Old Man..Newbie Welder!

[locolarry]

Hello All,
I'm teaching myself how to weld thru trial &error, reading a manual, watching a DVD , and asking questions. I am building recumbent bicycles and therefore am welding mostly 16 guage metals and other thin stock. I have a new Hobart Handler 140.
Can a 60 year young man learn to stick metal together? Would an autodarkening hood purchase be the right thing to do starting out? Are they SAFE? Can I trust it to work?
All comments, criticisms, and encouragement appreciated!
Thanks, Larry

[smyrna5]

Welcome aboard and yes to all your questions. I am not 60 yet, but getting close at 58. I started welding last year and built a recumbent from 16 ga steel tube. I built my bike with a Hobart 140, but am now learning stick just for fun. The backbone is 1.5" 16ga steel. Have you been to atomic zombie and fleettrikes? Lots of guys our age who never welded before are building recumbents. The guys here can answer almost any question related to welding, building things, tools, and most everything else. Excuse the photography, but here are some shots of my DeltaWolf before it was painted and fully detailed.

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/IMG_0741.JPG

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/IMG_0758.JPG

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/IMG_0739.JPG

and here it is in an earlier version, before I changed the handlebars and switched to a mesh seat.

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Side.JPG

I should caution you that once you start welding and building, you will find yourself buying an almost infinite list of tools that you never knew you needed, but always secretly wanted. Things like welding tables, grinders, metal cutting saws, files, lathes, metal benders, measuring and marking tools, sanders, band saws, clamps, etc. etc.

[mudbug]

Welcome aboard and yes to all your questions.


I should caution you that once you start welding and building, you will find yourself buying an almost infinite list of tools that you never knew you needed, but always secretly wanted. Things like welding tables, grinders, metal cutting saws, files, lathes, metal benders, measuring and marking tools, sanders, band saws, clamps, etc. etc.

**** Truer words were never spoken ****

I'd place the auto-darkening helmet real close to the top of the must have list(like #1)..... for your intended use perhaps a chop saw & joint jigger would be helpful.

Good Luck & enjoy

[Batti]

Err, a "Joint Jigger"? What's that? I don't have one, and therefore I must need one!

Nice recumbents, gentlemen!

[locolarry]

Hey! Thanks for the quick replies!
Smyrna5 I'm building my Streetfox NOW! I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Mudbug, I used to belong to a metal detecting club in Athens and have some family ties there....I lived in Shreveport for 35 years or so, Graduated from Minden High School '65., two 1/2 at La. Tech. Keep in touch!

Larry Orr
Cary NC
LocoLarry@aol.com

[Hotfoot]

Welcome Loco! That sounds like a real 'laid back' project I didn't start welding until I was 62...saw a flyer for the local high school Adult Education Evening classes...12 weeks and $70.00 later, and I had had plenty of introductory stick welding (laid a bead the first session, no classroom), plus some oxy/act cutting, brazing. I wish I had taken it up 50 years a earlier! I have lots of fun just sticking "stuff" together, and do my part for recycling!
I thought of doing a three wheeler to use to get around the large Swap meets. I have power chair I swapped into, and was thinking of moving its drive train over to the trike, if I decide to do it...plus mine just might end up looking more like a Rocket Ship, or ????

[locolarry]

Smyrna5, I was going to try a Quad after the trike but after viewing your Delta Wolf....NICE!...Methinks perhaps a Delta would be nice to do...LOco

[Rocky D]

Err, a "Joint Jigger"? What's that? I don't have one, and therefore I must need one!

Nice recumbents, gentlemen!

He may mean this type of clamp that makes it easy to build a right angle.

or this that makes it easy to align two pieces of rod or tubing.


and there is nolimit to the tooling you can build to make repeated shapes.

[locolarry]

A Rocket Ship....Hmmmm...
"Earth to Hotfoot....Come in Commander Hot Foot!..."

[smyrna5]

Smyrna5, I was going to try a Quad after the trike but after viewing your Delta Wolf....NICE!...Methinks perhaps a Delta would be nice to do...LOco

Unless you are going to add a full fairing, or do extremely high speed turns, I can't see any advantage to a quad. It just adds weight. When I first built my DW, I actually popped a spoke going around a corner too fast in my cul-de-sac. OK - it was probably just that the old brass nipple was weak and the threads stripped, but going that fast around turns only 8 inches off the ground is a real thrill. I used an old schwinn 27" 10 speed for my rims, so I could put those skinny tires on it. The fewer mountain bike tires for me the better, so I gotta get a skinny 20" wheel for the front someday. It meant I had to modify the hub size a bit to fit the old spokes. My hub was quite a bit smaller than the one in the DW plans. As a new welder, I was a bit worried that I was going to have trouble welding them to the 5/8" axle steel, but it worked like a champ.

