“Flame Free Thread?” I’ve got to get out more.
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Doing something is the most important part!
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Still working on the deer stand with Mr Rocket scientist. I have been welding at Pimp Daddy’s for several years using his mig, mostly on rebar some square tubing. Mr RS (for short) insists we use the stick welder. He has a mig but is determined to stick weld this 14 gauge tubing 
Honestly I haven’t used a stick welder in 30 years. It is not like riding a bicycle. It was awful. He says, oh no it looks okay! No! No it doesn’t. My daddy rolled over in his urn. Anyway…
I went out and pulled the weeds to make a path up the back door of my dad’s old shed. That old dove weed and wild potatoe plant don’t weed eat worth a damn and with the 4.25 inches of rain innthe last 3 days it was the right time to do this. Got to the back door and there she sits. His good ole Lincoln 225 buzz box. Now, the job is to wrestle it out of there and bring it up to my laundry room so I can get new rods and get some practice in. This is crushing my soul.
Then…
DL
1x5/135
1x5/155
1x5/175
5x8/185 this felt mucho heavy today. Two nights in a row of crappy sleep will do that.
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But you did it which is what matters.
Ha, true that - (pretty) welding is a perishable skill. I learned first-hand when attempting to braze some copper and brass with bronze rod after a decade away. It was downright ugly.
What’s that?
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Nice! I’ve brazed a fair bit but have never welded, although my brother and a couple close friends have lots of welding experience. I guess you could say I’m welding-adjacent. What type are you most experienced with?
Mig. Nothing like point and click once you get the hang of it.
In my defense Mr. RS has burned through on several welds himself. He reversed the polarity and is hitting it with about 85A. I think it’s still too a little too hot.
He said once we get this finished there will be more welding in the future. 
I have got to get this sorted out so I can take over. 
I need @SkyzykS to come down here and straighten him out!
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The old tombstones are 225 amps, ac only, right?
Yes. I just need to practice. Holy shit it is ugly!
Angle is all wrong, arc to long. Ugh! We are welding thick to thin, vertical. Just so out of practice with the stick.
Are you using 6013 rods?
They’re a lot smoother and easier, especially on thinner material, than 6011.
And those tombstones are kinda legendary for weighing like 400 lbs., so may God help you moving that thing. 
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We have used both. 6013 and 6011. 1/8. He said he was going to try the 3/32 but didn’t. It’s his toy so I am just tagging along. It’s just a deer blind but I am disappointed in myself…
Nooooo!
Be calm and cool. Steady deep breaths. Nice smooth almond shaped pool.
Happy welds. Like Bob Ross, but metal.
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Thanks for this. I think you hit the nail on the head. When I am alone at PimpDaddy’s and get in “the zone” that when things start flowing. No static on my internal radio.
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Nice. Welding looks fun, at least after working through the initial learning-curve frustration. Have you ever used a forge? I have a propane forge, and a farrier friend has both propane and coal. Next, I need an anvil.
No, I have never used a forge but have watched many vidoes on how to build one. I would love to have a few more toys!
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Forging steel is plain old fun! Small forges can be built for very little money, using a hardware store handheld torch as the heat source. Back in the day, I was learning to make fixed blade knives. I’d graduated from stock removal to forging but decided to finish college, and knife making went by the wayside. What got you into metal working?
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That’s probably a stretch. It’s just something I enjoy doing when I get the chance. My dad could do anything. I was his son (his only child). I helped him do everything when I was kid, and he taught me how to do a little bit of everything, just like him. I love to create! Doesn’t matter if it’s metal, wood, string, paper, paint… whatever. I love to figure out how to make things. I believe the term is bat shit crazy.
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Or “creatively immersed.”
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They also use the words “handy” or recently “craft”. Do you have a favorite material or types of things to make? I love working with steel and wood.
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That’s a tough one. I guess metal and paper would be my favorites. Metal because it’s labor intense and sooooo satisfying, paper but because of its simplicity. I like geometric patterns probably because my brain likes symmetry.
I have always said if I lived back in the old days I would have been a smitty.
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