Today was an awful day. It was long, hot, and difficult.
What’s worse, I could not get into the swing of welding at all. Laying down loose welds, full of holes, spatter everywhere…
Got many many sparks inside the helmet, got a spark right down my back. That hurt. Caught weld flare twice. That sucks more than anything.
Did I not enjoy today?
Don’t get me wrong, I love welding. But when you can’t get into a rhythm on it, it can be a punishing mistress.
Click through for more pictures.
See what I mean? Way too wide, moving too slowly, lots of spatter. Most of these problems are aesthetic, but in a structural situation these welds would not be adequate.
Later we switched to a lighter plate, thinner rods… and finally I cracked it.
It was the best weld I had laid all day. Unfortunately it was also the best weld I would lay all day. I had a few good runs on that piece of work, but the overall product at the end of the day was not up to my personal standard.
Next week:
The Mad Industrialist gets back on that Iron Horse.