Even teachers make mistakes... LOL

[Bluesman]

Yesterday, working with students on a project we needed to make a repair to an aluminum dog box. So, kid brings the thing up and we start working on it. Problem is, for some reason can't get the ol Weldall 160 to dial in right. It was acting like it was "pulsing" but we had the pulse switch off... Anyway, we managed to get that done but wanted to run a few practice beads later to try to figure out the problem.

Few class periods later, I am in my conference period and go out to the shop. See an aluminum coupon laying on the welding table with a few sad beads on it... I think the other teacher has been in there practicing and wasn't hitting on crap... LOL... Well, he wasn't in there and I noticed the argon tank was still open. So, I turn the bottle off and walk off.

Few minutes later he comes in my room and I ask him if he has been trying to dial the machine in and practice cause I saw that aluminum coupon on the table. He says no, but he had set that up to work on it and hadn't had a chance to get back to it. So, we go to the shop.

First attempt he made halfway worked, then he tried again and the gas cup turns cherry red, the aluminum melts and cuts away smooth as butter and the tungsten "blows up" and basically disentigrated. I look at his tungsten and I tell him maybe we have the wrong kind cause the one he had was grey and maybe we need the red... Well, we changed it and same results... Both had a WTF moment and couldn't figure out what was wrong... It sounded better and wasn't pulsing anymore but it was NOT doing what it was supposed to be...

Well, about the same time both of us look up and were like daayyyuuummm!!!!! We realized that we had forgotten to turn the gas bottle back on!!!! Thank goodness there wasn't any students around to witness that there fiasco!

[gilly]

It probably happens to all of us sooner or later.I know i have done it at least a couple of times.The good thing is that it doesn't take long to figure it out.

[arandall]

Yup - done that.

[Gadget]

I think we all have more than we'd like to admit

[Bluesman]

Yep, I have more... Like the time I managed to cut through a 3X4 angle iron with the plasma cutter and was like daggum, I just changed this electrode and tip but this sucker looks like I cut it with a chainsaw... Then I realized that I had forgotten to hook the ground clamp to the metal and apparently had just "chewed" the metal into with the pilot arc!

[KHK]

I have done the plasma trick a few times. I have lost count on the TIG trick...

[Nick]

The right leader can do nearly anything and maintain confidence. If you're the type of teacher that will sit there and tell / show someone how it is nearly 100% of the time, odds are you've got plenty of credit to trade on. ^_^