Welding Resources and Tips

Art Welding Project Inspiration Part Two

From the fanciful and fun to the practical and user-friendly, art welding projects provide an excellent change of pace to your welding projects and can also provide a great opportunity to learn a new welding skill. In addition, an art welding project gives you a chance to try out different materials that can fashion gifts, lawn art, or decorations in your home. Last time we wrote about art welding projects, we kept it pretty simple. This week we’re providing part two, and we’re going to step things up a little bit.

Metal Elephant

Source: Lincoln Electric

“Brian Walters made this elephant from an old drum, stove pipe, sheet metal, an old snow sled from the 1960's, and thick wall pipe. Parts from old lawn chairs form the tusks.”

This particular project was made with a stick welder, which worked well since many of the parts were dirty scrap metal that would have taken a lot of time to grind and wipe down for a MIG or TIG welder. The downside of stick welding a project like this is that you need to avoid pumping too much heat into it since the metal parts are thin and could burn through.

If you have some options between welding machines or settings on a machine like the Miller Multimatic 200, you can weigh whether you want more control over your heat or less prep time on your metal pieces. If you’re working with found materials, then a stick welder is the perfect tool for the job, unless the weld joints are fine and difficult to reach with a fat stick electrode.

Biplane Welding Project

Source: Lincoln Electric

(The Lincoln website has project blueprints and the step-by-step process mapped out.)

You can get into the nitty gritty of TIG welding if you try out this complex biplane project that will provide opportunities to weld in a variety of different positions, especially if you want to improve your TIG welding skills. You’ll need a TIG welder with a lot of capabilities in order to get this project done even though you won’t need a lot of power for the small pieces of thin metal that you’ll be using.

Materials for this project include:

• 12" x 16" stainless (preferred) or mild steel 12 gauge sheets (.100" thick)
• Approximately 20" of 3/32" diameter stainless steel filler metal
• 2" of 1/8" diameter stainless steel filler metal (wire)
• Hammer
• Plasma cutter or band saw
• 1/8" and 3/16" drill bits
• Two 1/4" x 20 x 1" carriage bolts
• 1/8" x 1" machine bolt with four matching nuts
• Center punch
• Channel lock
• Needlenose pliers
• Clamps
• Side-cutting pliers
• Large and small heat sinks (aluminum or copper blocks)
• Small, "stainless used only" stainless wire brush
• Tape measure

 

Sea Turtle Welding Project

Source: Lincoln Electric

If the biplane is too much of a stretch, you can always try out this sea turtle project that is made from 16-gauge metal. This is an ideal project for a MIG welder, but it will also call for some pretty intense metal shaping. The welder who put this project together also used an oxy-acetylene torch setup for certain parts of this project.

If you want something that will challenge you beyond the welding work for the project, this project will be an excellent choice. In addition, many welders have MIG welders, so this is also an ideal advanced project.

 

Want to get started on a welding project?

Find the supplies you need in the Baker’s Gas and Welding Buying Guide.

Modifications for Your TIG Welding Set Up

Some TIG welders or multi-process welders don’t offer the full range of options that you could need for a TIG welding project. For example, if you need to weld aluminum, AC will be a necessity for a TIG welder.

If you own a TIG welder with a wider range of options, you need to know how to use them best without blowing a hole in your work piece or running a crooked weld bead. Here are some tips for modifying your TIG welding set up.

Choosing the Right Cup Size for TIG Welding

There are a lot of myths out there about how to pick your TIG cup. For example, some welders believe you need to choose the TIG cup based on size of your electrode, but that isn’t necessarily true. The most important part about choosing a cup is understanding how much space you’ll need on your pass. As you walk the cup, the right size will make it much easier to focus your arc.

For a more narrow root pass, you’ll need a smaller cup for the narrow weld joint. If you’re welding further out on a  wider part of the weld joint, you’ll need to use a wider cup to keep the arc focused on the right part of the weld joint without getting the cup in the way.

