Learning, learning, learning, deforming and welding process...

You can't imagine: my fulltime job is in (higher) education and I never learned so much as with this project...

Ok, that was to be expected for the good reasons that I am an unexperienced welder and that I try to build an intended wooden boat in aluminum 😎 but hey, would Columbus ever had discovered Turtle Island without trying "something else"?

In fact there is so much to tell that I don’t know where to start. All metals including aluminum deforms when heated. They tell you a very limited amount about it during welding classes, nothing about the size of a boat. So I have to learn my lessons during building-time and I can tell you: these lessons are very very interesting. I already experienced these phenomena with the centerboard-trunk but after that every weld caused its troubles. It troubled me a lot. Did I choose the right welding method? Did I really bought the wrong welding machine? Did I really do the wrong welding course?

Now a few weeks later I know the answer and of course as ever it is “yes and no”.
Why do most of the aluminum boat builders use the MIG welding process? Not because of the advantages of TIG but of the disadvantages ofcourse. First of all and most im portant the heath transfer. TIG is a slower process and adds more heath into the metal than MIG. The difference is not only significant but humendous (as I experienced). Second - I thought not very important - is that MIG welds with only one hand. In fact this has two important advantages: first you can hold the pieces into place while (tack)welding with the other hand. Turned out to be very very very handy. And second the “agility”. Single hand welding also means welding in narrow spaces, easy welding in all positions and welding left and right handed!



You guessed already I had to switch to MIG. Fortunately I could sell my TIG welder fast and for a good price and found a MIG welder with the right specs by my favorite supplier (HBM-machines).

 

Yep this is a professional machine and it’s about the same price as my TIG welder.

Now what about lessons? MIG is completely different from TIG welding. Aluminum-welding is aluminum-welding however. The metal behaves about the same. And the difference between no welding experience at all and some experience is much bigger than than the difference between TIG and MIG. They say that if you start with TIG (as the most difficult proces) you can learn MIG faster and I think that’s true.

"El Bow Wrestling..."

Has been a while but I haven't sit still. Tossed in the side boards and as expected the bow section is the hardest part. As I am inexperienced with aluminum bending, stretching and fixing I had to try a few strategies.

Slowly I am nearing the finish of the bow. Every next inch taking a bit more time and new approaches 😉.

Starts looking like a ship isn't it? Far from watertight though.

the craddle

Ok. Very exiting moment: how will the bottom sheets will fit in the cradle.

I had my doubts of course considering the struggle with the center board trunk and keel. On the other hand the way of building permits some margins so I tossed in the sheets and start fitting and tacking.

It surprised me to see that the aft and the front got together quite reasonably.  The mid section with the trunk needs some adjustment but I expected that. For every next build I certainly recommend a new design for the trunk and keel section. But I'll come to that later.

What about eye sight...

Sometimes you encounter a personal "awareness" that almost feel spiritual...
I did today.

No it's not something magic but in fact something stupid!

When I started welding lessons I discovered that I had to get used to the sight behind the welding helmet. As I hadn't any experience before I accepted the "scene" as it was and that I had to train myself in observing the welding process.

During the lessons I discovered that  multi focal glasses aren't ideal. At reading distance the lower part of the glasses were looking exactly where the window of the helmet stopped.
So I used a cheap reading glasses and it worked.

A few lessons later I discovered that I had issues with keeping distance of my head to the welding process. Slowly creeping into the weld and not getting a clear focus of course.
So I decided to buy standard reading glasses a higher figure than my own. And guess what...

 

A new world opened up!!!. Welding is so relaxed now. I can see everything happening in the weld.
I wished I discovered this months ago.

Well, my welds made a shocking improvement again so I am happy.

Learned the first important lessons

I really had some tough struggle welding the centerboard trunk & keel section.

I know that aluminum deforms when welded and I guessed that as aluminum is quite bendable I could correct this afterwards... Not so!

I learned that when this construction is welded it is enormously stiff and strong (which is positive as well of course). I also learned that complex constructions deform in unpredictable ways.
I had to consider more tack welds and a smart welding order. And I even may consider another design of the parts when I build this ship again.

Fortunately I could correct this trunk & keel within acceptable limits but that took several hours.
First I tried to bend the deformed parts resulting in more severe deformation in others parts, leading into too big gaps to weld and a kind of "modern art" in the end.

After a night sleep I decided to cut out the "modern art" and inserted a new piece. That worked out quite good. Welding the new piece deformed the side of the trunk again which I could prevent by cutting a few slits in the trunk to absorb the heath deformation and weld them afterwards water tight again 😇.

The section is not finished yet but hope that the most difficult part is done by now 🙏.

 

Cutting some more sheet and keel assembly

As I have to wait for the repair of my welding machine I had plenty of time to cut some more parts.
Didn't count the meters but it seems that the cutter is working better and better. Looks like it had to break-in but it also might have something to do with me getting some routine 😀.

In the animation above I am cutting the second bottom part.

In the pictures below there's a bit better view at the keel-trunk section taking shape...

 

Pretty shiny isn't it 😎.




My tiny pocket yard garage is filling up slowly. I developed a kind of workshop organization which looks like a "book" browsing through aluminum sheets and mdf templates.
This works well up untill I have to install the cradle. Luckily the garage door is still opening 😉.
           ⬇

First results & a bummer

Took a while since last post but a lot happened in the meantime: I drew the first pieces on the sheets with the templates, cut them and grind them to precise measurements. Which worked super! the sheet cutter did its job and the grinder slimmed the pieces down to the millimeter.

Welding something else than trial pieces was really different but I felt confident enough to build and shape the centerboard trunk and it actually surprised me that I made a firm piece of Pocketship.

First I had in mind to post some results when I finished the whole keel-and-trunk section but unfortunately my welding machine broke down after 1,5 week of perfect functioning. With a loud bang the machine stopped as well as the rest of the electricity in the house ;-). 

So cutting some parts in advance was the only option...

 

And of course I needed to "elongate" some pieces as well. In aluminum this is so simple: just make a straight and sturdy "butt weld" & grind it flat. After that it is immediately available for further process.

Hope to get my welding equipement back soon to be able to show you the complete keel&trunk section.