Decided to make a sierpinski’s tetrahedron as a first REAL project! I built a shitty angleiron workbench (with an old door ziptied onto it as the tabletop) before but I’m actually trying this time so it’s different

170 welds completed so far crab-party !! So, only 346 left to go!!.. doggirl-tears

This was a really good idea until I remembered how complex fractals are, like GIRL, DUH, fuck was I thinking hahaha

Its REALLY scuffed though, I’m talkin like using my stick welder to melt a half inch off the end off of the pieces I had precut to make it shorter so it will fit in the actual dimensions needed, I’ve been holding the smallest (~2") pieces with a wrench and holding it in place freehand. It’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’m definitely improving as I go, I weld my welding stick to my stock way less often now, and achieve arc much more reliably too, which is cool to see my own progress within the project!

I hurt my shoulder a bit ago so I haven’t been able to do much lately, but welding is pretty low impact in that I mostly just sit on a folding chair in my driveway next to my shitty workbench lol

Have some more views!

When it’s done it’ll look like this image I found on google

    • dat_math [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      6·
      3 days ago

      I’m not saying this to be an argumentative debate-bro, and it’s been a long time since I’ve forgotten abstract algebra, let alone found myself able to quickly work these things out, but l think usually where there are equilateral triangles, there are hexagonal symmetries (in 2d and 3d spaces)

        • dat_math [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          12·
          3 days ago

          It’s too late. I’ve already sloppily depicted my argument illustrating the flattening homomorphism between the tetrahedra and a hexagonal graph in multiple colors, without regard for anybody’s eyes

          • Nacarbac [any]@hexbear.netEnglish
            7·
            3 days ago

            Sorry, but I have already depicted myself as the cool hexagonal graph, and you as the - also cool - tetrahedra.

        • FunkyStuff [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
          6·
          3 days ago

          What hexagonal symmetries mean is slightly different from a shape being made out of hexagons. If you were to take a hexagon and rotate it a certain amount or flip it you will end up back where you started. You can make a set of actions that keep the shape the same, that would look something like {60° rotation, 120° rotation, 180° rotation…}. That set is its symmetry group. If an object has hexagonal symmetries, it has the same set, so even if it looks nothing like a hexagon you would be able to do all the same things you’d do to a hexagon and keep it the same.

          edit: source if you wanna learn more

  • Nacarbac [any]@hexbear.netEnglish
    7·
    3 days ago

    …I keep saying I won’t buy a cheap welder, then all these cool hobbyist comments. I don’t have space. Wait till after I can build a big shed…

  • joaomarrom [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    7·
    3 days ago

    Oh wow that’s really cool! I’m going to start learning how to weld next month, but it’s mostly as a support skill for my woodworking. Clamps specifically are insanely expensive where I live, so being able to make my own clamps from cheap flat iron bars will save me a preposterous amount of money in the long run. Your tetrahedron looks sick, way beyond the level of complexity I think I’ll aim to achieve in welding lol congrats!

    • QuillQuote [they/them]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      3·
      3 days ago

      It is HUGELY useful with woodworking projects so far.

      Plus, unlike when you glue wood stuff its instantly strong so whipping stuff together for even a jig or such can be really really fast, and super sturdy.

      My next practical gambit here will be making some tools for myself, I’ve also been learning blacksmithing (I have an adorable little 20kg anvil and I turned a pressure cooker into a forge) but with my shoulder hurt I’ve been… not blacksmithing for the time being :(

      P.S. please share your design for your clams when you build them, I too could use more clams and I LOVE making shit instead of buying it if possible

    • QuillQuote [they/them]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      10·
      3 days ago

      I very well might do a Menger Sponge to use as a table or stool or something, but that’s a cool shape too! do you have a particular affinity for it?

