Okay, here we are. Finally, after all this prep work, after all the sweeping, scrubbing the floor, running wiring, moving crap, throwing crap out, and all that other lameness, *finally* we have reached the good part: welding the bench!

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I realized that my original plan for the bench was going to have to be modified. The back stop was going to need some way to brace it or affix it to the top. Taking a look at things, it seemed like a good idea would be to add a corner piece below where the bench top met the backstop on either side. Triangles are structurally very sturdy shapes, and this would provide a good amount of rigidity to the joint as well as simply keeping the back stop from kind of wobbling on its flimsy sheet metal mount at the back of the bench. I was fortunate to find some small scraps of sheet stock that just so happened to be the perfect size, and this from an aborted project from at least five years ago. Coincidence? I think not.

I was actually kind of worried about this whole setup. I had never welded anything this thick before. Someone told me, “Better turn that up all the way,” on the amperage settings for my welder. I got out my little chart, saw that this was correct, and then I cranked the welder up to 150 amps and made sure I had the correct size tungsten. I got out some filler rod for the job, made sure that all my pieces were spotlessly clean and ready to go, and then I pretty much just held my breath and flipped the switch. It turned out fairly decent for my newb status, if I do say so myself. It’s not pretty, but it won’t fall apart any time soon. The other side looks a little prettier, but not much. Good enough to get the job done, I say.

This took a long time, even though it looks like all I did was buzz things together. Getting the pieces cut, fitted up precisely (always an issue), and getting them spotlessly clean – all that took a long time. Then I had to get things clamped together securely. The welding itself took maybe five minutes, but the whole operation surrounding it took all my free time for Saturday afternoon. I was pleased with the results, though. Big stuff coming on Sunday!