Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part 1 Metalworking 101
1 Safety First
General Shop Safety
Shop Hazards
Sharp Stuff
Dirty Stuff
Heat and Fire
Intense Ultraviolet Radiation and Light
Electricity
Chemicals
Gases
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Clear Safety Glasses and Face Shields
Welding Helmet
Shaded Glasses and Face Shields (Shade Nos. 4–12)
Gloves
Arm, Neck, and Head Protection
Boots
Long Pants
Hearing Protection
Dust Masks
Shop Safety Equipment
Welding Screens
Fire Extinguishers
Covered Trash Cans
First Aid Kit and Eyewash
Ventilation
Minimum Safety Equipment Review
MIG Welder
Plasma Cutter and Oxygen-Acetylene Torch
Angle Grinder, Chop Saw, Bench Grinder, and Drill Press
Roller and Hand Tools
General Shop Safety
2 Welding 101
What Is Welding?
What Isn’t Welding?
Welding
Mechanical Connections
Adhesives
Soldering or Brazing
How Welding Works
Types of Welders
Torch Welding
Metal–Inert Gas (MIG) Welding or Gas-Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
Tungsten–Inert Gas (TIG) Welding or Gas-Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
Stick Welding (Shielded Metal Arc Welding)
Types of Welds and Joints
A Brief History of Welding
3 Steel
What Is Steel?
Plain-Carbon Steels
Alloys
Mild-Steel Properties
Strength
Conductivity
Expansion and Contraction
Corrosion and Rust
Mill Scale
Finishing
How to Obtain Steel
Buying Steel
Finding Steel
4 Metalworking Studio
Layout
Safety Concerns
Lighting
Welding Table
Cutting Table
Cutting/Grinding Area
Steel Storage
Paint Area
Buying Tools
Cleaning and Maintenance
5 Basic Hand Tools
Clamps
Vice-Grips
Measuring Tape
Wire Cutters
Magnetic Angles
Other Layout Tools
Slag Hammer
Files
Scribe
Soapstone
6 Grinding and Cutting
Angle Grinder
Parts
Types of Disks
A Place to Grind
Angle Grinder Safety
Practice
Bench Grinder
Parts
Safety
Practice
Chop Saw
Parts
Types of Disks
Safety
Practice
7 Drill Press
Parts
Accessories
Center Punch
Deburring Tool
Adjustable Vice
Automatic Center Finder
Drill Bits
Twist Bits
Center Drill Bits
Unibit
Speeds
Safety
Drilling Practice
8 Roll Bending
Parts
Operation
Safety
Rolling Practice
9 Oxygen-Acetylene Torch
Parts and Accessories
Torch and Tank Setup
Parts Detail
Torch Detail
Safety
Torch Cutting
Operation
Cutting Practice
Torch Welding
Filler
Flux
Operation
Welding Practice
Torch Bending
Operation
Bending Practice
10 Plasma Cutter
Parts
Plasma Cutter
Plasma Torch
Accessories
Safety
Operation
Amperage
Travel Rate
Angle of Torch
Standoff
Preparing to Cut
Making a Cut
Shutting Down the Plasma Cutter
Practice
11 Metal–Inert Gas (MIG) Welder
Parts
Power Source and Transformer
On/Off Switch
Voltage and Wire-Feed Settings
Negative, or Grounding, Clamp
Welding Lead and Gun
Shielding Gas and Regulator
Weld Chart
MIG Gun
Gun
Trigger
Gas Nozzle
Gas Diffuser
Contact Tip
Electrode/Filler
Gas Line
Inside a MIG Welder
Spool of Welding Wire
Feed Rollers
Electrical Connections
MIG Welder Consumables
Shielding Gas
Filler Wire and Contact Tip
MIG Welder Adjustments
Wire Speed/Feed
Voltage
You Are in Control
Distance from Weld Area (Stick-Out)
Speed
Angle
Pattern of Motion or Weave
Steadiness
Weld Vision
Weld Orientation
Flat
Horizontal
Vertical
Overhead
Safety
Operation
Setting Up Your Work Area and Welder
Get Comfortable
Practice
Flat-Position Bead Making
Flat-Position Weaving
Flat-Position Tee Joint
Making a Tee Corner
Breaking a Weld
Cutting Your Weld
Visual Inspection
12 Finishing
Steel Preparation
Muriatic Acid
Application
Paint
Brush Paint
Spray Paint
Clear Finish
Wax
Application
Powder Coating
Part 2 Projects
13 Project Preparation
Materials
Studio Access
Time
14 Start from Scratch
15 Cube
16 Plant Stand
17 Candelabras
18 End Table
19 Fireplace Log Holder
Finishing
20 Garden Cart
Finishing
21 Barbecue
Finishing
Resources
Education and Studio Resources (Listed West to East)
General Welding and Online Resources
Index