Welding newbie here! What list of stuff would I need?

[i3Marc]

I am at the early stages, even minus the first EAA meeting, and I would like to know what I need to get to start playing with welding and experimenting. MIG or wire welder? etc...

Looking at Amazon and Harbor Freight tools and the choice kinda overwhelms me.

 

[eschrom]

It's possible to build a fuselage with MIG (I did it) but most builders use oxy-acetylene and a few use TIG.

Good luck with your project.

Ed
2LS

 

[i3Marc]

I went to Harbor Freight and brought a TIG inverter:

http://www.harborfreight.com/165-amp-dc-240-volt-inverter-tigstick-welder-61792.html

That and this welding mask:

http://www.harborfreight.com/variable-auto-darkening-welding-helmet-with-metal-head-design-68782.html

Is that sufficient for my immediate needs?

 

[oahupilot]

I am not a fan of cheap welding equipment from HF, especially safety kit. My eyes are worth far more then what you might save on cheap welding mask, I tend to shy away from cut rate saftey equipment. It might totally be possible that I am being fleeced by Miller or the name brand welding equipment outfits but cost savings does not justify the risk. That aside I have used import welding equipment and it seems to be ok sometimes, however I would return that particular welder to the store. If you want to tig weld save the money and get a nice full featured machine otherwise consider oxy-acetylene torch, they are very useful tool in the shop. plenty of post around this site about equipment, just search around.

I love my Meco midget torch you might want to check it out.

 

[i3Marc]

Well it isn't cheap and frankly I am not into industrial production.

As for the mask I expect it to fulfill regulations and if there would be an issue then the liability would be quite immense for the producer as far as I am concerned.

Or the company selling it...

http://weldingdesign.com/equipment-amp-automation/welding-helmets-what-you-need-know-you-buy

I will check for that ansi rating and bring back the helmet if it doesn't fulfill it.

 

[i3Marc]

Checked and the helmet says it fulfills ANSI Z87.1-2003 which is the most recent standard.

 

[tls258]

I bought a torch and tanks after an A&P advised me that he'd only use gas welding for tubing due to brittleness issue. I don't know if he was full of it or not, but it seems that a torch would spread the heat more evenly.

 

[i3Marc]

I will give back the equipment I brought simply because the hangar I have has a NEMA-6L 30 and the connector on that TIG unit is an RV one... and the store has no 220 volt connectors!

So I have to agree here maybe using gas is better.

Now I am surprised there is no one offering to do the frames for you online.

The best I found so far is this:

http://www.javronaviation.com/

and I will ask them if they can simply do a turnkey frame and ship it to me, per rigorous industrial standards if it come to that.

As a Software Developer used to Moore's law it's kinda a hard reality check to see manufacturing of planes and other small quantity items like high end bicycle or motorcycle frames still firmly set in the 15th century, kinda like plate armor fabrication in Medieval Italy.

 

[Raceair]

If you want a turnkey fuselage built, hold onto your wallet!!…
For a shop like that to build you a fuselage, you will spend much more than the 8 grand I had to charge years ago for a fully welded fuse and tail, with all tabs, brackets, etc, and including control system components.
My suggestion is that you acquire an OX-Acetylene outfit, and start practicing….You can usually find someone from an EAA Chapter who has plenty of short tubing scraps.

 

[tls258]

EAA good idea. They have a traveling welding school that takes about a week.

 

[i3Marc]

Good idea I will also just look online for a user welding equipment that is industrial grade but cheap.

Oxy is good but what's the canister usage and how many are needed for the frame? anyone with a rough estimate?

Electricity comes with my monthly hangar rate so TIG would be most economical for the long run.

 

[MarkW]

I have had great luck with this setup and it will last you a lifetime. Henrob Welding and Cutting Acetylene Torch Kit. Very low pressure kind of pricey but in my opinion will worth it.

Mark

 

[i3Marc]

This one?

http://www.amazon.com/Henrob-Welding-Cutting-Acetylene-Torch/dp/B000ZHKPZ8

 

[MarkW]

Yes that is the one I have
Mark

 

[i3Marc]

What else do I need to just get started and play with some tubes?

 

[MarkW]

Some Mild Steel Copper-Coated Oxy-Acetylene Welding Rod, 3/32 is what I think I'm using.

 

[i3Marc]

Is anyone close to SoCal willing to show me the techniques etc?

I've watched a few videos and read some docs but it would go way faster with the help of someone who did it before.

The next meeting of EAA is Saturday so maybe I'll find someone in a hangar close by too.

 

[wbpace]

Where in SoCal (as in Southern California, I presume)? It's a big place . Your profile places you in Indiana. Did you move here? If so, there is an informal group of us that meets about every 6 to 12 months.

O'Bill

 

[blowen]

Welding is an art. Quality structural welding on thin tubing can be challenging. Have you considered tacking the frame and the hiring a qualified welder to finish the job? Remember you will be doing position welding, not just down hand. SoCal must have a ton of qualified welders that would like to make some money on a weekend.

 

[10kDA]

Join a local EAA chapter. They are located in SoCal and/or Indiana. Befriend members who have built projects with a welded steel tube fuselage. Ask their opinions and get a first-hand look at what they have accomplished. As mentioned - They will probably have tube scraps to allow you to practice cutting, fitting, and welding joints. Ask one or more of them to show you the techniques they used, and you will most likely find one or more who will in effect mentor you through the process. It's really not a mystery, and if someone has done it they can guide someone else do do the same. The key is practice, practice, and more practice. Personally I use oxy-fuel exclusively and if I need something that will absolutely require minimal distortion I ask a friend to TiG weld it. That doesn't happen all that often in homebuilt airplane construction though. Mostly when welding comparatively very thick material to very thin material, where gas doesn't always work the best. And then I have a recurring worry about the penetration of the TiG bead LOL.
Re: Moore's law - does not apply to one-off "manufacturing". You are sculpting your own rendition of Michelangelo's David, or maybe a sidewalk chalk drawing, not creating a way to apply every last advancement of manufacturing and product engineering capabilities to the project. I met a guy who believed he would never be successful building a wood airplane until he acquired a CNC router to cut all the parts he would program from the printed plans. And he whined about no readily-available CNC programs for the components. I introduced him to the builder of an award-winning GP-4 who said the most important tools he used in the building process were many, many boxes of single-edge razor blades. The Sonerai is basically 1930s-1940s technology and what worked then still works, especially well for a single worker in a small workshop. Placing conditions on your process will likely result in never finishing. If it takes wrapping your head around a different mindset to get started, then that's your first step. Like I said, it's not a mystery and a lot of people have already done it. I would say the vast majority of them will be very happy to help out.
You got this!