Chair 2, Post 3

Hello there. Today, I spent more time learning the techniques of TIG welding. I felt comfortable enough with it to weld two four pieces together for my second chair. However, I encountered problems.

Simple mistakes like: turning the gas off (the gas is crucial to making a correct weld) and forgetting to turn it back on, not completely removing a fried part of my tungsten tip (which conducts electricity, essential for heating the metal correctly).

In addition to those problems (which I can fix using a MIG welder, which makes heavier and less precise welds), I found that the two sides of my frame aren't exactly identical. A sixteen of an inch too long one place, an eighth of an inch to short another place--these errors add time and problem solving to the process of creating the chair. The good thing is, I'm learning from these mistakes. I'll mention it again for those who didn't read my introduction to the blog-one my outcomes for this blog is to reflect on my process of chair making and to gain insight into how I can improve my process.

Documenting my mistakes here is more important to me than seeming like an experienced metalworker. I'm not experienced; I'm an amateur. This blog will help me become more experienced, if anything.

I did have some success TIG welding though- when I was setup correctly, I hit all the welds with accuracy and consistency!

I'll also concede that I almost quit working today. After a few successful welds, I hit a rough patch; I kept messing up, and I was confused about what I was doing incorrectly. My teacher helped me, and I resumed work, but I was foiled again. I hesitated at that moment- I just wanted to clean up and leave the shops to get my composure back. But I thought, "Why? Aren't you going to do this work tomorrow anyways? Get over yourself, and get back to work."

Ultimately I solved the problem and made good progress. If I left the shops as I wanted to, I wouldn't have had such a successful day. That was very satisfying- to know that I could overcome internal pressure to give up and prove myself capable of recovering from a frustrating situation.