors will happily push all the info you can stomach on you.
>>
>> Lincoln sells good welding books at cost, but the basic technology has
>> been about the same since before WW2, so any decent 2nd hand arc welding
>> book applies. Try the Miller or Lincoln sites for beginning.
>> Competition between the different companies has been fierce for a long
>> time and most of them will shower you with informative  booklets listing
>> what they wanna push and how to use it.
>> Buy a decent quality, adjustable shade ,auto darkening welding
>> shield/helmet...It's a few more bucks but will make it a lot easier to
>> learn.
>> Take care to protect your eyes and skin from the arc rays. They can hurt
>> you badly.
>>  Wear a welding rated, good sealing/fitting fume filter under the
>> shield ( most welders don't, and it's a mistake.
>> Start with 6011 or 6013 rod and run a whole lot of it. Keep arc rod very
>> dry, preferably sealed and warm.
>> Get a comfy chipping hammer. If you have an air compressor, a cheapie
>> air hammer/chipping hammer is a wonderful, time saving, companion to an
>> arc welder.
>> Listen to the arc, it'll tell you a lot. Keep the arc length to a minimum .
>> Choosing the right rod for the job and good joint preparation are
>> critical to getting the most functional versatility from that machine..
>>> Second, I picked up a butane soldering iron for $2, and I'm wondering
>>> if anyone can tell me how soldering with a solid tip is different from
>>> soldering with oxy-acet, that being the only equipment I've ever used
>>> for soldering up until now. I picked up the iron, figuring it would be
>>> a small but useful item for our events, which tend to be held in the
>>> middle of hayfields, and having electricity available is usually not
>>> an option, and throwing a small bit of something into my forge to heat
>>> up would likely be rather counter-productive.
>>>
>>> And, third, the guy I got the Lincoln from has recently acquired what
>>> he describes as a matched set of anvils (small, medium, and large).
>>> >From his description, I'd guess one is in the 70 lb range, one in the
>>> 150 lb range, and one in the 200+ range, but I won't know until I see
>>> them this weekend. With them, he says there's a turntable, and he
>>> seems to think that what he has is a matched set. Anyone have any idea
>>> of what he might be talking about? He thinks they're maybe 50 to 100
>>> years old- he got them from his uncle's estate, and knows very little
>>> about smithing or metalwork. I'll look them over, and see if I can
>>> figure out what he has, but, as I'd never heard of anvils and
>>> turntables coming in matched sets, particularly that old, I thought
>>> I'd ask you guys if you might have a glimmer of a clue.
>> No clue here.
>>> Thanks,
>>>
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