Learning Curve

Well the learning curve for welding is much different than that of many other experiences I've had.  I did take a welding class last winter at Mayland which was a GREAT value at $12 per 4 hour class including material ($75 for all 6 classes), but apparently had forgotten everything.  It's really a skill where experience prevails.  Don came over to check out how things were going and said if I could get all the welds to look like the ones I had most recently done, there was no point having someone else do it for me!  Thanks to Don for the inspiration!

I finally got my safety gear really dialed in.  Better glasses, small ear plugs, respirator, and got some tunes hooked up through my computer.  Feelin' good, Feelin' great!

I got a couple joists welded, then Ben stopped by and we ended up taking a short walk and checking out the cover crop at my little garden plot as well as newly developed swimming hole.  I got a few more beads laid, then Paul came to redeem his return favor.  Stair Moving! 

Fortunately he had some technology which I'll soon be taking advantage of.

Then the camera battery died.  We only moved them to go up by that post on the right side of the image.

Finally, back to work after picking up about 30 pounds of local beef and pork from Gred.

I used the jack first at the front, then the rear to raise the lower level off the sawhorses and get the 4" sq joist out so I could put it on top.  I'm glad I went for the bulldog jack, despite being $100 vs $50 for a weld on jack of the same capacity.  Having the ability to take it off the tongue and use it elsewhere is SUPER helpful.

Check for level! and shim.

On to the rear...

Check for level and shim again.

Got 4 of the joists welded in place and put the front one on the girder so I could slide it up later as well as clamping some plywood to the undersides of the joists so I could set the "rim joist" on and get it situated with minimal effort.

Rim joist one in place.

...and the other side is on...

Now to bring them together.

Clamps were very helpful.

That's it for tonight.  Here's my best bead yet.

Not bad considering I've only burned through 5 pounds of rods at this point.

Tomorrow thru Wednesday I'll be working on the bents/endwalls.  Once they're done I'll flip the trailer on either side so I can lay the beads that are now vertical in the much easier horizontal position.  Then we'll be flipping the bents up Friday or Saturday when the weather gets nicer.

It's quite surreal now.  This thing looks like a real trailer!  Bringing something into this world that has lived in my mind for almost two years now and really, building my own structure has been something I've been imagining and wanting for the last 22 years!

Stay Warm.

No Jambed Fingers!