My colleague Kerry assures me that I am insufferable when I talk about the interesting things I do in an increasingly desperate attempt to forestall… well, whatever [INSERT SUBJECT OF EXISTENTIAL DREAD HERE].
Still, with apologies, I will persist. First, though: Emily tells me that research indicates that the utilitarian return on investment is better for experiential purchases — things like classes — than anything else. I believe this! I’ve been on kind of a class-taking kick lately: surfing, trapeze, microcontroller-programming and now welding. It’s working out so far. Take some classes!
But okay, welding. I’m taking a class at the Art League. It’s very affordable, but apparently in high demand. The subject is oxy-acetylene welding — there are opportunities to learn to use MIG and arc welding setups, but the focus is gas welding, which is both easier and less dangerous than those alternatives.
Welding is neat. In the past, I’ve done quite a bit of soldering, a process in which a low-melting alloy is used to make electrical connections. This background proved to be both helpful and confusing.
It was helpful when cutting metal. This is probably the coolest thing I’ve done in the class — it’s a very different operation from welding. The oxy-acetylene flame is used to heat the steel to a yellow-hot state, at which point you press a lever on the apparatus that projects a jet of pure oxygen onto the heated spot. The steel then serves as the fuel, sending sparks everywhere. The oxygen both fuels the reaction and physically pushes the molten steel away. It’s an interesting trick, playing with metal right at the edge of liquefaction, trying to melt some but not too much of the metal in order to blow away an optimally precise slice of steel. Soldering electrical components can definitely convey an understanding of how metal melts and flows. I was pretty good at cutting right from the start.
I sucked at welding. You learn to be tentative when soldering: you do have to work quickly, before the flux burns off, but in general you learn to be careful about applying heat. Too much and you’ll burn the component; better to back off and resolder, if necessary. This isn’t the case with welding. You need a lot of heat, and to patiently wait as the structure of the piece begins to collapse, forming an entirely new and unified hunk of metal. It’s unnerving to watch this happen.
It gets even worse when you start to incorporate a feeder rod. I’m assured that this makes for a stronger (abeit less attractive) weld than working without one, but it sure is frustrating. When you feed solder into a joint, it dissolves, flows, incorporates. The feeder rod really wants to stick. Gently rocking it back and forth sort of works — I can see how this will eventually make sense — but it feels pretty unnatural. Particularly given that your other hand is manipulating an insanely powerful jet of superheated gas.
Anyway! Below is some evidence of my efforts at cutting, and my first and second weld (each of which is half with-rod and half without). It’s all quite fascinating, I’m sure.
Not insufferable at all! I was simply expressing my jealousy at your fascinating extracurricular lifestyle. (Trapeze flying, welding, circuit board hacking, etc.) Your twitter feed regularly elicits the expression “eff that guy” but it is mostly out of admiration and envy, not disparagement.
Oh, I know. Just giving you a hard time.
Welding kicks ass. As a Mechanical Engineer, I got to try my hand at TIG, MIG and Gas-Oxygen welding in college.
Of the three, MIG is the scariest (just strike this electrified stick against the metal and hold it as it shoots flame, gas, sparks and molten metal at the direction of your joint, consuming itself as it goes).
TIG was the hardest. I could never strike a good arc without eventually getting the tungsten electrode buried in the molten pool of steel that you were trying to “paint” along your joint while feeding in additional metal from the stick you’re holding in the other hand. We pay guys big $$$ if they can make decent TIG welds, it takes lots of practice.
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The top half of your weld looks pretty good. You’ve got even and consistent half moons. Good work! Also, take a look at oxygen lances (or thermal lances) they’re pretty sweet too!
Thanks! Yeah, the stuff with the rod looks much messier.