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.
Kimberli, Probably the best
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