jinjahbiscuit
Member
- Messages
- 348
Prompted by a question about where to find welding classes on the forum and a response by a lad from a tiny outfit in Somerset that build Mountain Bikes and Downhill Bikes, I decided to take the plunge and sign up for a Fillet Brazing Masterclass, after checking out the website - "TBA" - The Bicycle Academy, in Frome, Somerset, the lad had mentioned.
I didn't feel ready for their Tig course, having struggled trying to get my head around Mig (all your lots fault by the way).
So, I turned up a bit late on the day (having got slightly lost) and hungover from a weekend in Cork with the luverly one, being part of our 25th adversary, oops, anniversary celebrations.
Very quickly made welcome, sat down with a cuppa and fairly straight into it with Andrew, the boss.
A brief but concise look at safety stuff and then on to the theory.
If you're very technical, maybe not enough. If you want to just crack on, then spot on, just right and to the point. Don't forget, this is from don't know, to doing it in a day. Honest.
All very relaxed and your pace.
Having covered the paperwork and blackboard stuff (whiteboard?), broke for lunch.
Thinking, Grief, there's no way I'm learning this in an afternoon, you now get into the actual hands on bit.
It's all one to one, let it go.
Just like all the other processes we want to learn to become proficient at, we start with straight(ish) runs on a piece of plate. Then tacking and joining parts. Wicked. Really wonky to start with, nerves probably, but thoroughly enjoying it all the same, though had a problem seeing the molten pool of the braze.
Not a problem.
Andrew says, OK, try some different goggles.
Nope. Same problem.
No worries, trip into town and HE bought some reading glasses that worked for me at the distance required. Brill.
Then magically, it begins to somehow get to work. I joined two tubes together in a pretty good fashion and felt great, albeit under supervision, two subsequent attempts without the supervision were not so good, but the worst one (totally me) survived the destructive test. Whoopee!!
Yep. So, now you guys have coerced me into buying 3 welding machines, 2 lathes and NOW some gas kit.
I'm taking up knitting next week.
LUVIT.
Thanks to TBA
I didn't feel ready for their Tig course, having struggled trying to get my head around Mig (all your lots fault by the way).
So, I turned up a bit late on the day (having got slightly lost) and hungover from a weekend in Cork with the luverly one, being part of our 25th adversary, oops, anniversary celebrations.
Very quickly made welcome, sat down with a cuppa and fairly straight into it with Andrew, the boss.
A brief but concise look at safety stuff and then on to the theory.
If you're very technical, maybe not enough. If you want to just crack on, then spot on, just right and to the point. Don't forget, this is from don't know, to doing it in a day. Honest.
All very relaxed and your pace.
Having covered the paperwork and blackboard stuff (whiteboard?), broke for lunch.
Thinking, Grief, there's no way I'm learning this in an afternoon, you now get into the actual hands on bit.
It's all one to one, let it go.
Just like all the other processes we want to learn to become proficient at, we start with straight(ish) runs on a piece of plate. Then tacking and joining parts. Wicked. Really wonky to start with, nerves probably, but thoroughly enjoying it all the same, though had a problem seeing the molten pool of the braze.
Not a problem.
Andrew says, OK, try some different goggles.
Nope. Same problem.
No worries, trip into town and HE bought some reading glasses that worked for me at the distance required. Brill.
Then magically, it begins to somehow get to work. I joined two tubes together in a pretty good fashion and felt great, albeit under supervision, two subsequent attempts without the supervision were not so good, but the worst one (totally me) survived the destructive test. Whoopee!!
Yep. So, now you guys have coerced me into buying 3 welding machines, 2 lathes and NOW some gas kit.
I'm taking up knitting next week.
LUVIT.
Thanks to TBA
