Learning Gas Welding

[subnoize]

Hello,

So, my first plane has a welded 4130 tube frame with a wood wing. After researching MIG, TIG and Gas welding I've decided on Gas as the benefits and cost puts it more inline with what I capable of doing at this time. Maybe one day I will slap down $5k for a TIG kit but the tinmantech.com deluxe starter kit is more like my speed for this project.

So, I've got my Meco Midget and super-dupper eyeball protection in the mail but I am having trouble finding somebody to help me learn. The local community college wanted almost $3k and then got upset that that was the only course I wanted to take. I checked the EAA workshops and the only ones I saw were nowhere near Georgia!

Anyways, anybody got ideas on how I can pull this off without killing myself or burning down my house?

[Mike Switzer]

Have you ever done any welding of any kind? I took the Sportair gas welding course the last time it was in Indy & I picked it up pretty quick, but I had done a lot of arc welding in a prior job.

You are going to need to get gas somewhere, ask your supplier if they know of anyone who can teach you. Gas welding isn't really done anymore other than for aircraft & some of us that do autobody work the old fashioned way.

I know what you are saying about the sportair workshops not being close. I have attended 2 in Indy, but recently the closest one was in Oshkosh in January, and besides being too far away January is not the time to be making a trip to Wisconsin.

[subnoize]

Have you ever done any welding of any kind?

Nope! Nada! Never! In fact, like with engines, I had completely avoided the subject. I have a certain place in my heart for the Type 1 flat four now and I have never even owned one! I can rattle off a whole lot of facts, just not real world experience. So, with welding and engines, its all new.

You are going to need to get gas somewhere, ask your supplier if they know of anyone who can teach you. Gas welding isn't really done anymore other than for aircraft & some of us that do autobody work the old fashioned way.

Northern Tool in Norcross, Georgia will set me up quite nicely with tanks of air and fuel. The Tin Man does mostly gas because he restores a lot of historic cars. If you really want to see some cool metal working skills just look him up on YouTube (tinmantech.com). I was impressed watching his stuff and seeing his work.

Gas welding is a lost art, I'm afraid! Which makes all that much more fun to learn! They teach like 5 minutes of it as part of a longer, more expensive class but not gas welding all by itself.

I know what you are saying about the sportair workshops not being close. I have attended 2 in Indy, but recently the closest one was in Oshkosh in January, and besides being too far away January is not the time to be making a trip to Wisconsin.

See, once I have my own plane I can afford to work on myself I will be all over the world! I'll figure out a way to stay warm!

Thanks for your help!

[CarlOrton]

If you're going to AirVenture they offer gas welding 101 twice a day. May not be to the level of detail you want, but a good starter.

[vaflier]

If there is an EAA Chapter near you I would bet there is a member who would be willing to teach you. It is not hard and can be learned on your own if need be. But it will take lots of practice to get to be really good. Another option might be to talk to a local high school shop teacher. They sometimes have night classes for adults. He may even have a student that excels at gas welding who would like to earn a few bucks teaching you. Go for it and good luck.

[Charlie Becker]

I second Carl's comment, attend AirVenture and take Gas Welding 101.

EAA's gas welding video is quite good. It is old but does an excellent job of showing how to gas weld. http://www.shopeaa.com/weldingandcorrosiondvd.aspx

I took gas welding at the local community college. I would give it a D. They just have no expertise in gas welding thin wall tubing.

Try going to your local chapter meeting and asking for help. That was how I got my initial start.

Also, watch all the Hints for Homebuilders videos on gas welding. http://www.eaavideo.org/channel.aspx...nts_tubefabric

Once someone has shown you the basics, it is all about practicing. The more you practice, the better you'll do.

[Aaron Novak]

Community colleges are for the most part, if not totally, useless for learning this skill. Gaswelding 101 at Oshkosh is a taste, and the instructors there will take you as far as you are able to handle. Those well versed in the art are few and far between, and are worthwhile to seek out if you intend to learn the art.

[somorris]

I think if I were you, I would go to Airventure and take the 101 course, then get the EAA video, then start practicing. I am definitely not an expert, but what I learned about welding is that you have to be in a position to really see what you are doing. Sometimes, as with welding aluminum, you need special (cobalt) lenses in your goggles. If you know what a good weld looks like, then you just have to practice until you can do it. I took a class from an old guy (I think he is in his nineties now) that has welded all his life. He taught arc and gas during the winter when the farmers weren't working. I don't weld anymore, but would like to get back to it someday.

[subnoize]

I want to thank everyone for their input. I have made a choice and it includes three books from EAA and Tinman's deluxe 4130 Welders starter kit. The Kit was expensive but it included the Meco Midget torch, ultralight hose, Cutskill medium duty regulators (with flashback arrestors) and his really cool super lens for eye protection. He also included 2 DVD sets (some shot with EAA guys) and a cool book from 1942 on gas welding. There are some other odds and ends I would never have known I needed so its a great shortcut to getting started right.

Now I need to get gas and a EAA member or somebody to give me input on what I'm doing wrong. If I'm building an Milholland's Double Eagle then its kind of obvious I can't travel to Oshkosh for a welding class. The airfare and hotel would be what I pay for my fuselage, completed! I had the money saved up for the welding kit because I knew about how much that would cost me. BTW, the kit cost what the fuselage would cost, completed! So, now I need to find a local old timer and get some pointers and take an hour ever night and make wind chimes for my mom.
I wonder if my mom will still say my ugly crap looks beautiful? Anyways!

So, for those reading this and thinking about gas welding it is probably in your best interest to check out Kent White (aka, the Tinman) at http://tinmantech.com

The kits are expensive but you end up with better eye protection and a killer torch from what I am told on other forums. I have the Meco Midget in my hand right now and its down right featherweight in your palm and absolutely miniature compared to the other torches. I can see why aircraft welders love it. Having to go around clusters and hold it at crazy angles for long periods of time would cause my arms to hurt if the torch was any bigger.

We'll see how far I get now! Maybe one day I can fly to Oshkosh in my own plane!

[58boner]

Gas welding is NOT a lost art. They were teaching it when I went through A&P school...Er, Uh, that was a few years ago (25). I welded my fuselage using gas and you can too. Get some help from your local EAA chapter. I'm in Savannah if you're ever in the area you are welcome to stop by. I'm no expert but I am happy to share what I have learned in my 33 years working with metal.