TIG Weld with a Higher Frequency

Some TIG welder inverters offer the option to adjust your AC frequency, which can really focus your arc. However, taking your frequency too high could really mess up your weld if you don’t have a high quality tungsten. Here are a few tips for jacking up your frequency:

For starters, you can crank up your frequency to 50 hz to just get a more focused arc in the weld puddle. In order to build up a fragile part, you can bump that up to 60 hz without letting things get too lively with your arc.

If you’re working on a tight edge, turn it up to 100 hz to get a higher degree of accuracy with your weld. Most welders rarely take their frequency over 150 hz for finer work.  Once you get close to 400 hz, your arc and tungsten could become a bit unpredictable and you could do some serious damage to your work piece.

Welding in the 100-150 hz ballpark will serve you particularly well if you need to get some deep penetration in a smaller weld joint. If you’re dealing with a T-joint, you’ll especially need a focused arc that will get sufficient penetration into the metal.

Besides focusing your arc at a higher frequency, you can also improve your travel speed a bit. Just make sure you’re ready to pump some serious wire into the weld puddle when you get the weld puddle moving.

TIG Welding with a Foot Pedal

One of the most popular modifications for a TIG welding set up is a foot pedal that allows you to control your amperage without having to take your hand off your torch or redirect your attention as you weld.

Sometimes the standard foot pedal that comes with a TIG welding machine will not give you enough control over your welder’s settings, so if you haven’t had success with a foot pedal in the past, don’t rule out picking up a higher quality pedal that will be more sensitive and easier to use.

Learn More about TIG Welders and TIG Welding Supplies

Visit the TIG welding page at Baker’s Gas and Welding.

 

Weekly Welding Roundup—Welding News

It’s true that fences make good neighbors, but good welders can also make good fences.

In the city of Kokomo, Brian Mikesell, a teacher at the Kokomo Career Center, is teaching his students real world job skills by designing and fabricating a fence for the town of Kokomo.

Image Source: Kokomo Tribune

According to the Kokomo Tribune, “It’s another partnership between Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight and Kokomo Center Schools Superintendent Jeff Hauswald that is both a way for the city to upgrade a major infrastructure project and lend work experience to about 20 students.”

The project is designed to ensure these welding students aren't fenced in with their future job prospects.

Here are the rest of the welding news links for this week:

Welding Industry

Hyundai Heavy Develops Welding Robot for Shipbuilding: “Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced the Company has developed mini welding robots for building ships. The compact design of the welding machine, measuring 50 cm by 30 cm by 15cm when retracted its welding arm, can operate in confined areas inaccessible to human welders. The robot’s six joints enable the machine to carry out almost all types of welding work at a similar speed usually done by a welder.”

Miami Welding Company Closes, Claiming It Is Owed $300,000: “Custom Welding and Fabrication of Auburndale closed April 15 and says it is owed approximately $300,000 by Tallahassee-based Ajax Building Corporation. Ajax was the general contractor on a parking garage being built for Miami Dade College in Doral. The five-story, $20 million concrete garage collapsed Oct. 10, killing four workers.”

Welding Jobs

Students Test Jobs at SkillsUSA Job Fair: “Nearly 2,000 high-school and college students from all over Florida spent this morning putting their skills – like masonry, welding, hair styling and more – to the test. This is the second of three years for Pensacola State College to host the annual Florida SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference at the Pensacola Bay Center.”

Welding Education

Underwater Welding Students Make a Splash: First year welding instructor Dave Hass of Kankakee Valley High school gave his students the rare opportunity to work on an underwater welding project. “Last week, 10 of his advanced welding students — all juniors and seniors — made 15-minute dives into the pool to apply what they first learned in the classroom. One by one, they dove to the bottom of the pool to work on fabrication with 8-inch flanges and pipe. ‘I want to get the students fired up about this trade, and also to think outside the box with their career choice.’”

Welding Training One Step Closer for Halifax Country Virginia: “Workforce training in welding took one step closer to becoming a reality for Halifax County residents on Friday when the Research and Development arm of the Virginia Tobacco Commission approved a $154,114 request by the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Currently no such welding training exists in Halifax County with welding students having to travel to nearby community colleges or Virginia Technical Institute (VIT) in Altavista to take the classes.”