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Wheel175.JPG

I cut all the steel for mine with a hacksaw, and didn't have any joint jiggers then either. Just some C-clamps and old mechanics cart and one 4" grinder. Cutting 16ga steel with a hacksaw isn't really a big deal, except when you forget to wear your gloves and hit a knuckle on the freshly cut tubing as the saw drops through on the final cut. Don't ask me how I know that.

[Chucko]

Welcome Locolarry. Hope to see pics of the bike you build.

[MAC702]

To address the auto-darkening hood question: Yes, they are safe and can be trusted, at least I can speak for all the major brands. Even for one with a switch, if you forget to turn it on, and it doesn't darken, it still stops the UV so you will not be damaged.

If you jig up a lot of work, you will really appreciate the convenience of the auto hoods in repositioning for the next bead without having to raise the hood.

Either way, you are still supposed to wear safety glasses (which even clear ones also happen to stop UV) under your hood anyway.

[mudbug]

Err, a "Joint Jigger"? What's that? I don't have one, and therefore I must need one!

Nice recumbents, gentlemen!

http://www.jointjigger.com/ This is the original--although HF sells a copy for lots less and I've got homemade designs I've saved over the years(which I liked better). Good tool for tight tube joints.

[mudbug]

Hey! Thanks for the quick replies!
Smyrna5 I'm building my Streetfox NOW! I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Mudbug, I used to belong to a metal detecting club in Athens and have some family ties there....I lived in Shreveport for 35 years or so, Graduated from Minden High School '65., two 1/2 at La. Tech. Keep in touch!

Larry Orr
Cary NC
LocoLarry@aol.com

Amazing what a small world we really live in Larry-- I was at Tech in '68(Terry Bradshaw was a Junior)before my "Uncle" took a few years of my time taking care of some of his submarines on a sub tender. I own a 1/3 of downtown Athens,but don't anyone get excited there are only 10 delapidated bldgs. left there & nothing is open. Pretty cool place for a shop really & the only beer store(just up the road) with Sunday beer sales within 50 miles. You must have been detecting on the old Athens town site although the older area is probably around the beer store which was settled in 1822 (?) lots of Choctaw Indians around here then. This area was actually the Parish seat for most of N. Louisiana back then. In case anyone wonders a "Parish" is the same as a "County" and Louisiana is the only state with Parishes.

Shreveport is way different than 35 years ago(sleepy little town)--- Casinos all over the place & Shreveport/Bossier is the new "Southern Hollywood" for movies-- Kevin Costner loves it( He found out it's cheap to film here & there are no property taxes on your house up to a point).

They have just started having the Louisiana Hayride again in the auditorium where Hank Williams played and Elvis got his start in 1954-- James Burton, who played for Elvis, has a life size bronze out front next to the bronze of Elvis. I think James had a great deal to do with bringing the Hayride back--- It's about time someone figured out the importance of this place and country music. Almost every country great played the Louisiana Hayride & Elvis must have really set the old timers back with his "Rock-a-Billy" in '54.

Keep in touch--Dave

[locolarry]

Guys, I've been on the road a lot in my Freightliner Century T/T. I have to work for a living!

Rocky D-

THANKS for the joint-jigger pics! you know I need them already....!~

Smyrna5-

I am having so much fun working on this Tadpole Trike that I've already decided to follow-up with a D.W.! Can I count on you for guidance on the hub flanges?

Chucko-

Thanks for the interest...I will post some pics as soon as my work looks good enough that I won't be too embarrassed!.. Uh...I'll also need to buy a camera, first!. Pics will come soon.

Mac702-

WOW! What a difference the AD hood made in my results and progress! I must have been fighting that flip hood more than I thought. I purchased the Northern Tool $49.00 model that got so many good reviews. Works great so far! After I learned to trust it and settled down to try and get to know my HH140 things started working better for me. I'm mostly working with 16 guage mild steel and 4130 tubing. My results were initially better on 1/8, and 1/4 plate than on the 16 guage stuff, but with practice I'm doing a little better on the thin metal and not blowing so many holes.

Mudbug-

I know that you know where Mullenix Switch is...All the old families are gone now, Mullenix, Cathey..

HotFoot-

Look over www.AtomicZombie.com for some ideas for some new wheels! Lots of guys build and electrify Delta Trikes!

I do appreciate all the help, information, and friendship coming my way from all of you!

LocoLarry from Cary
Larry Orr
Cary N.C.