New here, looking for ideas

[WeedWhackinWelder]

Hey guys, I just came upon this site today, and was wonderin if anyone had any suggestion for school projects, something that would take a decent bit of time to make.

A little bit about me, im 18, living in Canada, i've been employed as a full time welder for about a year and a half with a company making excavation buckets, Snowplow blades, C-frames, A-frames, Rock Buckets, Hydraulic Cylinders, and other things along that line.

I've just moved into my new place and start college on the 5th and wanted to get designing something decent to make

Ive had a decent amount of experience in Flux, Mig, Stick, in all positions and all sizes of wire and rod but not much experience in designing my own projects.

If you guys could help me out with some ideas to get going it would be appreciated

[KBar]

Welcome to the board. You will probably get lots of ideas here, it all depends on what your likes and dislikes are. Something you might want to try which will give you some good experience is a trailer. I already made one and Im thinking about starting a motorcycle trailer. If you dont want something that big, maybe a trellis with some ornamental designs in it, coffee table, bookcases, dinette table, almost anything for your apartment or house. The sky is the limit when it comes to welding. As soon as I find my disc with my welding pictures, I'll post a lot of my pictures

[cajuncat]

welcome to the board.there is alot of good info on here for somebody starting out.on coming up with your own projects,what would you be interested in doing because that is always the best projects to do.i work for a caterpillar dealer so i do some of those same jobs on a daily basis but its not like you can build a c-frame at the house for the **** of it.think of something that you can use around the house or something that can make your job easier.

[monte55]

lots of projects in the Idea Gallery to your right in the green box

[Richard]

welcome WeedWhackinWelder

how bout building a grill/cooker . a fancy one . . see I know that you will build several before you get the design like you want it, cause half way threw the first one you will say, man I should have done this different. so you go ahead and build that one. sell it the start on your next one, finish it and build the next and maybe you will have that one like you want it.

I hope this helps



............. Richard

[burnie]

Welcome aboard. The sky is the limit as far as project go but might I suggest knife making. I don't know the legalities of it in Ontario but I started making knives as a school project and it has turned into one of my favorite time wasters. There is nothing that teaches better patience (other than kids) than hand filing and making that artwork come together. You can learn a fair bit about metallurgy in the process and it can be a lucritive hobby if you want it too be. Just a thought and keep us posted.

[wireburner]

Welcome, like others said the sky is the limt in welding projects! Here is a coffee table I buillt , try making a welding table or something for your shop if your just starting a shop! Below is a pic of the Coon coffee table I built (used my cousins` plasma cutter, & my Lincoln to build the frame)


hope I helped

[WeedWhackinWelder]

Thanks for the info guys and the warm welcome.

saw a couple things in the idea page i wouldnt mind tryin definatley something that would test my skill

(maybe ill make a Trailer/Coffee Table/Griller Hybrid combination?? haha)

Nice coffee table there, i was thinking about making something like that but with tiles for the surface, maybe a outer ledge about 1/4 of the way up

Never looked into knife making before but sounds like it would be something decent to try (legalities only matter if you get caught )

[BWS29128]

I Like Wireburner's Idea

Have you ever been at work and had a thought like "Gee...wish I had one of those thingamajigs to make this easier..." Something like a work-positioner, maybe an overhead hoist/pulley system that might make moving heavy pieces of plate around, or maybe an attachment for one of your company's existing systems. Perhaps something that would showcase your welding ability, with an engineering slant to it (that you may have to consult a mechanical engineer or welding engineer for) that also may or may not have to be wired for electricity.

Being in school for a semester would give you plenty of time to research something, and maybe you could ask your company if they would cost-share your purchase of materials (steel, wire, etc) for this particular project.

Another thought would be that on a project for school that's going to be graded, perhaps you could build a project that would not only benefit your company, but also give you some experience with MIG, TIG, & Arc welding procedures...

Just a thought.