Practical welding?

A friend lent me an OA rig so I could learn to weld. Lots of good
material in the library and on the NGs. But all that welding is done on
a welding bench, at a comfortable height. Apparently one does not have
to get near an airframe to get a certificate to weld 4130 with OA.

How does a welder learn how to weld on a built and covered fuselage
(say on fabric/steel)? How does he know how much fabric has to be
removed to insure his heating doesn't screw up glue adhesion? How does
he learn how to protect the nitrate from going up in flames from
sparks? How does he learn the tricks to weld all around a splice
without standing on his head or laying on his back?
-
Mike

He practices, hopefully on someone elses plane.


"mhorowit" wrote in message
oups.com...
A friend lent me an OA rig so I could learn to weld. Lots of good
material in the library and on the NGs. But all that welding is done on
a welding bench, at a comfortable height. Apparently one does not have
to get near an airframe to get a certificate to weld 4130 with OA.

How does a welder learn how to weld on a built and covered fuselage
(say on fabric/steel)? How does he know how much fabric has to be
removed to insure his heating doesn't screw up glue adhesion? How does
he learn how to protect the nitrate from going up in flames from
sparks? How does he learn the tricks to weld all around a splice
without standing on his head or laying on his back?
-
Mike

Normally, when there is such a major repair to an airframe that requires
welding, it probably needs a recovering anyway. Not always true, of course.

The only way to learn how to weld tubing and in clusters is practice
practice practice. There are also jigs that lets you rotate a fuselage
so you can get at the cluster in a comfortable position

You could attend one of the workshops at AirVenture or one of the welding
classes that the EAA has around the country.

--
Cy Galley
EAA Safety Programs Editor
Always looking for ideas and articles for EAA Sport Pilot

"mhorowit" wrote in message
oups.com...
A friend lent me an OA rig so I could learn to weld. Lots of good
material in the library and on the NGs. But all that welding is done on
a welding bench, at a comfortable height. Apparently one does not have
to get near an airframe to get a certificate to weld 4130 with OA.

How does a welder learn how to weld on a built and covered fuselage
(say on fabric/steel)? How does he know how much fabric has to be
removed to insure his heating doesn't screw up glue adhesion? How does
he learn how to protect the nitrate from going up in flames from
sparks? How does he learn the tricks to weld all around a splice
without standing on his head or laying on his back?
-
Mike

Shouldn't be much nitrate anymore unless you have cotton.

Join your local EAA chapter and find out who has or is building a tube and
fabric plane. They should be able to assist you.

--
Cy Galley - Chair,
AirVenture Emergency Aircraft Repair
A Service Project of Chapter 75
EAA Safety Programs Editor - TC
EAA Sport Pilot
"mhorowit" wrote in message
oups.com...
A friend lent me an OA rig so I could learn to weld. Lots of good
material in the library and on the NGs. But all that welding is done on
a welding bench, at a comfortable height. Apparently one does not have
to get near an airframe to get a certificate to weld 4130 with OA.

How does a welder learn how to weld on a built and covered fuselage
(say on fabric/steel)? How does he know how much fabric has to be
removed to insure his heating doesn't screw up glue adhesion? How does
he learn how to protect the nitrate from going up in flames from
sparks? How does he learn the tricks to weld all around a splice
without standing on his head or laying on his back?
-
Mike

Just a suggestion, but you might want to take a welding class from a
local community college. It'll speed up the learning process, and
should save you money in the long run. I know I went through *far* more
metal/rods/wire that the class cost me.

I also scrounged some stainless flex-tube and storage rack out of the
trash. (I almost got a milling machine, too, but the head of the
welding department wanted it sold for scrap instead of letting me haul
it out of the trash.)

Anyway, community college is a really good deal.

I know a guy who took three semesters of welding... torch, TIG and
MIG... and one of the benefits was he had free use of the equipment,
shop, tools, etc.. for the duration of the class.

Darn cheap if you ask me..
Dave

wrote:

Just a suggestion, but you might want to take a welding class from a
local community college. It'll speed up the learning process, and
should save you money in the long run. I know I went through *far* more
metal/rods/wire that the class cost me.

I also scrounged some stainless flex-tube and storage rack out of the
trash. (I almost got a milling machine, too, but the head of the
welding department wanted it sold for scrap instead of letting me haul
it out of the trash.)

Anyway, community college is a really good deal.

Dave S wrote:

I know a guy who took three semesters of welding... torch, TIG and
MIG... and one of the benefits was he had free use of the equipment,
shop, tools, etc.. for the duration of the class.

Darn cheap if you ask me..
Dave


I cheat: my son is a certifies welder

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

"Cy Galley" wrote:

Shouldn't be much nitrate anymore unless you have cotton.

Join your local EAA chapter and find out who has or is building a tube and
fabric plane. They should be able to assist you.

Cy - the point I was making was the welder is faced not with a bare
fuselage on a turning jig, but if he were faced with a covered a/c
with engine and landing gear. How does he handle that? - Mike

wrote:

Just a suggestion, but you might want to take a welding class from a
local community college. It'll speed up the learning process, and
should save you money in the long run. I know I went through *far* more
metal/rods/wire that the class cost me.

I also scrounged some stainless flex-tube and storage rack out of the
trash. (I almost got a milling machine, too, but the head of the
welding department wanted it sold for scrap instead of letting me haul
it out of the trash.)

Anyway, community college is a really good deal.

Not the point I'm trying to make. let's assume the student know how to
weld perfectly standing up comfortably at a welding bench. Now, how
much more (and how does he learn) how to repair a longeron that is
still attached to much of it's fabric, its engine and landing gear? -
MIke