Sierra College Career Event Inspires Young Women: “The Sierra College first Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) event inspired high school girls to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education and technical careers.
Held at the Rocklin, California campus on April 19, girls from Roseville, Nevada City, Truckee and communities in between visited labs, worked on projects and discussed careers. The 75 female students had a choice of Automotive, Applied Art & Design, Drafting and Engineering Support, Mechatronics, Photography, Technical Theater and Welding.”

Heartland Welding Academy in Illinois Wins AWS Welding Competition: “Marcus Crawford already had plans to attend Ohio Technical College next year to begin training for a welding career.Then he took a first-place award in the American Welding Society’s Midwest Welding Competition, and the prize was a $10,000 scholarship to that very school… Students come from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, said Heartland Technical Academy welding instructor Keith Cusey.”

Welding Events

AWS Pipelines Conference: June 4-5, 2013 in Houston, TX.

"Some of the key subjects that will be covered include the intense interest in the welding of the high strength X80 pipe steels, the many orbital processes that are seeing the light of day in pipeline spreads and from offshore barges throughout the world."

AWS Codes and Standards Conference: July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.

"Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors, and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge."

Welding Gone Wrong

Welder Causes Wild Fire in Dry Valley: “A ranch worker south of Bellevue inadvertently caused a small blaze. Wood River Fire & Rescue Chief Bart Lassman said his firefighting crews were called to the Heart Rock Ranch on state Highway 75 at 10:57 a.m. Tuesday when the ranch manager reportedly ignited dry vegetation while repairing a fence.”

Welding Accident Almost Burns Down Building Used for Training Firefighters: “A Rt. 85 building that is used by fire departments for drills burned Wednesday from a spark caused by welding… The fire was confined to the basement, although it burned a tire so it filled the entire home with smoke, [The Fire Marshal] Occhialini said. Devine [the building owner] said he was at the building about 20 minutes after he stopped welding, but Occhialini said often sparks smolder and it takes a bit for them to turn into a flame.”

Welding Supplies and Promotions

Get the latest welding supply deals, including the Build with Blue promotion, at Baker’s Gas and Welding. 

The Miller Electric Plasma Cutter Buying Guide

Today’s guest post is by Tim Lux of Miller Electric:

When choosing a plasma cutter, there are a few things to consider. Plasma cutters are rated for different material thicknesses.

The rated cut is the thickness you should get a clean precise cut at a certain speed (normally around 12 – 15 inches per minute) on mild steel. Cutting stainless steel, aluminum and other metals will have a different, normally lesser, rated cut thickness. The plasma cutter will also have a maximum sever thickness. The sever thickness is the maximum thickness the plasma cutter can cut through; although in most cases there will be with some amount of slag build up on the bottom of the cut. The bigger or more amperage the plasma cutter, the thicker metal it can cut.

The Miller line of plasma cutters include:

• 1\8-inch (Spectrum 125C 12 amps)
• 3\8-inch (Spectrum 375 27 amps and 375X-TREME 30 amps)
• 5\8-inch (Spectrum 625X-TREME 40 amps)
• 7\8-inch (Spectrum 875 and 875 Autoline both 60 amps)

Always pick a plasma cutter that will cut a little bit thicker than what you think your maximum cut thickness would be. When choosing a plasma cutter for the first time, customer feedback has shown that they would have gone a size larger after they have made their purchase. Don’t be afraid to ask your distributor or contact the factory and ask for a recommendation.

Plasma Cutter Input Power

Once you’ve decided on what the maximum material thickness you’ll need, the next step is to look at its primary input power. Miller makes four plasma cutters that run off of 115 volts AC. The Spectrum 125C, Spectrum 375 and Spectrum 375X-TREME, and the Spectrum 625X-TREME will run off a 115 volt 20 amp breaker.

The Spectrum 375, Spectrum 375X-TREME, and Spectrum 625X-TREME will also run off of single phase 200/220 volts AC. These three machines will have reduced cutting capacity when running off of 110 volts. The Spectrum 875 runs off of single phase 200/220 volts AC, while the Spectrum 875 Autoline will run off of single or three phase power at voltages ranging from 200 to 600 volts AC.

