Howdy from Indiana!

[Hoosier8]

I work for a global company and have the luxury of working at home where the coffee is always the way I like it and I don't have to wear pants.

I am doing something I have always wanted to do and that is fix up my old Jeep. It was my daily Winter driver for 12 years and I took it in to a mechanic because it had no brakes so they drove it into a steel bench and we settled for some cash and my Jeep back so now it is my test bed for some metal work experience. The idea of working with my hands and creating something is really attractive.

I just received and watched David Gardiner's DVD and it is exactly what I needed to get started. I have some metal to replace on the Jeep and will be giving it some of the techniques a try. It has a couple of compound curved parts that are rusting through. One thing I was surprised to see is the use of oxy acetylene for panel butt welding. I have the equipment but just not the tanks and gas and had planned picking some up before I ran into a new MIG welder for a price I couldn't pass up (now I need more cash). I have the torches and everything and actually have some experience with welding as an Aircraft mechanic though that is not my job. Having been and aircraft mechanic I always thought that if we treated our land vehicles the same way we maintain aircraft, we could drive them forever barring and accident.

I have limited space so I also plan on building an abbreviated steel table to work on.

I found this forum after looking for metal slappers and found out most everyone makes their own so that will be next.

I plan mostly to learn whatever I can here and will post what I finish if it doesn't embarrass me too badly.

[HEATNBEAT]

Hi Bob and welcome!