Learning to Weld

Yesterday, March 27th, the studio met after spring break to begin learning some welding and metal cutting/ grinding techniques.

We began with angle grinders and the different blades that can be used. Some finish an edge, like a sander, while others cut the material. The cut isn’t a perfect cut, like a bandsaw would produce, but it is a great tool for quick cuts on the fly when working on site.

The next tool was the bandsaw, which was a complex tool with many moving parts. We got a crash course in setting different angles, adjusting the cutting speed and how the lubrication works so that the blade always makes a clean cut. The machine is fairly automated, but it is important to keep an eye on the cuts as they are made incase something goes wrong.

The last tool we used was the welder. There are many types of welding, and this machine was for MIG welding. It uses a thin copper wire that helps to melt the two pieces of metal together, changing their material properties so they mesh.

This will take a lot of practice to get down, and we will all be taking shifts in the shop to get our hours of practice in.