Welding Competition

[smyers33]

I am representing my high school in the Tennessee Skills Contest, Feb. 19th I am really good with SMAW and GMAW... My teacher just found out about this contest and there is some TIG involved also. I am staying after school for the next few weeks so I can get a one on one practice with my teacher.
I have never done this in my life. I'm just looking for any kind of helpfull hints so I can at least put up an effort in this part of the competition. I believe it is tig welding steel which is supposed to be easier than aluminum. Thanks a lot guys.:p

[Banage]

Cleaner the better

[mnnmaz]

Sweet! make sure you clean your material with acetoine before you start! Also, if you can, do an Argon backup or your work if its thin material it keeps your work looking SWEET!

This is all for TIG welding much nicer if you can!

[84honda200s]

slow,steady, and clean surface. but the only welding ive ever done was a arch welder. i love to arch weld. well anyways man good luck and give em hell.

[jason 32]

don't look directly at the (weld pool) follow it ware protective cloths!! - a auto darkning hood is great!!- you can get a in expencive one from harbor freight-
breath!! get comfortable!!- keep out of the fumes!!!!!!!!!-- they can destroy your nervous system!!!!
glasses under a welding hood is good idea- you only have one set of eyes!!
i have had slag fly under my hood you will be a lot happier if you take the safe measures--( the rest of your life could depend upon it)
it is fun- just be safe-
nothin like the smell of argone burning in the morning lol
count 1 onethousand- 2-3--4 onethousand from side to side welding vertically as you cary the weld pool

[smyers33]

Thanks for the tips guys. Jason32 my brother and I together have a Harbor freight auto darkening helmet, miller auto darkening, and a speedglas autodarkening. Welding is what I plan to do for the rest of my life, I love it. I have all the safty gear needed, and I have to wear more than whats comfortable, since its a School thing... I'll try that counting method, I do that when I am stick welding verticle, and it helps a lot. Thanks for the help, I'll post some pics of my progress I guess, and the competition outcome.

[BigGreenMachine]

Good stuff, welding is a great trade! I'm almost done a Welding Trade at my local college. We have a similar competition called Skills Canada.

Get your motions perfect and know how to correct mistakes mid-weld. If you screw up don't let it phase you and then try to make your next pass even better.

Best of luck.

[smyers33]

Good stuff, welding is a great trade! I'm almost done a Welding Trade at my local college. We have a similar competition called Skills Canada.

Get your motions perfect and know how to correct mistakes mid-weld. If you screw up don't let it phase you and then try to make your next pass even better.

Best of luck.

Yea, there are college students that participate in it also, but I don't think I compete against them, at least I hope not. I got such short notice on the competition, so I am not expecting to win, just get a feel for it so I can win next year!:p lol. Tommarow I'll start practicing, and then I'll get my license Tuesday, so I can drive and get even more practice!

[snakemaster]

Cool wellding dont do what i did last week when i was welding , a red hot bit off molting steel pinged down my boot so i riped off my boot and at this point i lost my balance and fell on to a bucket of water pissed of in dooing that i throw my boot across the garage and it knoked off a gallon tin of paint which landed on my 250r hit the bars and spilt 70% over the headlight,tank seet ,and plastics, + spraind my back when i landed on the bucket, i just lay there wating for the roof to fall in what a day :crazy: dont ware boots not the slip on type :cry:

[Meat-BoX]

When Tig Welding make sure your metal is clean. If doing stainless dont clean up the metal with a non stainless wire wheel of Brush. You need to use stainless when welding stainless and vice versa. If using a pedal which I believe is best, make sure your not over penetrating. Practice Pushing the welding rod with your fingers and practice moving your torch in Half moon arcs. Watch the weld form and after awhile you will get the weld even and the arcs will be spaced evenly. After awhile you will get the hang of it. Tig Welding is the best and makes the sexiest weld out there. Just practice your eye, hand, and foot coordination. After a while you will get smooth. Practice pushing the rod in your hand with your fingers and keep the Tungston tip about an 1/8"-1/4" away from the weld. Hold the rod like a pencil and push and twist it a little as you feed it into the Arc. Try to have small and even heat marks. If the heat marks arent even then your not there yet. Remember that metal will bend or twist so figure that into the situation if need be and counter bend so the prooduct will come out straight and not bent. Another important tip is to allways keep your Tungeston Sharp and pointy. If it gets messed up pop it out and take it to the grinder and sharpen it up again. Thats very important. It should sit out of the coupler about an 1/8"-1/4" If to far out the Torch will sputter as the gasses cant go that far out. I was a welder fabricator for years and I made alot of money and was very good. It gave me alot of pride. I hope you have a strong back and neck. I didnt and ended up with 7 herniated discs. 3 in the neck 4 in the low back. Also practice keeping your head straight and back. I didnt and I messed up my neck as the guys at work said I would. I didnt believe so do yourself a favor and believe me. Practice dropping your helmet when your torch and rod are ready and in place. Good Luck.

