What have you done this weekend...?

Heya Fanie. Feels good to have water under my feet again. Unfortunately it was blowing a gale today and even the hardiest sport fishers landed their speedy boats. We're cleanin' the ole' girl up and put the "For Sale" sign on it. Soon time to move onto other projects.

 

In Australia it is a long weekend (again) remembering the 40h week and a fair days pay for a fair days work,

and in an unrelated topic (except in birthing labour), also the children who may not remember - their mothers day follows soon and to remember the labour and pain in birthing and sacrifices in bringing up their children....

 

Yeah mate what ever you need to get another holiday in mate, better than going to work geeez drinking is ridgy didge and the unions make sure I get me money too.

Real conversation I heard in Australia.--Aww geez mate I went to work on Sat morning and with a bit of ducking diving I did'nt do a damn thing. Yeah kept away from the foreman all morning till lunch --cheers.

 

Comes from both sides, as an employer, I had no problems - - - as an employee, far too many 'arse-hole' bosses demanding the pound of flesh AND the blood for the privilege of actually working for them??? and bad payers at that... None of my employees 'skived off' and bragged to their workmates.

 

I started to take the IROC apart this morning. Here's a few things I found...



I found a rats nest too! Looks like someone really hacked the wiring harnass to install an alarm system and aftermarket stereo. I'm going to have fun trying to fix this mess. It took me three years to get all the gremlins out of our boat wiring!

 

Ok, all you experienced welders don't laugh. I haven't done anything like this in over 20 yrs and we didn't have fancy schmancy MIG welders back then. These were my first attempts with my new Lincoln Mig-Pak 140.



I'm sure I'll be criticized by my kid who just graduated from trade school as a welder/fabricator.

 

Good grief, it looks like a vulture slept there and shat all over the iron. You have the shakes or something ?

If you're used to arc welding, then this is not arc welding You have to keep up with the speed and don't pull weld, push weld ie towards the place to be welded. Only the wiemen pull weld here

Most important is you must be able to see the material and weld properly and in detail while you weld. Whenever you can use a steady to reference your hand to, you'll get it streight then too.

Don't get burnt.

Next time remember to open the gass bottle and brush the iron a bit, the rust makes it look bad.

Anyway, thanks for the opportunity to give you a bit of grief

And snow shovels doesn't look like that

 

I'm pretty sure it was the giant Blue Heron (not Sean) who crapped on my work! Yup was a lil' shakey getting started. I think it's important to have a comfortable welding position. I was working on the rusty fender of my boat trailer! Doh!

I was pushing the weld but had a bit of a problem seeing the puddle. I was outside and the sun coming in the top of my helmet made things a little harder to see. Again, proper position seems to be requirement.

Two handing the welding tip helped. See next point!

Just one burn on the outside of my left hand pinky as I was drawing it along the piece. The material gets hot in a hurry!

I was using the flux core stuff that came with the welder. My kid, the expert around here, recommends shielding gas. That'll be our next step after we build a welding cart & table.

I've learned more from you guys than all those years of shop classes! I do appreciate it!

Wise ***!

 

I had a really good weekend

went to visit Wynand and had a walk on the Waratah

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/metal-boat-building/dix-43-getting-there-23041-4.html

Damn fine vessel

the boat is at that stage where everybody is working their arses of on detailing
the rosewood trim that they are installing around all edges like door frames, cupboards, windows, etc - is absolutely frikken marvelous
the detailing that is going into this build is just to die for




anyway Wynand is helping me with a new design for myself which is a fast daysailor with a daggerboard and balast weight, i intend to do a sort of a mini - mini transat concept at around 17 feet

what is surprising is that even the latest freeship 3.01 and its never upgrade doesn't cater for the "triangular" designs that the French are using for mini Transat 650 or even Vendee - tells me i am outside the parameters

none the less a very pleasant weekend with Wynand
talking boats and design and boats and design and boats and more design

 

Rick, always wear protection. No, not condoms, gloves, long sleeves welding hat etc.

Shielding gas prevents corrosion in your welds, it's not even negotiable.

I was really doing you a favour, imagine the forum guys find out it is actually an anchor you're welding up there

 

The kid will be here in a half hour to critique my welds!

Got protection Fanie, well no Trojans but the gloves, long sleeves, funny welding hat & one of those auto-darkening helmet thingies. They never had such cool helmets when I did this before!

Here's attempt #2 side 1



And here's side #2



Getting a little better feel for the speed and spacing. I cut through the first welds and there's a crack still inbetween so that means not enough penetration right? Going too fast? Not hot enough? It's 1/8" mild steel. Just plain butt joints. I chipped off the flux and brushed these off just for you Fanie!

 

Cutting through 3mm... I think your current is set too high.

You want the weld to be continuous. Are you welding with a reel of wire or are you stick welding ? Either way the gas will make a huge difference. I think you should get that first.

When your first puddle is formed, you want the molten area moved on as material is added. The rate you feed determine the amount of material you add.

Since 'the kid' will be there about now, get him to show you in 10 mins or so all he learned the last couple of years Easy, just look at the right things

 

Naw, the welder didn't cut through the steel, I did with a cut off wheel to see how the inside of the welds looked.

It's a Lincoln Mig-Pak 140 MIG welder, wire feed, flux core wire at this point. We'll get the shielding gas and use regular mig wire next week. The longest weld I could get before the welder started to cycle (about 50% duty cycle at the setting I was at) was 5 inches or so. I cut a through a few more welds and they were ok. I got this particular welder to be able to do some light mild steel & sheet metal work. The sheet metal will definitely require shielding gas and plain wire. The flux core wire at the lowest setting just blows holes through 18 ga tin. Yes I tried it!

The Kid never showed up, figures, Mr. Unreliable. I even bought him a Jeep so he could come anytime he wanted. Oh well I'll keep puddlin' along!

 

Go get the jeep and park it at your place - maybe he will come then (at least to pick it up)?

 

Stick It To Ya'...

Hello...

Bad pun - trick is to get off your back - do what feels and works good - right hand - left hand - rotating jig holders...

When you see a guy welding all day every day - watch him and tell him how much you respect him - and buy him beer when he helps you out with the smallest piece of good advise...

Enclosed are old Delfin bits...

PS - I suppose the kid does not really count - he should buy the beer - you fed his gob all those years...

BTW - Argon shield at 40 odd spit and a spool of straight wire will change your life...

SH.