Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Voting Day and Reflections on Welding

Voting Day and Reflections on Welding

Today is Primary day in the Township where I live. I work as a voting official and have the lofty title as “Chief Inspector.” My job is to make sure everything is on the up and up and help the ladies if something comes along that they find overwhelming. That seldom happens, if anyone gets overwhelmed its me and I give them plenty to laugh about.

The other Chief Inspector died last month so I have a full plate today. In a sense I hate to devote a full day of my time to the task when I am in the middle of my car building, on the other I think everyone has a civic responsibility and need to be involved not in just the voting but in doing things that support the community.

The Greeks who invented Democracy, said it was a lousy form of Government but while they saw the warts, claimed it was ten times better than the next runner up. The ladies will get me all caught up on what’s been happening in the community since the last election… which is always plenty.

I need to find some time to put in the other power window in my ‘53 F-6 ford dump truck. I converted it into a big pick-up truck. It is a hoot to drive. All my vehicles wind up “Drivers.” I don’t own any “Trailer Queens.” That’s a laugh..., one of my creations on a trailer.

I used the TIG (Tungsten- Inert Gas) welder yesterday. Using it is a lot like gas welding. You make a puddle and feed in the rod which melts in the molten stream. What makes it different is that instead of a gas flame there is a tungsten electrode that provides heat to the welding seam. There is a foot control that allows the welder to control the amperage. To start the arc you put the tungsten tip close to the work and press down on the foot control. There is a spark and the arc jumps from the gun to the work. With a gas welder you choose a tip appropriate to the type and size of the metal that is being worked. Once you have a neutral flame that is what you have to work with. With TIG you set the amperage and then have a heat range you control with the foot control. It is sort of like the foot pedal on a sewing machine. The Inert gas comes from a hose inside the gun and flows out from a ceramic cup on the end. The gas surrounds the weld so it doesn’t get contaminated by atmospheric impurities. If you touch the tungsten to the puddle you, “contaminate the tip” and have to go over and grind a new end on the electrode. Like gas welding, you dip a filler rod into the molten puddle that you move along the seam of the two metals being joined together. It requires the operator to be like a one man band. He is watching the arc, controlling the heat, dipping the rod and making sure the tip doesn’t get contaminated. Talk about a lot of things happening at once! Still, of all the welding processes I like it best and it produces a classic welding bead, once you begin to get the hang of it. On the other hand the other equipment has its uses. What shop can get along without a gas unit to free up stubborn studs and nuts…or a stick machine for thicker welds, particularly on nasty old corroded farm equipment, or a wire feed (MIG) for downright convenience. Anybody who likes to work at fabricating, as part of the automotive hobby, should take a welding course at the local Tech School. It is an invaluable skill.