As for American habit of using spruce for framing, as an American, I totally agree with you. It's just plain foolish. They are building houses out of termite food and then several years down the road are calling an exterminator. Some parts of a house I can see using wood, such as trusses for roof tiling but even that has other solutions. I've watched hundreds of videos showcasing novel construction to ancient construction and I much prefer concrete over wood and stone rather than concrete. What lasts longer than stone? Nothing.
I think American's got into wood frame homes as the country expanded from east to west and there was massive push for more housing, quickly and cheaply. I see all sorts of shoddy house construction on West Coast and believe me, they are paying the price now with repairs and reconstruction. Sad situation.
Some of my relatives in Nebraska built a straw house back around early 1900s and it's still standing, still warm in winter and cool in summer. So, even straw is better than wood.
What gets me is that at very least they could treat the wood with termite solution before covering it. I built a shed for a customer with two by six roof and four by four upright posts and believe me, since he had a termite problem on his property I soaked all the wood in termite solution. I know the bugs will never eat that toxic stuff.
Yes, since you wish to start simple, I agree, go with a stick welding machine.
Here's a machine near me I just saw: https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/tls/d/loma-linda-in-inverter-welder-machine/7268019600.html
Dang. These guys are selling so cheap I may jump on this one just because it's so cheap. I can't help myself. I know what it's really worth so, what's up? It's minutes away and I can get a ride there and pick it up. Resell it for a profit or sell the one I have. Maybe just try it out to compare performance.
For me, just anything I can imagine in my mind I can cut, grind, fit up and weld so long as I have a welding machine.
In answer to your question, soldering, say like copper pipes or wires maybe be similar in idea but what's going on is two totally different processes.
In soldering you use a low melting solder metal onto a different metal to join surfaces. The solder as it melts makes a molecular bond with the copper. The copper remains as it is as does the solder. The two don't mix.
With welding, you are using a filler metal that's similar in composition to the base metal of the two parts you are going to join. The base metal does melt, mixes with the filler metal to cool and harden. Essentially, you join the two parts and now they are one.
The weld bead that forms crystalizes from the molten metal and so is a bit different but basically is more or less the same metal. If you cut through a welded plate, polish and then etch the cross section you can usually see the cross section of the weld material as the acid will eat away some of the metal and reveal the difference in grain pattern. It's quite interesting to do this. As a professional welder they have me do a few test plates to certify me for a given job I go on. They don't go to the trouble of etching the cross section but often they cut a strip out through the weld and then do a bend test. If the weld is good there won't be flaws in the steel, I've passed and can start work. If it's defective the weld will either break or reveal defects that stretch open. If it's a small defect they will pass it anyway. Also they look for uniformity of the weld, edges smoothly blended into the parts that are welded together and no porosity or bubbles in the weld or undercut. Any of those sorts of obvious defects will be a rejection and I can't work.
Really sir, just look on craig's list or ebay and get a machine. The one I showed you is good for all home process and would be fun to use.
Say there are deer where you are, you can go get the black pipe, cut and weld it together and make a guard for your pick up.
There's so many things you can do with metal.
With proper gas you can weld even stainless steel wire.
Or, just adjust the settings and weld with your stick welding rig that comes with it. Seriously, I just went to look and see what's out there and saw that welding machine. I am so jacked up to swoop on it before someone gets it. Do I need it? Not really, but I want it.
When you wake up tomorrow morning, have a cup of coffee and some breakfast then go online to look for a machine. Don't stop until you are driving home with your new machine, some gloves and a welding hood. Stop by your neighbors and beg them for scrap steel then start having fun. You can start practicing by burning rods on any bit of steel until you can lay down a nice weld bead, straight and even. Practice on at least 1/4 inch steel plate. When one side is full, turn it over. When that's full weld across your old beads. When that plate is an inch thick, by then you will be doing ok.
Yes, I went to weld school for six months, sat for an hour every day in class with five hours of shop time practicing but you can do all that at home for just the cost of the rods and the power to run your machine.
Also I cheated like a thief. After class was over and the next class came in, I snuck back in with the next class and would hang out in the shop cutting coupons from steel plates. I cut dozens and dozens. Kids would line up and I would let them take what ever they wanted. People got to thinking I was maybe staff or something? No one asked questions. When traffic would die down and kids were all quietly welding I would sneak into a spare booth and tack my coupons into test plates then stack them up into my locker. After that I would go back to my stolen booth and weld my ass off for another five hours or so.
See, here's my theory. On a job I would be working eight to twelve hours a day and getting paid well. Ok. so can I hack welding ten hours a day? Sure I can. I got so I would go to sleep thinking of welding nice beads. At the end of six months when we had our final certification test I'm in there welding for the Los Angeles certification for plates that will be x-rayed, cut and bent. Vertical seam, horizontal, and overhead. All three prime test positions and I was like, ho hum, glad it's test day and I can hurry up and get this over with and have the rest of the day off.
