11-22-2010, 09:18 PM
(11-22-2010, 10:16 AM)DarthDuck Wrote: And the old school way of showing weld beads.Actually, Don - the reason for that is for clearance. Meaning that the best angle to get into the gap between to parts for the the welding equipment to lay an even bead. The penetration is only from the heat applied by the welding aparatus used. Without being confrontational, or off topic: The different types of welds needed are because of metal strengths/densities. Stainless steel needs to be spot welded because it's two 1/16" thick pieces welded into a 1/8" thick piece for bathroom, and kitchen uses where sanitation, and rust are concerned. It's too thin for a weld bead.
I made sure to leave a gap for the bead to nestle in. Real world heavy welds are sunk into troughs created by beveling or the angle at which objects rest together for better penetration anyways.
Thinner metals like alumimum need to be "Tig" welded so they don't melt into a pool of liquid. Iron isn't usually welded, except for lawn furniture, or industrial fencing as it's so brittle - this makes it very hard to work with. Steel can be welded with Arc, stick, Mig welded, and if it's thin enough - spot welded. The weld on most items is just because it can't be spot welded where the two come together at an angle, and a regular weld bead has to be laid down. This causes the two pieces to melt together at the joint, the weld bead reinforces this joint. Each of these welders is intended for a different application as not all of them can weld every type of metal successfully. Some won't get hot enough to penetrate, and others will make a metal mess of what you're working on (too hot)! Mig, and Tig are gas welders - Arc, stick, and spot welders are electrical. Gas welders are generally oxygen, and acetylene. Penetration only lasts for a tenth of a second. The metal starts cooling immediately once the weld bead is placed. Even though it's hot, it isn't hot enough to be movable after being welded. This keeps it aligned for the rest of the weld to follow. A clamp is used to keep smaller parts aligned before welding to make it even. The weld happens so fast, there's no time for gravity to have an effect on it. A welder generates a lot of heat right away for instant penetration which is why they need such fuel, or electrical tolerances that are much higher that a propane torch, or soldering iron, which are similar, but not the same, and don't have the same penetration, or strength.
Everyone, and his brother went to learn how to weld when I went to high school. I taught myself, as my older brother went to vocational school for this. I didn't have anyone to teach me, so my buddy bought a Mig welder, and we learned to lay beads ourselves. This is a lot of fun, and you can make a lot of things with welding. All you need to know is where to have it chromed, or plated with whatever finish you want on it. An added plus to having a welder is, you can fix a lot of things, not just for your self, but for others too!
Watching this all come together is just as fun!
I'm glad you know all these techniques, and that you're implementing them on all your builds! Regarless of real world vehicles' designs, it's great to see some otherworldly shapes come out of you with practical applications. The torsion bars are brilliant! You should add some shock absorbers to the rest of the suspension, and a sway bar that actually works! (maybe a steering gear?) I know you can do it. 
~ Cobra Chris