I will try to get some better pics of the welds. Every pic I post is with my phone so I will take out better camera and try to get some better pics. It won't take long to grind them down and lay another bead over them. I may do this more for aesthetics but the verified penetration isn't a bad side effect.

Like I said somewhere else circles and odd positions is the main area I need to work on. Straight lines especially out in the open I can damn near weld perfect. But rotating 4 feet in the air with only 4 inches of room to move is very difficult and I haven't achieved that skill all that well.

I would dis agree a bit on the welding being just like a chain. A chain connects A-B with one path of strength. A weld has the the ability to have a weak spot and the surrounding metal transfers the stress along the that weak spot. Obviously the beautiful TIG welds you showed are absolutely best and uniformity is the key, but a slight imperfection isn't the end of the world in a weld like it is in a chain.

Real world example, a cracked weld happens all the times on guy's notches and other parts of a truck. The truck can still drive and function, vs the chain the motorcycle isn't going any were. Not excusing imperfect welds just don't think the analogy is accurate.

 

Agreed

 

Do you ever ask yourself the question "Why are my threads and posts so full of negativity?" I think you have created your own character on this forum and people have grown to not respect your tendency to be negative and argumentative. I think its fabulous that you will tackle a project, its how people learn. Rather than trying to prove that you can fabricate to the members on the forum... Maybe you would be better off to prove to everyone that your attitude can change???
Just saying,

 

I may be quick to loose my temper but I feel it stems from the issues brought up in this tread. I am not critisized usualy for what I have accomplished, it is almost always for my work in progress.

Learning is both about fabricating and just life in general.

 

If it's the "work in progress" that gets you the flack, then howsabout posting some finished stuff?? Finish one thing before moving on... This is how a whole vehicle comprised of half done parts and ideas comes to be..

 

Your not getting what I'm saying at all. A multi pass weld could have worked very well for him in that situation. With good prep and a nice bevel and cleaning of the prior weld a professional welder would have probably done some sort of layered sequence.

Example of what I'm talking about...
http://www.tpub.com/content/construc...s/14250_47.htm



That's not what I was taught at all or what I see at my work place. Part of my job is to inspect hull integrity on the ships I sail on which means tank-diving into fuel and ballast tanks that are the size of apartment buildings. Primary job is to look for cracks and metal fatigue. I can tell you that most cracks generally form on the lightening holes, buttresses, braces and the like or right next to a weld. Meaning the crack heads to the weld than changes course to run along side it until it stops or finds another weak point to head to. Welds very rarely break, it's not uncommon to see a crack that had been welded fixed and see a new crack develop right along side the new crack, and again a weld is used to fix it and once again another crack appears next to that bead.
Proper welds are STRONGER than the material which it bonds or fuses together.

I have post lots of pictures of cracks that I've found in tanks that I can dig up later today if necessary.!

 

You are correct, a weld is usually the strongest point. One thing though that some have seemed to focus on is not always true, a pretty weld isnt always a strong weld. People keep focusing on stacking dimes so to speak, while this looks good it doesnt mean that the penetration is proper. Now at the same time if it looks like someone threw bird **** at it that isnt good. This is why in show pieces allot of time a structure weld is done and a finish weld (pretty one) is laid overtop. If the metal is properly cleaned (grinded, oils etc. removed, grind away so you can refill with weld) then the metal color after welding will tell you about how much penetration there is. Just like Alum is sometimes better to preheat with a alternate heat source to get the heat even. Again this is all in my experience and is not gospel.

 

Based on the size of the first weld you put down, would be reason to make a second pass.. Still will only be as strong as what the thickness of the metal is.. If you run a tiny weld, then back it up with a second pass, if it is possibly a under cut weld I can see it. One good first pass, properly is all you need on things like this...

 

Not every weld is the same. I may be way off here, but I think of it like a woodgrain, or the striations of marble. One piece of steel may need a temperature of 1200º to melt whereas another, nearly identical piece may take a little bit more. If you start with a higher temp than necessary, you could burn completely through whatever you're trying to weld. I think that a lot of welders choose to make multiple passes so that they can build up to the perfect bond rather than trying to go all out in one pass.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Yeah your just making stuff up, the number of passes is directly dictated by the thickness of material being welded