...for some practice material and some urging to think about doing the repairs on my skiff myself. I have burned up about 3 lbs of a 5 lb box of 1/8" 5356 rod. The early going was frustrating but I have made some real progress. In addition to the drops you gave to practice on I went over to a local scrap yard and picked up some 5052 and 5086 sheet in 1/8" and 3/16" thicknesses to practice on. First I tried just drawing a staright bead, then learned how to feed filler (the hardest part), then I drilled and filled about 100 holes in various positions to give me practice for filling the holes in my boat. I also practiced making butt and fillet welds and can do them pretty nicely now but only on the thickness and material I had. The practice has taught me how filler, heat, and preparation all play a part in the outcome of the weld. I'll give it another week of practice trying to put in 20-25 more hours before firing up the torch on my boat. Next up is learning how to use the thumb control I just bought for out of position stuff. Thanks again for the helpful tips during my visit to your shop. Still a ways to go before putting in an applcation at ARC TEK but I'm on my way!
