Hmmm....what I always tell people is how forgiving steel is to sculpt....If you stuff it up, you can just cut the piece off, grind it back ....and do it again....try that with glass!

Practice...Practic....Practice...

When your gloves start to smoke....DROP THE METAL!...then scream.

Have fun with the book.

Peter

Hi Kimberly, you seem to be under a lot of pressure. The purpose seems worthwhile supporting, and that`s great.
I believe the book should start with a brief and down to the point interesting and inviting introduction, where safety must be mentioned as a vital issue. Later on a whole chapter on it should be included. I believe, point # 1 could be SAFETY; # 2 Equipmente and tools, and here you could present what`s considered very basic, for instance the MIG welding machine, protective clothing and shield, a disc grinder, a table to work on, a chipping tool,hammer,etc
and another list of other pieces of equipment and tools that are optional and relate to budget and what the hobbist wants... here on this site there are very knowledgable people on the subject that I`m sure can and will give you a hand, for the sake of others that may just turn into great artists some day. Kimberli, you seem to be upset, to use a nice word, I do hope people get the point and in that regard
we understand everyone has the right to remain silent if we wish to do so. On the other hand, I can understand if someone gets very pissed as nobody cares to answer. Personally, I`ve made some very nice compliments to some peoples work, and they don`t even bother to say ok man! This is suppose to be an interactive site and a socially... so on, but beyond tech advances that are being made to improve this site in all regards, I believe the best improvements we can make are those changes that operate within ourselves, and that we can share with others. Àctitud like that help little with the enrichment of us as human beings. Mind opening and being less egotistical are of help.Interacting don`t need to be insulting,or necessarily be in agreement,no!, just less metal and more flesh at times,should have said more soul than flesh. Don`t mean to be opinionated, but I do see other forums that have that interaction. Someone could rightly say: you`re free to leave. Yes, that`s right, but that`s not the point either,you`re missing it again, and if I didn`t care I would not be wasting my time getting probably some people upset.And about that, I don`t really care! To say I am, or we are on the right track and hold the absolute truth is just wrong. Sorry guys, only meant a humble 1/2 cent input towards the integral betterment of this site. You know it`s ok to get mad, and express simpathy,dissagreement,anger,joy and happiness, cause we`re not made out of metal! Sincerely wish you all well. Nelson.

I guess the best advice I ever got was to "keep it clean" make sure the material you are working with is shiny and free of rust and other crap.

Also, play with your puddle... lol have fun with that molten metal and practice wire movement that is natural and easy for you, once that is down, practice sharing the puddle... between the pieces.

This is the sort of language I use with my Voc students, and they seem to get it?

Maybe I'm way out there... who knows... wait I AM WAY OUT HERE>>> yikes!

Jason

Kimberli,
Here's my two cents as Bill says.....
I'm excited to hear that the book is in the works. Your post about doing it was one of the first things I read when I found Artmetal.
I started doing all this welding/art stuff all by my lonesome so here are few things that might have helped me.
It is really hard to find books that don't go way to deep for someone who just wants to play around in the back yard. Really basic information about the difference between flux core and gas welding, basic information about amps and wire speed. I think it would be good to talk about all the extras (grinders, chop saws, torches-the small ones-,so on and so on) so people can understand the welder just sticks things together. Encouraging people to play with stuff. It doesn't matter what your fist welds look like, you will figure it out with experience. Safety is a good chapter. If you could encourage them to let you include the gallery it may help to inspire new artists. I can't wait until it is finished, I will be your first customer.
Mele

I see that you are in NC, will you be at the Shindig? I would really like to meet you!!

Kimberli,

Probably the best advice I ever received about welding in general was, "Get your face in the puddle!" By that, the old guy teaching me meant to that I should get close enough to actually "see" what was happening in the weld puddle, rather than holding my head back and just hoping that I might get it right by good fortune alone. As a beginner, I was, like most, timid about getting my precious (and not insubstantial) beezer too close to all that heat and dangerous stuff. When I actually crawled right down there and peered closely at the puddle itself, I could really see the effect my movements, settings and speed were having on the puddle and how it interacted with the metal to be joined. It made a huge difference in the quality of my welds, immediately.

Glad to hear you're on the home stretch with this "little" project. Pretty soon the book signings and TV talk show appearances will start, huh? (grin) Congratulations on getting it all done.

My last little bit of advice is not about what to include in the book, but about what you might want to consider before turning loose of it for final publication. That is, having a certified, professional welding instructor look over the manuscript to spot any flaws. It would be disheartening to have it go to print and be out there in stores and then get feedback about some error that slipped in. Editors are fine for checking your writing style, but for a how-to book, you should have a "technical advisor" to check for factual errors or omissions.

Rich Waugh

Practice on scrap metal of the same thickness as your finished steel. Pay attention to the sound that the arc makes when you've made a good bead. Sput-sput-sput-sput is usually not a good sound. Yes, I know, it sounds weird, but it tells me right away whether I need to take a break or finish the bead.

Elizabeth M. Meadows
Mother, Metal Sculptor in that order.

The old guy who originally taught me how to weld made me learn w/out a helmet, by closing my eyes and listening to the bead. Probably couldn't get away with putting it in a book but it worked for me.-m

1. Relax
2. Breathe (No,not the fumes)
3. Have fun
4. Always assume the metal is hot. (learned the hard way)

Just a couple of comments:
Reference Welding sights on the internet for help
ie. Miller weld ect...
With MIG Start with Tacking move on to a minimum of 1/8 steel and begin to use practice beads. Then start to experiment with joining pieces together. People often start off using gage steel and burn thru everything they touch
1/8 to a 1/4 mild steel is very mellow to start out with, without pulling out your hair. Hope this little bit helps.
Best of luck withyour book.

Chuck