Another student came by and was watching me. The other students were in a panic, stressed out and I was completely calm, focused and just welding out my plates like any other day. He asked me how I could be so calm and I told him what I had been doing for six months. Taking my class like it's a job rather than goofing off, making jokes, playing pranks and relaxing.
Anyway, once you can make nice beads "downhand" meaning flat on a work bench, then you are ready to make beads horizontal. After that I strongly suggest making beads in vertical position. You'll need this as some objects can't be turned.
Overhead you won't need unless you are welding professionally but it's worth knowing how to do it so save it for last.
Some tips on technique:
If you are using 7018 1/8th welding rods (I hope you are since it's the most standard go to rod for most applications) you will set your machine around 125 volts. You drag your rod a bit to start the arc and then hope it doesn't stick and short out. The hard part for a beginner is getting that arc started. Once it starts burning you can relax a bit and for me, I just slightly drag the rod on the surface, letting the flux touch a bit and as the rod burns down, gradually moving it to continue the path of the bead. You want a nice convex profile. Not too much spatter and not humped up too much. If the bead is ropy and standing up, you're running it too cold. If it's making lots of spatter and too flat with the rod burning up real fast, it's too hot.
My rule of thumb for stick is to set it to burn a vertical bead without digging into the base metal too much or dripping down. If I can do that, it's running just right. You can go a bit hotter for a downhand bead. Horizontal beads can be run a bit cooler with vertical even cooler. Overhead you can run almost as hot as down hand.
For your welding hood running stick welding, I strongly suggest at least a number 11 lens. I go with number 12 and that provides better eye protection. People who use number 10 tend to have a short career as their eyes go bad. Sucks to be them cause it's a joy to see the pretty ladies. I'd miss all that.
The filter lens I prefer is the plastic gold lens. It's the best. You get nice color representation and can see the heat of the metal as you weld. You can even make out the flux cooling on the surface of your bead.
The cheap green lens I hate because I hate looking at a green view all day as I weld.
Some people purchase an auto lens that darkens automatically. For me, the expense is not worth the hassle when the things fail and suddenly you are looking straight into an arc with no protection. On a job if the thing fails and you are miles from town, you're screwed unless the boss can help you out.
Get cover lens to protect your filter lens. I place a plastic cover lens in front and behind the filter lens to protect it and then a third cover lens in the helmet behind my flip lens. The cover lens get scratched up if you work all day and I generally change them out at start of shift. If you are careful you can use a filter lens for months before having to replace it.
Something odd about the gold cover lens. I left one on my dash for months as I didn't need it. The sun some how eroded all the gold. I have no idea how that might be. Mystery to be solved.
Happy welding to you, cheers.
Yeah, I can totally see why wood framed homes are a good cheap solution for pioneers and settlers, but it's kinda become a bad habit. Over here wood is scarce and expensive so it only gets used for joists and ceiling frames. Straw/cobb houses used to be popular back three generations ago but only hippies build them now. They're excellent technology and can last for centuries, but they do require a lot of care to keep the foundations and roof dry. Stone has it's ups and downs, it looks beautiful, but it's expensive and can be draughty (depending on the mortar, stone houses need to breathe).
Dang. These guys are selling so cheap I may jump on this one just because it's so cheap. I can't help myself. I know what it's really worth so, what's up? It's minutes away and I can get a ride there and pick it up. Resell it for a profit or sell the one I have. Maybe just try it out to compare performance.
Grandad died and the kids are emptying the garage :P
When you wake up tomorrow morning, have a cup of coffee and some breakfast then go online to look for a machine. Don't stop until you are driving home with your new machine, some gloves and a welding hood. Stop by your neighbors and beg them for scrap steel then start having fun. You can start practicing by burning rods on any bit of steel until you can lay down a nice weld bead, straight and even. Practice on at least 1/4 inch steel plate. When one side is full, turn it over. When that's full weld across your old beads. When that plate is an inch thick, by then you will be doing ok.
You're a bad influence sir! I live in a single room apartment full of all kinds of tools. I keep buying more even though I really should be lightening my load to move country. Some deals are hard to pass up.
For your welding hood running stick welding, I strongly suggest at least a number 11 lens. I go with number 12 and that provides better eye protection. People who use number 10 tend to have a short career as their eyes go bad. Sucks to be them cause it's a joy to see the pretty ladies. I'd miss all that.
Hmmm, good advice. My eyes aren't great to begin with and my ears are awful, so I can't afford to play around with that stuff.
The filter lens I prefer is the plastic gold lens. It's the best. You get nice color representation and can see the heat of the metal as you weld. You can even make out the flux cooling on the surface of your bead.
That's interesting, is it literally gold foil laminated onto the plastic? I would've thought that would make everything blue.
Something odd about the gold cover lens. I left one on my dash for months as I didn't need it. The sun some how eroded all the gold. I have no idea how that might be. Mystery to be solved.
