I do not look this cool or this hot. More than a few years ago, I gave up on stick welding. I got tired of cussing all the time. I wish I had spent more time learning how to do it well, but I never did. I “upgraded” from a Lincoln Electric “Tombstone” to a Lincoln Electric 140HD. Got a cart and a tank of gas and went to it.
I suck at this. Today I got three of the 8 hangers welded on. That includes the breaker popping twice, because of the extension cord. I’ll get rid of the extension cord today and finish this up.
You might have heard the term “stacking dimes.” There is nothing that pretty happening here. The only thing I can say with confidence is that the hangers ring when struck with a hammer, and they show no signs of cracking off. I’m now to the point where I can get nearly consistent bacon sizzle.
I’m also going to use a different pair of glasses tomorrow. I’m pretty sure that I’m blind through the visor, and not from arc flash. Just the distance isn’t right for my normal progressives. If I tilt my head to focus, the visor window no longer has the arc in view.
Wish me luck. If this gets done, a rattle can worth of yellow paint goes on this monstrosity, and then up into the loft with it.
I am a failure at welding; the fact that it works at all is a happy accident from reasonable equipment.
Update
“How bad?” you might ask. I just picked up the magnetic right angle to weld the other side of the hanger and the hanger came with it. This is why each hanger is individually tested. Yeah, I ran a very pretty bead about 1/16 in above the root.
Ive had a Hobart 175 mig I bought in 2000. There are 5 or 6 Harley frames running around I welded back then..
I don’t weld every day so when its time to do it I have re learn setting it up.
biggest thing with mig is clean clean clean.. then clean again. shiny metal is what you want…
Ive laid some really sweet looking welds.. 3 inches from where it needed to be… heh.
when you get half a day get some metal and melt it together..
I bought a cheapy MIG/FluxCore welder off Amazon, something like Toolium, and it works for what I need. Then again, I weld maybe once or twice a year. And, believe me, my welds are awful to look at. When I was first playing around with it, I would burn a hole through the metal entirely too often. Takes practice.
.
Do not beat yourself up about the quality of your welds, unless you weld a lot, they are going to look like crap. The real test is how well they stand up to the hammer test. You can always grind off a blob of ugly.
.
Practice when you can, and if you never really get that stack of dimes look, who cares? Alternately, I saw a bit of a cheat on line. Use some paintable caulking to make that stack of dimes look. When painted, no one will know without touching it.
Here it is:
https://youtube.com/shorts/TFwmJNz4w98?si=EGnpUj65E-_6jOxO
If what you weld together stays together, its a good weld. As long as you’re not taking a welding test!