15. Wildcard week

This week we went to the factory, where we used a plasma cutter and learned how to weld.

From the beginning, our technical support taught me how to use the welding machine.

This type of welding is called Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding. The filler metal is added during the process to join the metals together. A shielding gas protects the molten pool of weld metal from reacting with elements in the atmosphere.

Components of a MIG Welding Gun:

• Control switch: Used to activate the welding process.
• Power cable: Transmits electrical energy to the electrode.
• Contact tip: Made of copper, reduces spatter during welding.
• Gas nozzle: Directs shielding gas.
• Gas hose: Carries shielding gas.
• Electrode conduit and power: Connects the electrode to the power source.
• Shielding gas flow: Ensures proper shielding.

From the beginning, I learned to weld on a flat, ordinary surface. To know the technique.

These are my first attempts.

And here you can already see my progress, after which I switched to learning angle welding.

These yellow magnets In photo bellow ensure the staticity of the objects to be welded.

for corner welding, it is necessary to weld 2 end sections from the beginning.

Then we add the welding of the remaining part.

Then I also added a third piece of iron and welded the 3 together.

Individual Assignment

My individual work this week is to get something useful, functional from the waste.

That’s why I collected similar waste in different sizes. Having the right amount of iron and cast iron parts, I looked up references on the internet to see what I was going to make from them.

The final decision was to make a basket, in which it will be possible to place household items: bottles, such large objects, etc.

That’s why I found a disk, the size of which I will make my basket. And I started arranging my details around that.

I started welding one by one.

Cast iron waste was more difficult to weld.

Cast iron is challenging to weld due to its unique properties:

• High Carbon Content: Cast iron contains a high percentage of carbon, making it brittle and prone to cracking during welding.
• Graphite Formation: During cooling, cast iron forms graphite flakes. These flakes act as stress concentrators, leading to cracks.
• Thermal Expansion Mismatch: Cast iron has low thermal expansion, causing stress when welded to materials with higher expansion rates.
• Preheating and Slow Cooling: To minimize cracking, preheat the cast iron and cool it slowly after welding

And also one of the cast iron parts bent after welding.

After welding the first night, I started welding the other axle. Then I connected the rest together.

After all the welds were done, I measured the inside diameters of the large rounds and designed the various parts in a 3D program to be cut with the plasma cutter.

I learned to use and cut myself with a plasma cutter as well.

After cutting, the cut parts should be processed.

After cleaning and processing, I began to triangulate those parts

Then, finding waste valves, I used them as legs, a support for the basket.

Final shot!