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I've always wanted to learn how to weld, and a small bike rack seemed like a great first project. I bought some 1 1/4" diameter galvanized steel tubing from Home Depot and came up with a simple design. My first welds were actually pretty bad...but by the end I was getting better (see select pics below). Perhaps the most difficult thing about welding in general was that it was tough to correct mistakes; you are much better off doing it right the first time. In particular, starting a seam was tough; the filler rod would pop and sputter a lot (more than on the plain steel I practiced on) before a good puddle would form. Later research has led me to believe this may be partly due to the zinc coating, which has a relatively low vaporization temp. Special thanks to Tom and John.