That is curious. It can't be UV surely: I'd imagine the arc is emitting way harder frequencies than sunlight.
Happy welding to you, cheers.
Thanks
I want to revisit the phenomenon of wood framed houses in USA, particularly in California and other south west US states and how the trend swept across the USA.
Wood framed homes were already a thing back in early 1900s so it's not like it's something new. However, when I was in Philadelphia and other states on the east coast and south eastern USA, in old neighborhoods brick and mortar homes were quite common, in fact, were or seemed to be the norm. Not to say the gulf states didn't have wooden mansions, etc. They did.
During the Gold Rush and later expansions to California economy and quick rise in population at first it was just cheap shoddy wood framed homes with no particular codes either regionally or state wide.
In my home town there are some houses along one old street that are completely stone with mortar. Built back in the early 1900s. Small single family homes. So that was a thing also.
But, during the 60s of the last century began a massive growth of population and the boom of tract homes. Cookie cutter homes slapped together with wood frames on slabs and stucco plastered over tar paper and chicken wire.
These homes are a maintenance headache. The sewer lines are cast iron and some of the later homes are even worse in regards to sewer lines as the cast iron sewers are made of cheap imported trash steel. The composition is brittle so even trying to repair them is a problem. Cutting out a section frequently leaves a cracked sewer line that allows more roots to invade and crack the pipes. Then people want to plant trees in their yards which soon invade the lines through seams and cracks and cause blockages. Problems that occur under the slab must be cut and dug out.
Then you have the termites that are infesting almost every tract home of that era. I can basically tell you the time frame these cheap homes were built in by looking at them and then confirm it when doing work inside and around the house because I never find coins dated much earlier than the 60's. When stripping out old carpet or linoleum that's what we find under the baseboards. Loose pennies from around 1960 and once carpeting gets installed and coins can't go under the baseboards you don't find any coins later than the 70's. Of course there are records and sometimes stamps on city sidewalks that tell you when a tract home neighborhood went in.
They are all cheap and all have shoddy construction. Popcorn ceilings in every tract home. Why the popcorn textured ceilings? Because ceiling rafters are uneven. The texture is to hide the defects.
Almost all of these homes need the wiring upgraded, termite exterminated, plumbing replaced, etc.
None, zero, nada had the lumber used pretreated for termites.
Back in the 90s I believe California passed a law requiring a home built with straw bales to be granted a permit. Something about conserving our forests. But, developers setting up tract homes are not going to be doing this so the law meant nothing.
It's my theory that the trend to wood frame homes in the USA spread east from the west coast as developers realized how quick these homes could be set up and sold for a quick profit.
The home on a slab to me is another example of the lack of concern for the health and welfare of the new homeowners.
The house I am in now is one such home. The hot water pipes under the slab rotted out years ago and the home owner never realized and not being in plumbing at the time I didn't understand the significance of a comment she made to me at the time back in 2004 when I visited. She said she loved her slab home with it's hot water pipes under the slab because in the bathroom the floor was always warm.
For years she poured hundreds of dollars under that slab in hot water bills for gas and water until her slab cracked and hot water flooded her house one night. Emergency repairs ran to $8,000.00 as her water system was rerouted through the attic using PEX piping. They didn't insulate the new piping so cold water in summer is hot until you run all the hot water out of the pipes. You can go outside and water a plant without checking the water temp and the plant will just cook in the hot water. Believe me, I test the water before using it. In summer the faucets are hot/hot rather than cold/hot water.
I never addressed ear protection. For down hand welding it's not really an issue as sparks won't reach your ears and with your head in normal upright position your eardrums are out of reach.
However, if you are welding on something where you have to wriggle in on your side or something or overhead, ear plugs are a must. Vital. I've had red hot spatter pop past my hood and land in my ear canal. I could hear it sizzle in there. Imagine the damage if it rolls onto your ear drum.
As a matter of habit professionally, I always wear ear plugs but for home welding I don't as I can pick and choose how I weld stuff. Small stuff I can turn as needed.
For using an angle grinder you should use ear plugs and safety glasses. You can pick up a box of nice safety glasses at Home Depot. The code Z87 is printed on the frame so you know it's safety glasses. ALWAYS wear safety glasses when grinding even if you have your welding hood and are looking through your flip up lens view port.
The gold welding lens I mentioned having lost all it's gold had never been used. I had it in reserve. So, it surprised the hell out of me that all the gold vanished over the time it sat in the sun. I can't say how the gold is applied to the plastic since I have no idea. When I have the gold lens in my helmet or in it's plastic sleeve this has never happened. Of note is that the gold coating is just atoms thick.
The gold filter lens gives you close to true color red . Cobalt lens gives a blue color while the common green lens makes everything green.
I live with a friend at his house since I lost my condo and travel frequently. I don't keep tools I am not using or plan to use, I just don't have space.
You can always work with a good friend to set up a garage shop. If it's got a concrete floor that is best.
(post is archived)