Metalworking Topic

[Wylder Treejumper]

Come one come all to the Metalworking Topic! Otherwise known as The Topic Where Wylder and Skarzs Can Talk About Metal Stuff Without Using Up All the Room in the Other Topics Topic.

I apprenticed myself to a welder and metalworker specializing in nonconventional repair and exotic metalworking. I'm just a beginning metalworker, but I enjoy it heartily.
Skarzs is of course the resident troll and smith.

@Skarzs: I found out some more exotic metals he welds. The majority of his business comes from welding aluminum (He was in the aerospace industry for 25 years). He also welds titanium, and, surprisingly, magnesium- which will apparently not burst into flame and immolate you if you weld it correctly.

So far, because I don't know much about welding, he just outfitted me in leathers, slapped a helmet on me, and put me on a wire-fed MIG welding scrap mild steel to practice. Meanwhile, he was using a wire-fed TIG to repair a punctured aluminum wheel.

[The Skarzs]

Magnesium's melting point isn't actually unattainable, you just need to keep it very well shielded from oxygen, which is what causes that bright reaction. Instead of rusting like iron when it oxidizes, it "burns". I've never seen titanium welding, though I know they do it.

That's funny how he just up and gave you the stinger and let you go at it. xD MIG welding is nice, but it does create quite a bit of spatter. How were your first welds? Globby?

[Hickory]

I've done a very small amount of welding.

[The Skarzs]

DO MORE.

[Wylder Treejumper]

Magnesium's melting point isn't actually unattainable, you just need to keep it very well shielded from oxygen, which is what causes that bright reaction. Instead of rusting like iron when it oxidizes, it "burns". I've never seen titanium welding, though I know they do it.

That's funny how he just up and gave you the stinger and let you go at it. xD MIG welding is nice, but it does create quite a bit of spatter. How were your first welds? Globby?

A bit, but I'm decent at it now. The key is consistent speed and angle, really. I spent about an hour and a half just practicing, so I'm much better than when I started. He also does quite a bit of machining, so I'll get experience with that too. He doesn't do much forging, from what I've seen, but he's got a couple anvils and I think I can pick up a few tricks.

[The Skarzs]

A couple that he doesn't really use?! (Gerv meh tem noo.)

Yeah, speed and angle are critical components to welding. Temperature, speed, angle, and straight direction are all necessary to good welding.
Machining is also a good skill to know. It's very complimentary to welding when cleaning up flywheels or repairs to other round things. (Like those aluminum wheels you said the guy was repairing.)

[Wylder Treejumper]

No, he still uses them, but he does a lot more welding (Most people don't come in and ask for something that requires forging- welding's where the money's at).

Tomorrow I'll be learning TIG. I'm glad, because it's a lot quieter than MIG. I'll also be helping some projects he's working on: Stripping a parts car, fabricating some grills for a restaurant, using lathes- good stuff.

[The Skarzs]

Very cool. Wish I had such an opportunity.

Tig is tricky to get the hang of, but once you do, it's very nice. I suggest doing steel before doing aluminum, though.

[Wylder Treejumper]

Darn, TIG is hard. A lot harder than MIG. I got MIG down after just a few tries, but it was an hour's worth of practice before I even started to figure out the TIG (And yes, I did work with mild steel. I haven't done anything with aluminum other than machining some tools and things).

On a different topic, sometime later I'm going to use my new-found skills to make a gas forge for me to work with. So, I'm on my way to becoming a blacksmith as well as a welder/machinist.

[The Skarzs]

Darn, TIG is hard. A lot harder than MIG. I got MIG down after just a few tries, but it was an hour's worth of practice before I even started to figure out the TIG (And yes, I did work with mild steel. I haven't done anything with aluminum other than machining some tools and things).

Well. . . One word: Yep.

On a different topic, sometime later I'm going to use my new-found skills to make a gas forge for me to work with. So, I'm on my way to becoming a blacksmith as well as a welder/machinist.

Shweet.