Being Doubted.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Even though I have used different Welding Techniques on different materials throughout my career, I had never used a Plasma Transfer Arc, nor used some of these Filler Rods that I am now using. People that have welded as a career or hobby would understand exactly what I am referring to. You wouldn’t use a Rod designed for Structural on something made of Sheet Metal, or vice versa. Their application and traits are different especially after they cool down.

Yesterday Mile had pointed out that some of the welds were not high enough on the Flights I was applying the Comoloy filler to. (Remember, when using a TIG Welder, you are applying One Drop of Metal at a time.) Being that it was taking so long to apply I was making certain to add extra. When I looked again it felt strange because it appeared they had shrank.

What a lot of people won’t believe is that when Hot Metal cools it shrinks. If you have a bent Rod or Beam you heat it on the side you want it to go to. The immediate reaction is that it will bend even further in the wrong direction but as it cools it will pull back in the direction you want. The old theory that Expansion and Contraction are equal does not apply to Metal. Metal will shrink more then it expands.

Many motorists have seen examples of this on the roads. If you see a Flat Bed Steel Hauler carrying a load, the Trailers look completely straight. Now look at a similar Steel Hauler with no Load. The Trailers will be arched high in the center so when they are loaded they will flatten out from the weight. Arching the Beams on those Trailers is done by applying heat to the bottom so when it cools it shrinks causing the Arched affect. When I use the burners or torch to heat the Feedscrews they are being rotated so they do not Arch or Crack from the heat and welding.

After the Feedscrew that I welded yesterday was ground on the OD Grinder there were spots that were too low. I showed Mile exactly how I had gauged the welds. I had allowed for Shrinkage but not enough. His answer was Metal does not Shrink. He has been in the Tool Industry for over Forty Years and never saw that. He hasn’t been around things I have.
I got to talk with Kathy at lunchtime but the rest of the day was spent adding more Comoloy to the same Screw. I was lucky this evening, punching out at 4:30.

Even with the Traffic Lights not working on Walker Road along with the Accident at Jefferson and Tecumseh, I managed to be the last one in the Motor City Community Credit Union before they locked their doors.

With that Accident up the road it made the traffic where I was much lighter.

When I got home Kathy told me the Fire Alarms were tested this morning, then they went off later this afternoon due to welding being done in one of the Elevator Shafts.

Our supper was split up because Kathy didn’t know what time I’d be home. We had Acorn Squash for our vegetable. We then had Macaroni and Cheese for the main course before having Leftover Tuxedo Cake for dessert.

Despite the Rain we were having today we set a new High Temperature for this date breaking the record from 1966, even though we had High Wind Gusts that nearly blew both of us off our feet. At least most of the Dirty White Stuff is slowly disappearing.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment, unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion, or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You stop to flirt with the person running the drive-through at McDonald’s.