As usual, this was an excellent podcast. I subscribe to another US channel, ScannerDanner, an automotive diagnostician. He frequently discusses the topic of correctly charging for time spent on diagnosis. There is an element of embarrassment and reluctance to charge for time spent on activities such as researching wiring diagrams and technical data and bulletins. But as I point out, doctors and lawyers are never embarrassed to charged for their time, skills, knowledge, and experience, so why should engineering tradesmen. And, more importantly, their patients and clients don’t expect (or would want) a quick, free job. Some of the things Brad mentioned brought this to mind.

One other thing, Brad, when you account for your time on a Friday, when you package stuff, I hope it’s at welders’ rates, because the time you spend packaging is time you could have been welding.

A verry interesting and important podcast. Many thanks, Jody and Brad.

Paul Charron Hey, Paul,

Glad you found it helpful, and thanks for the feedback. That’s the great thing about WelderSkills.

I downloaded the pdf and had it printed online into a hardback copy. Because it’s colour, it wasn’t dirt cheap but not unreasonable, and it was worth it.

Martin

See you there!

JD Brewer The debris from 6010 is something I’d never have thought of, JD.

Glad to read you’re always aware of the dangers. That’s where I have definitely fallen foul: I just switched off. Thanks, JD. Keep safe always, JD, and best wishes. Martin.

Nice, JD. Would you ever put a 6010 root pass on such pipe followed by a 7018 hot/cover pass?

Are you getting complacent with working at height, JD? That step-ladder didn’t look at all safe because you only had two-point contact on it: your 2 feet on the top rung, and you were relying on the pipework for your third point of contact. Having had a couple of very near misses under cars over the years, and a more recent one with an angle grinder, I know only too well how insidiously complacency creeps on you such that it’s only afterwards that you’re able to see so clearly how complacent you’d grown. If you had an accident, that company wouldn’t support you whilst you’re recovering, assuming you’re still around to recover! Complacency isn’t being slack, lazy or sloppy, it’s just the state of autopilot you switch into when you’ve done something so many times beforehand and never had any problems. And, anyway, we need you here on WelderSkills.

AB That’s proof of the old adage: practice makes perfect. What a pity we can’t see a video or even the finished results. Thanks, AB; that’s good to know.

Thanks, JD. Lovely job!

It may well be an optical illusion due to the angle it was filmed at, but it doesn’t look like Matt was tracing the front of the puddle, which is normally something you stress on your MIG videos. If that was the case, was it deliberate and why not? Thanks, Matt and Jody.

Pulsed MIG sure looks as if it could change the reasons why MIG isn’t on my preferred list of processes!

Trim is basically inductance?

On the subject of high humidity that Matt referred to, on Page 28 of the following Hobart document, there is a very interesting section on the dew point and how a humid environment can make a mess of aluminium welding unless you take suitable precautions:

https://www.hobartbrothers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Aluminum_Welding_Guide.pdf

(with acknowledgment to DZ, who made me aware of this Hobart guide.)

Jody, your close-up shots show that walking the cup is a naturally more consistent method than freehand, but it can leave tell-tail lines either side of the weld. Perhaps that’s why it was frowned upon: perhaps they wanted the welders to be able to make a cosmetically pleasing weld without leaving drag lines? Jody, did that fab shop take precautions to prevent carbon-steel ginding dust finding its way into the stainless areas? Many thanks.