      Side note but I found it while googling just now and apparently this lady made this KICKASS origami menger sponge, holy shit

      Photo looks weird tho, but I can’t tell if bad 90s camera or editing happened

      • mathemachristian [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
        3·
        3 days ago

        Mengers sponge is really cool as well though. I like the rhombic dodecahedron because it has some nice mathematical properties like tesselation, symmetries, it retains a lot of the properties of a cube (since it’s “made” from one) but isn’t nearly as boring. I wonder if mengers sponge could be made with rhomic dodecahedra as wel… thinkin-lenin

  • john_brown [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    4·
    3 days ago

    I’ve been holding the smallest (~2") pieces with a wrench and holding it in place freehand

    a very cheap quality of life improvement here would be some welding magnets so you don’t have to hold the work

  • Hestia [she/her, fae/faer]@hexbear.netEnglish
    6·
    3 days ago

    That’s really neat! It’s been a while since I’ve welded, but I did go to school for it. If you have any welds you’re not fully satisfied with and want some constructive criticism, feel free to post some close up shots and I’ll do my best to help you out. (I also just like looking at welds)

    I’m more familiar with MIG welding than stick, I ditched that shit as soon as I could. Props to ya for pulling this off with stick!

    • QuillQuote [they/them]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      4·
      3 days ago

      Thank you for the offer! I will definitely take you up on that once I get a chance to clean up the welds with a grinder to see how bad they actually are lol

      I am REALLY looking to ditch stick also! I bought the CHEAPEST welder I could to see if I liked it and I do so definitely fuck this method lol

      Could you recommend me a specific mig welder that’s not super expensive but you know is quality? There’s like 10000 different ones available and they all look like identical slop to me

      • Hestia [she/her, fae/faer]@hexbear.netEnglish
        4·
        3 days ago

        A small thing that will help a lot is getting a steel wire brush and scrubbing the site of the weld before you try to strike the arc. It clears the area of the oxide layer and makes it easier to start and get a cleaner weld.

        Have you been beveling the weld locations?

        • Hestia [she/her, fae/faer]@hexbear.netEnglish
          6·
          3 days ago

          It’s been a while since I’ve got the chance to talk welding with someone so my neurons are lighting up. I miss it so much. I need to get my own setup arranged because I refuse to do it as a full time job.

        • QuillQuote [they/them]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
          4·
          3 days ago

          oh HELL no I haven’t haha, my main focus was to stay as on grid as possible with the structure, but I’ve been doing most of it without any prep on the materials

          • Hestia [she/her, fae/faer]@hexbear.netEnglish
            4·
            3 days ago

            Ah, okay. If you take a grinder to the edge of the material to create a little bevel, it can help get a better penetration on the weld and get a bit of a flatter weld. You’d have to lower your heat a bit and change the angle to redirect the heat towards where the metal is thickest though.

            You’re probably fine as is, it doesn’t look like the material is that thick, but with thicker material a small bevel of 1/3-1/2 of the thickness can help a lot.

            • QuillQuote [they/them]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
              3·
              3 days ago

              Ooooh I think I get what you mean that makes sense! then the weld starts deeper on the added stock and then the area that was ground away is rebuilt by the weld, increasing the surface area of the bond as well!

                • Hestia [she/her, fae/faer]@hexbear.netEnglish
                  3·
                  3 days ago

                  Also, if you’re welding material with a larger gap between them, you can do a series of tack welds to give yourself more material to work with without burning through the metal. This works better with MIG welding though.

                  With stick, it’s bad practice but you can take an electrode, knock off the flux, and use the electrode itself as a filler metal.

                  If you’re using flat pieces of metal together and are afraid of it burning though, you can use a backing bar to both draw excess heat away and reduce the chance of blowing through the weld by providing structure for the weld pool to sit on. You need to use metal with different properties than what you’re welding though, otherwise you’ll just end up with a 3rd piece of metal attached to your weld piece. I think I remember using either bronze or brass.

      • john_brown [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
        2·
        3 days ago

        I recently - well a year or two ago - replaced an old failing MIG with a new one from Northern Tool that I think is quite good for the price. I’ve only used it with flux core wire and no gas so far but it’s been great for fixing broken things and building a few tables/furniture stands. It’s a multi-process that can do mig and stick right out of the box, plus you can get an aluminum spool whip or a tig setup to add to it.

        Well shit I just looked it up and the price has gone up by like $200+, thanks inflation and tariffs: https://www.northerntool.com/products/klutch-120-230-v-240-a-mp-welder-inverter-technology-volts-120-230-max-amps-240-mig-ready-model-extremig202w-5875893

        If you could find one of those northern tool branded ones used it’s a solid bet.