What do you want in a welding book?

You've gotten a lot of great feedback already, but I'd like to add my $0.02 to the pile. My comments will be a little more general in nature.

I would like to see a book that covered gas, stick, and TIG welding because those are the processes that I would use most. I'm learning on gas now, but want to use stick for the thicker metals and for structural stuff that I will build around the farm. I will use TIG later if I produce any metalwork that needs to have clean/pretty welds such as furniture, etc.

I think that a book that explains the *why*, the principles behind a process/technique would be far superior to a book just showing how to do something. I've never learned (really learned) how to do something from a recipe or a list of steps. In my experience learning to duplicate a set of steps is worthless because when faced with a new situation or problem to solve, the recipe doesn't fit and you don't have the skills to adapt to the situation or problem.

Also, I think that a DVD would be an excellent idea. I have some DVDs from WeldingVideos.com and they are fantastic. To see the welds being made close-up and have the action stop and various things pointed out during the process is very very helpful. And, because it's on DVD, I can go right to a particular section and watch it over and over and over. This has the effect of reinforcing what I've read in other books and shows me what I should/will be seeing when I go out to the barn and fire up my torch. Then I can go back inside and review and compare what I saw to what the video showed, make adjustments and go out and have another successful practice session.

I hope this helps identify some of my needs and some things that may be beneficial to others.

rvb

Reply to
Rick Barter
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3 days and over 50 replies, which I havn't (yet) read. I guess I've gone away from looking for books that will intantaneously (well, quickly) teach me a craft that - IN REAL LIFE - takes 5 to 10 years to learn. Instant Piano, guitar, whatever ... similar problems.

There might be markets for several different books, a getting started, teach yourself, a supplement to the local comm college night classes, processes

then there are the perspectives of fab vs maintenance and repair

and the interest orientations; auto racing, motorcycles, building faux wrought iron stuff.

I think most of the material is here already. I might want to buy a hypertext version on CD, but not in hard copy.

Reply to
RegB

Anything you can offer that will make your experience and knowledge available to others would be a significant contribution.

I'd suggest sharp focus on and thorough treatment of specific topics rather than trying to be too general. You can always write more books. There are plenty of books that gloss the generalities while skipping the particulars that often make the difference. There are plenty of primary texts. I think you'd offer most value with "graduate level" in-depth treatments of specific topics. Many of us can weld reasonably well, all of us could weld better than we do.

You might make reference to and expand upon other available references rather than trying to duplicate them or improve upon them. I've no doubt that you could improve on them, but that may not be the greatest value add you might offer.

Example: I learned a lot from the MIller MIG book, have learned a lot more by extension and practice of what I learned there. You undoubtedly have much to offer beyond the basics.

I think that stick, MIG, TIG and O/A would each deserve separate treatises. There is more than a bookfull to know about each process. O/A welding and brazing of aluminum is a subject in itself, though Kent "The Tinman" has addressed that in some depth already.

Welding can definitely be self-taught with bookreading and practice. I'm entirely self-taught and I can do some pretty good welding on a good day. I think your value add here might be to teach those of us that can already weld reasonably well to do it better in more diverse situations.

Mike Graham's treatise on controlling distortion in a weldup was excellent. I'd suggest treatment of that art would be a serous contribution. I need not tell you that good planning, prudent clamping and a bit of Kentucky windage based on tutelage or experience makes a huge difference in how an otherwise well-welded job turns out.

Practice gets it done at the end of the day, but Mike's tips helped me a lot in making MIG and stick-welded structures that turned out flat, square and servicable with little or no recourse to correction with big hammer or hydraulics.

Treatment of how to fix what goes awry with heat n quench and/or heat 'n hammer could also be useful. I've not seen that subject treated well in any book I've read: where do you heat and where do you hammer with what kind of hammer to achieve the desired result of flat and square after the inevitable distortion from welding occurs.

Reply to
Don Foreman

What treatise, Don?

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

This might have been mentioned (I haven't read thru all the reponses), but I would like to see beginner and advanced sections for each topic. The book could then be used for both beginning and advanced welding classes, which would save the student some money spent on textbooks.

Reply to
John

OK, Mike Graham wrote up a welding FAQ that's mentioned a LOT but it was only apparently available on his personal site, now gone. Did anybody happen to archive it and can they either send it to me (see

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for my email address) or post a link to it?

Thanks,

Grant

Grant Erw>

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Another thing with respect to stick welding: when do you use not only which rod, but which rod thickness? For example, on 1/4" A36 flat bar, do you use 1/4" 6011 or 3/32 6011? (I think I already know the answer to that one, but it's a good example.)

Grant

Reply to
Grant Erwin

...

