Fascinating video, great anecdotes, and so much insight into there being far more to being a welder than just making a satisfactory joint at welding school. So sorry I missed the live version; I only received the about-to-start notifications, which came through at 1am, when I was asleep, so I saw them only the next day. Previously, I’ve had notification some one or 2 days beforehand, giving plenty of notice; I don’t know what happened this time.

I wouldn’t be too happy about not being allowed to use my own helmet (together with its ventilator). You spend years experimenting and customising and investing in optical-quality-glass magnification, only to be told you can’t use it. I understand the reasoning, but it’d have a negative effect on my welding.

Quite an eye-opening video!

Many thanks

Martin

Always good to see unconventional methods or methods that “break the rules”, for at least 2 reasons: to learn that the “rules” are not hard and fast, and to know what you can do to make the impossible become possible - and easy. These tricks highlight the old adage “Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obediance of fools”

I know exactly what you mean by those nodules on the tip. Strange how just a minute (2%) addition of a doping agent can make so much difference. Those nodules look hideous under magnification and do nothing for arc stability.

Thanks very much, Jody.

Martin

Sorry I missed the live chat: somehow, the only notifications I got were ther email alert and the WS alert to say it was about to start, which I saw only when I’d woken the next morning.

But I look forwards to catching up with the recording.

Martin

Thank you, both. And thanks Aren for going to such lengths to find an Internet connection and for your interesting answer to my question about any jobs you would refuse. Your answer reminded me very much of the thoughts of another instructor - I think it was JD - in another Zoom webcast, and I’m pretty sure his remarks were practically identical to yours. I’m now going to watch it over again.

If you have a look at this page:

https://www.tec-science.com/material-science/heat-treatment-steel/annealing-processes/#:~:text=During%20normalizing%2C%20the%20steel%20is,then%20slowly%20cooled%20in%20air.

and watch the video, as well as having a look at the related webpages at the bottom, you’ll agree how complex the subject of heat treatment of steels and other alloys can be. That’s why I very much warmed to your clever idea of a live chat with a specialist, especially if they have a gift for breaking down complicated topics.

A good understanding of the reasons behind heat treatments is essential for a welder, otherwise the day will come when we create a joint with insufficient toughness, which could fracture with possibly disastrous consequences.

Thanks, again

Martin

Sam,

Your truck’s like Aladdin’s cave. Do you ever find yourself having to go and buy a tool, only to later discover you already had one in a drawer?

I’ve come to the same conclusion about flap discs, so I appreciated your thoughts and solution.

It’s great to see all your tools; what I’d appreciate is, when you come to a job where you’re putting them to good use, eg using an Easyout, or extracting a broken tap, or using a grinding disc etc etc, perhaps you coukd think on and make a short video showing the problem and how you dealt with it?

Never knew there were such tools as left-handed drills. Quite a few tools I’ve never seen before, so short videos on their use in practice would be good.

You really need to go through each drawer once a month or so just to refresh your memory of what you have and where it is.

It’s very impressive. Looking forwards to Part 3 to see what else is hiding in the truck.

Martin

NOID lights …… so you’re an autodiagnostian, too. I can’t help judging the professionalism of tradesmen by the state of their truck, inside and outside. You get top marks. My thoughts are, how much confidence would you have in someone who turns up in a battered old rust bucket with no business details on the side of the wagon, and with all their tools thrown inside in buckets resembling a scrap metal merchants yard.

Never mind any other equipment on your truck, have you ever considered how much it would cost to replace just the tools you showed us in this video? I don’t know the cost of kit in the USA, but my guess is you wouldn’t have much loose change left from $100k. Judging by the way you have it all organised, I imagine your vehicle security and insurance arrangements are just as professional. And I presume you have taken photos of the contents of each drawer for your records. It’s easy to overlook just how much your livelihood is inextricably tied up with those tools.

Fascinating tour. Looking forwards to Part 2. I’ll wager you have a comprehensive first-aid kit, too!

Many thanks, Sam.

Martin

I echo Jim’s comment “a great video”.

A back-to-basics video is never wasted; there’s always something new to learn, and bad habits to be corrected, and the arc shots just get better and better. 6010s and 7018s have their own very distinctive sound; the 7018 sounds so calming that if you ever wanted a side hustle, Jody, you could make audio recordings of 7018s and sell them as Mindfulness for Welders tapes.

Thanks, Jody.

Martin

Me too!

Fascinating. What an ingenious piece of equipment. Without it, the owner’s options would, I imagine, be very limited and very expensive.

Are there occasions when you might need to preheat the casting priot to welding?

Very impressive video! Many thanks, Sam.

Martin

A big apology to y’all: I was with you up till around 25 minutes, where there were a few long silences, which you’ve edited out; last thing I remember was one of those silences, next thing I know, I was getting up for my 3am pee, wondering where you all went to. In future I won’t be so lazy; I’ll climb out of my pit and go into the kitchen.

I’ve just watched the video all the way through. Great conversation with Michael.

Never in a million years would I have thought denatured alcohol would be useful.

Looking forwards to Brad’s video on prepping old auminium. I’d love to see if it’s possible to prep it so that it welds like new, fresh aluminium, which is just a pure delight to weld.

Had I not been sleeping in class, I would have asked for your thoughts when it seems as if the tungsten gets coated after a while with what I presume is vapourised aluminium. It gets a grey coating that’s especially noticable once you remove the tungsten and compare the surfaces forward of the collet with that inside and behind the collet. It polishes off with very fine abrasive paper back to pristine tungsten, and it doesn’t seem to affect the arc - well, not that I have noticed. (It doesn’t happen on low carbon steel or stainless.) But I’ll bring that up in the future video on amplitude because I expect it’s closely related to the proportion of EP.

Sorry again for falling asleep in class.