Plasma Cutter Air Supply

The final factor to consider when purchasing a plasma cutter is the air supply and amount of air needed to run the different models. While it is convenient to purchase a model like the Spectrum 125C which has a built in compressor, there are some additional things to keep in mind.

Plasma cutters with built in compressors normally have cooling coils in place of filters to remove the moisture from the air supply. This type of system — when used in a highly humid environment — can cause excess moisture to enter the torch and can cause reduced consumable life, arc outages and less than ideal cuts. It is important to make sure your compressor can meet the needed air requirements for the plasma cutter you’re choosing.

The following are the air requirements for the rest of Millers Plasma cutters.

• Spectrum 375 and 375X-TREME: 5cfm@ 90-120psi
• Spectrum 625X-TREME: 6cfm@ 90-120psi
• Spectrum 875 and 875: Autoline 6.75cfm@ 90-120psi

Taking these few things into consideration before you purchase a plasma cutter will make sure you are content with your purchase. Visit for more details on the Miller line of plasma cutters.

Learn more about Purchasing a Plasma Cutter at Baker’s Gas and Welding

The Baker’s Buying Guide to Plasma Cutters

Miller Electric Plasma Cutters on Sale at Baker’s

 

About Today’s Guest Blogger

Tim Lux has been with Miller Electric for 25 years. While the majority of that time has been spent with Millers’ industrial products service and end user training department, Tim currently is the service and application’s specialist with the Plasma group at Miller.

 

Art Welding Project Inspiration

Welding holds our world together. From bridges to pipelines to cars, we benefit from welding every day. However, welding can also make our world a far more beautiful place. Besides creating unique furniture and decorations for the home and garden, welding can also create extraordinary works of art.

Some of these projects are not for beginners, but you can usually simplify the projects in order to match your skill set. In addition, these projects give you a great excuse to experiment with cutting, bending, and tacking metal and to perfect your skills at a variety of welding applications. Even if your first attempt isn’t good enough to give as a gift, you’ll at least give yourself some excellent welding practice and an excuse to pick up some new tools. Here are some art welding projects to consider:

Shepherd’s Hook Art Welding Project

This welding project offers both simple and more complex aspects that you can integrate into your own project plans. At the very least you can cut two long pieces of metal and bend them into the hooks for each side before welding them together at the point where they join together. Most Shepherd’s hooks are one long continuous piece of metal that have a shorter piece of metal welded onto the top where the two pieces diverge in opposite directions as the metal curves in loops.

In this project from the Lincoln Electric website, “Carole [Del Vecchio] carefully researched grape leaf configurations and after selecting ones to model, she formed the leaves from mild steel sheet metal.

The grapes are made from large nuts with ¼-inch round bar spaces in the middle surrounded by TIG weld (made using a Lincoln Electric Precision TIG® 225). Carole overheated the grapes to get the purple coloring.”

Doing this project correctly will require bending a lot of metal and making some precise tack welds, so make sure you spend some time checking out the pictures from Carole’s project before you get to work on this welding project.

Trout Mobile Art Welding Project

If you’re looking for an easier welding project that will have less metal bending and cutting, this trout mobile project is a great place to start. According to Lincoln Electric: “[Charles Buster] welded washers together to form each fish; 5/8-inch washers on the large fish, 5/16-inch on the middle-sized fish, and 1/4-inch on the smallest fish. Charles used various colors of spray paint for the finishing touch.”

This project will test your tack welding precision and also requires a lot of painstaking detail work. However, you won’t need too many tools or very much welding experience. If you have an artistic eye, the spray painting aspect of this art welding project will be especially challenging and enjoyable.

Best yet, this welding project makes the ideal gift for fishermen, welders, or welders who fish!

 

Not the artistic welding type, but you still want some welding projects?

Check out the welding projects page at Baker’s Gas and Welding for a variety of projects for all skill levels.

Need welding supplies or a new welding machine for your welding projects?

Check out the welding Buying Guide at Baker’s Gas and Welding for descriptions of the best welders and welding supplies.