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They call these things “coupons” in the welding world. They’re two-inch long pieces of eighth-inch thick steel. You just put two of them edge to edge longways, and then you weld them together. Then you frown at the result, throw it on the floor, and do another. You do this until you stop frowning at the result. It’s a little boring, but it’s kind of cool too. It’s a good way to consistently practice the exact same thing, so it’s easier to track your results and figure out what you might be doing wrong (or right!). This pile of coupons was made by yours truly from for pieces of four-foot long flat stock. I cut them up using a reciprocating saw one at a time. Oh sure, it would have been easier to use a band saw, but I don’t own one. For now long, noisy, and slow is the way I have to do these things. Fun, right? You’re jealous, admit it.