I have a downloaded file weldfaq.htm of 77608 bytes that begins: Welding FAQ 0.1 Compiled by Mike Graham Release Date: March 02, 2003 that I can send if a better version doesn't show up. Perhaps check in sci.engr.joining.welding newsgroup.

Reply to
James Waldby

I don't recall if it was a FAQ. It was on his website, dealt at some length with how to manage and minimize distortion in a weldment like a trailer frame. It delt with clamping, tacking, stitching, order (sequence) of making welds, and ways to correct distortion when (not if) it occurs. I don't recall if Mike addressed using "kentucky windage" where distortion is anticipated and parts are arranged so they'll "pull in" upon welding.

Using as much of his stuff as I could recall, I was able to make the welded L-shaped cantilever supports for my workbench turn out blackout square. One of them needed two hard blows with a big hammer. The others needed no "adjustment" at all.

Reply to
Don Foreman

Hmmmmmm. What would I want in a welding book?

How about an Ernie Leimkuhler clone to stand by watching and teaching as you go along? :)

Reply to
John Husvar

Can we call him "Ping"? ;-P

(AARP ad: "Are you all brothers?" "No, we're clones!")

The ad is supposed to be here:

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Well, I hope that's useful to you. I'm just a hobby welder, so I come at it from that perspective...

The book I'd most like to see would have a "split personality" with a focus on practical "How to do task 'x'" and also a focus on the theory.

I think that for each chapter, if you split the two section up (and make it clear that the both the "how to" and the "theory" sections have shortcommings) then the book will be useful to a much wider audience because they can take what they need from it.

For the "how to" section, I'd like to see something like "Modern Welding", where it shows how to move your hands & hold the rod, etc... I like to see what you physically have to do to make a good strong, safe weld.

For the theory section, most of the books are O.K, but I'd like to see a little bit more about: metallurgy, how metal expands/contracts when heating, types of steel (e.g. welding clean stainless vs. dirty mild steel v.s aluminum) some on they physics of how welding actually works, a little about heat flow (for e.g., through solids vs. liquids).

I'd also like to see a better discussion of welding safety. For example, there was a post on The Forge (a blacksmith's list) about the unfortunate death of Jim "Paw-Paw" Wilson, who died of pneumonia after giving himself zinc-fume fever. The post went into a little of the physiology of zinc-fume fever, how it causes pneumonia, etc... (I don't have the post handy right now, but I can forward it to you). Again, I like to hear about "how it happened" *and* "why it happened", "what it means to you".

There have been other good discussions on this newsgroup, that helped me to be a safer welder, such as shipyard safety, fire prevention, how important ventillation is, etc...

Maybe in the appendixes there could be a section about: Business considerations when welding, running a small welding shop History of welding (maybe talk about forge welding, diffusion welding (like in mokume-gane, etc...) More about hardfacing, welding/repairing cast iron Welding around the home/home shop/amateur welding (O/A is often a good choice for home use because it's versitile, how to get used machines, what to look for in surplus equipment, when to rebuild O/A regulators, etc...)

Reply to
jpolaski

--Must admit to not having read all responses, but the one think I would like to see with a good welding "book" would be a CD with video of proper procedures in practice, particularly things like tigging a tee with round tube, that sort of thing..

Reply to
steamer

I'd like to add welding various metals. The common and the un-common list. e.g. steels, iron, Al, copper sheeting, Bronze foundry elements - method of pre-heat if any, shielding as needed, shielding additionally if needed (box..) Post treating or shielding as needed. Production worthy and small job special tools, gimics - e.g. tapes that shield, sprays that prevent splatter sitck...

Could be used as a guide to fix a pool pump (cast material) or make a kitchen vent hood or such - copper... Both with special treatments pre and post.

Martin

Reply to
lionslair at consolidated dot

It really looks like Ernie would have to write a series of books to cover everything that has been mentioned.

(Not that there's anything wrong with that, except for Ernie's having to write down, video, etc, all his encyclopedic knowledge of processes common and esoteric.)

I'd hope there'd be enough of a market that it could sell well enough to at least cover costs. I'd buy it for sure.

Reply to
John Husvar

Hi Ernie, I've read most of the replies to your question and have narrowed it down to two choices.

  1. Write the welding bible, about 100 years of welding information at your fingertips, every process new and old. You will need a team of researchers and a huge budget.
  2. Write a book that "could" replace the instructor in an 80 hour course. Some theory but mostly practical. Start with safety and cover the basics of O/A, SMAW, MIG and TIG. Most new weldors need to know how and why. This might be easier done with video.

Just my 2 Canadian cents worth. JD

Reply to
John D

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