Notice: All Chuggers

To All Chuggers:

If you can't weld, you'll have to learn how.

If you don't have your torches, regulators, hoses and table, you will
have to buy them... this isn't the sort of thing you want to borrow.

We've talked about this many times. The subject hasn't changed. You
need O/A. It is your starting point. MIG, TIG, Multi-axis X-Ray,
Phasor and Dilithium Crystal are all useful means of welding and most
of you will graduate to one or more of those other methods. But in
Welding the basic Oxygen/Acetylene rig provides the foundation for all
other forms of welding.

This is one of those problems that NEED to be solved with MONEY. That
is, you need to acquire your own torch, regulators, hoses, cart,
gloves, goggles, fire-brick, welding table... and on an on. Some of
us -- a very small handful -- are lucky enough to be able to acquire
most of this stuff -- most of your basic O/A kit -- for little or no
cost, thanks to friends or family who work with such tools. But
they're the lucky ones. For the rest of us, our basic O/A kit must be
bought & paid for.

Given the nation's present economic woes, having a wad of cash in your
pocket gives you the potential to take advantage of welding equipment
being offered for sale through want-ads and garage sales.

No wad of cash in your pocket? Then start SAVING. Shoe-box or coffee
can for a bank. And that guy in the mirror on the wall is your
Banker. If you get into the HABIT of feeding your Banker you really
won't believe how rapidly your money grows.

After learning a number of salable skills, forming the HABIT of saving
is one of those 'secrets' that makes you virtually 'Depression-
Proof.' The joke here is that there aren't any 'secrets.' What makes
you Depression Proof is mostly common sense. So what are some of
those 'secrets'? Some are pretty simple, such as Always eat at
home... and pack a lunch when you can't get home. NEVER buy a new
car. Whatever car you own, plan on keeping it for a minimum of ten
years. Ensure you have all the skills AND THE TOOLS to maintain the
things you own; your car, house, airplane, washing machine, and so
on.

After acquiring your basic welding rig you'll have to learn how to use
it. Someone has already pointed out the MANY advantages in using your
local Community College to acquire the basics. What they didn't
mention -- and is of equal value -- is that taking a series of courses
at your local college will also put you in the loop with regard to the
local welding supply houses.

The Chugger doesn't have a lot of welding; landing gear, engine
mount... stuff like that. If you're a member of your local EAA
chapter you may be able to acquire your welding rig through barter or
trade, or perhaps acquire the welded COMPONENTS through barter or
trade.

Despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, you CAN learn to weld
from a book. But at a guess it will probably take you a hundred times
LONGER than if you had a mentor. This Newsgroup is going to give you
a keen insight into the problems you can expect to encounter... and
how various individuals solved those problems. That fact alone is
enough to justify printing out messages that are welding-specific and
compiling them in a note-book.

-Bob

Bob, thanks for the post, I couldn't aggree more.

I'm early in my Tailwind project. I built the wing attach and strut
fittings with a small oxy-propane torch from a department store, the
ones that use the small oxygen bottles that cost $10 (Canadian bucks,
so that's about $1.99 US ;^) It took 7 of those to do 6 fittings. If
anyone is considering trying such a rig, read the lable on the O2
bottle. There's 1.4 ounces in there, it's got to be one of the worst
deals possible.

I also remember back to high school shop class, I used to run a pretty
good bead. I was really having trouble with the oxy-propane, forming
the puddle and keeping it molten. I eventually relented and forked
out Can$400 for a 'B' acetylene and 145 cu ft oxygen tank along with a
cheap Chinese copy of a Victor medium duty torch with regulators for
$190. (this looks to be the same kit Harbor Freight sells as the
"Chicago Electric" 92496-4VGA for $140) Oddly enough it became
ludicrously easy to run a practice bead. The right gear does indeed
make a difference! I've since received my TM Tech "Meco Midget" torch
for a comparitively hefty price of $400, but holy smokes it is indeed
worth it. I haven't yet started working the thin wall 4130 tubing,
but my few practice welds show some superb heat control with this
little gem.

Folks, if you're on the fence, pull out the credit card, save those
pennies. Do whatever it takes to get the right equipment. Your doing
youself no favours trying to learn the skills while fighting the wrong
tools. If your not already familiar, when you visit your local
welding supplier, he'll "sell" you your first set of tanks, when
they're empty, you swap them out for another set and you only pay for
the gasses, not another set of bottles.

I've now got a large order of tubing on the way and I'm looking
forward to a summer of making metal puddles.

Cheers
Gerry
Tailwind W-10
Edmonton, Alberta

On Feb 20, 4:02*pm, Gerry van Dyk wrote:

Folks, if you're on the fence, pull out the credit card, save those
pennies. *Do whatever it takes to get the right equipment. *Your doing
youself no favours trying to learn the skills while fighting the wrong
tools. *

I've had me OA set for a long time so this question is more out of
curiosity:

Has anyone here had any experience with gasoline welding? Is it
suitable for aircraft welding?

If it is usable it might be a cost effective alternative for those
just starting out.

I've also heard of using oxygen concentrators for O2 supply.
Sometimes they can be had ridiculously cheap. Comments?
==================
Leon McAtee