Need Oxygen Acetylene Welding Technical Help in Georgia

[subnoize]

Hello!

I'm having trouble locating help learning Oxy-Acetylene welding for 4130 here in Atlanta, Georgia. The local trade schools have virtually no Oxy-fuel welding and the TIG classes they do provide cost thousands of dollars. I've asked local A&PS and their response is they all farm out the work and don't know anybody locally. I guess the world has all gone to rivets and Oxy-fuel is a lost art!

My problem right now is when I try to practice welding 5/8ths x 0.032" 4130 at right angles. I do the weld like the books, videos and the plans all say to do it, in quarters. It looks like i'm burning the weld. When I am finished its lumpy and looks like a cold lap even though I am certain there was a puddle there!

Its so frustrating to come from not knowing anything to pushing puddles around a plate to doing t-joints but now tubing is giving me a headache! The 4130 is so darn thin and it just burns away the moment the smallest of flames gets around it that i'm just about to kick myself in the butt.

I am at a point where I need some professional supervision to move me over this hurdle. Where do I find this help?

Thanks,


JB


PS. Airventure isn't and option. No, no EAA Oxy-fuel classes in Georgia, only TIG. Sorry, I'm not spending the money on TIG, there is no benefit or advantage (and don't start on me, go to http://tinmantech.com and yell at him, I'm not listening anymore, this is a religious war I want no part of). I already have all the books and videos from EAA, Aircraft Spruce, Tony Bengelis, Tinman and everybody else. I need a human being who can watch me, tell me what I'm doing wrong and help me!

[Kyle Boatright]

I'm not going to post their contact information on this forum, but use the link below to find a list of Technical Counselors for the state of Georgia. Call David Posey or Henry Herring off of the list. They are both excellent O/A welders.

http://www.eaa.org/techcounselors/

[pacerpilot]

Subnoize, you can "self teach" yourself to gas weld. Use as many sources of info you can. The American Welding Society has several publications as do Lincoln and Miller etc. Something else you might do is go to your local welding supply place. They usually have a weld bench set up. Ask for some help, I'd be very surprised if they didn't sit down with you and go over the basics; i.e. safety, technique. But first and foremost, ditch the thin, small, round tube for learning. Get some 1"x1/8" regular hot rolled steel flatbar. Set up with pieces about 6" long, laying flat with a 1/16" (or slightly less) gap. Hold your parts with small weights and tack each end. Once you've got good technique on the 1/8" flatbar, go to thinner pieces then transition to the tubing.

[Aaron Novak]

Hello!

I'm having trouble locating help learning Oxy-Acetylene welding for 4130 here in Atlanta, Georgia. The local trade schools have virtually no Oxy-fuel welding and the TIG classes they do provide cost thousands of dollars. I've asked local A&PS and their response is they all farm out the work and don't know anybody locally. I guess the world has all gone to rivets and Oxy-fuel is a lost art!

My problem right now is when I try to practice welding 5/8ths x 0.032" 4130 at right angles. I do the weld like the books, videos and the plans all say to do it, in quarters. It looks like i'm burning the weld. When I am finished its lumpy and looks like a cold lap even though I am certain there was a puddle there!

Its so frustrating to come from not knowing anything to pushing puddles around a plate to doing t-joints but now tubing is giving me a headache! The 4130 is so darn thin and it just burns away the moment the smallest of flames gets around it that i'm just about to kick myself in the butt.

I am at a point where I need some professional supervision to move me over this hurdle. Where do I find this help?

Thanks,


JB


PS. Airventure isn't and option. No, no EAA Oxy-fuel classes in Georgia, only TIG. Sorry, I'm not spending the money on TIG, there is no benefit or advantage (and don't start on me, go to http://tinmantech.com and yell at him, I'm not listening anymore, this is a religious war I want no part of). I already have all the books and videos from EAA, Aircraft Spruce, Tony Bengelis, Tinman and everybody else. I need a human being who can watch me, tell me what I'm doing wrong and help me!

JB,
Lets see if we can maybe get you a few pointers here. First off I am going to ask a silly question. Do you wear bifocals? If so, ditch them and get reading glasses with a focal distance that is comfortable. You need good depth perception. Second thing, snap some pictures of your butt, lap and tee welds on flat stock, and lets see if we can see whats going on. The trained eye can tell what you did while welding, in your result. 4130 welds quite nicely, and im sure there is just a simple change needed.
-Aaron

[1600vw]

Do you own a Double Eagle? This sounds awful familiar.

[subnoize]

Thanks, Kyle!

That was what I was looking for!

JB

[subnoize]

Thanks, pacerpilot! I can carry a bead down a think plate, thin plate. I can t-joint down to mild steel at 20 guage and it looks pretty darn good. I'm having a time of it with the tubing! Thanks for the insight though.

[subnoize]

Aaron, I will take you up on the offer and post some pic here if the two techs that Kyle told me about don't pan out. Thanks again!

[subnoize]

It's a small community, 1600vw but I've not whined about this publically until now. I have a set of Double Eagle plans but i'm probably going for the Sonerai IISL since its the same amount of work but way more fun.

[1600vw]

It's a small community, 1600vw but I've not whined about this publically until now. I have a set of Double Eagle plans but i'm probably going for the Sonerai IISL since its the same amount of work but way more fun.

I just purchased me one of these. Mine was built to meet SP so she is a little slower then the rest. But change a couple things and she will keep up. I will leave her as is. Mine is also a single seat and a stretched version.

Christmas gift from my wife.

Tony

P.S. I never considered this whining. I call it looking for help. Not a thing wrong with this.

[subnoize]

I just purchased me one of these. Mine was built to meet SP so she is a little slower then the rest. But change a couple things and she will keep up. I will leave her as is. Mine is also a single seat and a stretched version.

Christmas gift from my wife.

Tony

P.S. I never considered this whining. I call it looking for help. Not a thing wrong with this.


Cool! I'm happy for you on the plane, Tony!

I'm happy now too! I talked to one of the Technical Advisers that Kyle recommended and he said he could help. Now I'm not feeling so darn lonely !


jb

[eiclan]

Gday Subnoize,it is all about practice.To get used to thin tube go to your local exhaust place and get some off cuts and practice on that .Just cut and join and do it over till you get the feel and that is the thing with the oxy,you just need to get the feel for it.don't be afraid to give it a good go as you can only get better to the point where you love the oxy. Cheers Ross

[Blue Chips]

Subnoize,
The exhaust shop is a good suggestion, also a good place to get one of the guys there to get you started, owned an exhaust shop for years and I can tell you that any one of them worth a salt will have an experienced gas welder. As important as welding techniques is it is amply as important that you have the right tip and properly adjusted flame, they can direct you on both.

Ken

[subnoize]

Ken and Eiclan, thanks for the responses. I have found a Technical Advisor here locally. Kyle had passed along the names so I finally have somebody to talk too. I have made arrangements to start having a review of my skills starting the first of the year, 2014. Thanks again for your input.


JB