[smyers33]

Cool wellding dont do what i did last week when i was welding , a red hot bit off molting steel pinged down my boot so i riped off my boot and at this point i lost my balance and fell on to a bucket of water pissed of in dooing that i throw my boot across the garage and it knoked off a gallon tin of paint which landed on my 250r hit the bars and spilt 70% over the headlight,tank seet ,and plastics, + spraind my back when i landed on the bucket, i just lay there wating for the roof to fall in what a day :crazy: dont ware boots not the slip on type :cry:

DAYUM, thats a lot to happen in a sequence! lol sorry bout that.

Meatbox, thats what I was waiting for was a good write up on what to be carefull about. I will practice keeping my back and neck straight. I dont have to worry about flipping my helmet! Auto-Darkening is the greatest!!!:p

[Bender]

Im in skills USA too. I will be competing in madison in April i think. Maybe ill see you at nationals! I run a very good stick and tig. The one your doing in february isnt state is it? Cause I have one that im doing at U.W. stout feb. 23rd, but that one is just optional, basicly just for fun.

[smyers33]

I believe it is the state competition. But I'm just going to see what I'm up against, and so I can be prepared for next year. Have you competed in it before? If so, would you just brief me over what I should be aware of and what to know. I know they are very strict, and my teacher isn't even supposed to make eye contact with me. Do I need to study my welding symbols? Just let me know how it was in previous years. THANKS!

[Bender]

Oh yeah you need to know your symbols! Cause you cant get any help from an instructer so you need to be able to read the blue prints. You can find a website that will tell you the project that you do or simular. You need to know how to run stick in all 4 positions, stainless tig, aluminun tig, and wire feed, maybe even some flux core. Here is a link that will give you some good info. I was told the blue prints at the bottom arnt exactly what you will be welding.

http://www.aws.org/education/weld-off06.html

[Bender]

Also, this is my first year competing. I would of last year too but i didnt get my fees paid to my school on time. I have looked into this alot and my teacher has prepared me well so if you have questions just ask. I think i can make it to nationals, that is if everyone welds anything close to how the rest of my school does! We have a strong metal's program. Last year a sophmore from my school won nationals for machining. I hope to see you at nationals!

[smyers33]

I got stick down in all positions except overhead, but I was told that its easier than verticle, so I'll get in the booth sometime this week and practice. I GMAW and FCAW are both extremely simple to me, along with setting up all the machines. I went in to the high school Saturday and Sunday and practiced with the tig for about 6 hours total. I got the hang of the steel now. Its exactly like oxyfuel. It's this damn aluminum thats giving me trouble. If I get it started good I can keep it flowing until the end. But It's still a very wide weld and ugly weld. Can you post some pics of some of the aluminum that you have welded?

[85hondaatc125m]

Back about 2 years ago my step-brother was in Skills-Canada and placed 3rd place I think it was. He said every thing that these guys have already said, keep it clean and steady. Good Luck!

[Bender]

I dont have a digital camera otherwise i would post some pics. With tig aluminum you dont need any motion with the torch, cause you get such deep penetration you only need a narrow beed. Just pick up the speed if it starts getting wide.

[smyers33]

Well Today was the day of the East TN regional Skills USA comp. I didn't do near as good as I could. I was nervous as hell... But I came in the top four out of 16 and they don't tell you what place you get there. They mail you a letter saying what you got which is kinda stupid. Maybe somone who has done this before could fill me in on whether all the top 4 people go to the State Comp, or just the 1st place?

[BigGreenMachine]

Great to hear!! Props!

[Bender]

In Wisconsin you dont have to win anything to go to the state comp. You just have to win 1st at state to go to nationals. I weld at UW stout friday but how i do has nothing to do with state. Just tell your teacher you wanna go to state.

[smyers33]

Well down here I know you have to qualify to go to the state comp... You either have to take first in the regionals or just be in the top 4 at the regionals. And I don't know which one it is!!! Hopefully I can go to state just for the experiance. :)

[Tri-ZNate]

its just first that goes and then 2nd place goes as an alternate. I got 4th in my Computer repair competition so needless to say I get to stay home :D

[smyers33]

Hmmm... well I don't think I'll get first just cause I did not do near what I couldve done... But I guess the judges thought I did okay since I even placed. I didn't even think that would happen lol!

[Bender]

Friday I had my competition and i took first!!! I could not believe i did! My welds sucked! I had to do a fillet weld around quarter inch thick pipe and i burned a big hole in it! Can someone tell me how i managed to pull that off!! Cause it was with a 6013 at about 120 amps! thats crazy! i dont think the pipe i had was mild steel cause there is no way i shoulda been able to do that with a 6013! And my vertical up was good but at the top it dripped out, with 7018. The rest of the welds looked pretty good. I didnt even get to finish my last weld cause time ran out. I just about wet my pants when they called me up for first. I didnt think i would even place! I must have done really good on the written part.

[smyers33]

Thats awesome!! I felt the same as you when they called my name! Still waiting to get a letter ! Congrats!

[Bender]

So they told you that you placed but they are gonna mail you what place you actually got? Thats dumb. After all the contest were done we had an awards ceramony and they gave metals to the top three in each catogory.

[Tri-ZNate]

After all the contest were done we had an awards ceramony and they gave metals to the top three in each catogory.


yep same here

[smyers33]

Yes thats what they did. They called up the top 4 people, and they said the names were in random order....I agree pretty stupid of them.