teach me how to weld.

[cutlass1991]

Can anyone suggest a good beginners setup? All these terms like MiG, Tig, arc, etc.. are confusing. All I'm looking to do is small stuff, like patching rust areas, maybe welding in pieces for shaved door handels, or small exhaust jobs like new mufflers.

 

There is some weak rust spots on the rocker panels of my cutlass, i cut out the rust and fiberglassed and bondoed it back together, but I would love to be able to weld in some fresh sheet metal.

[J]

all you need then is a MIG welder. It's hard to begin to explain how to weld online, i'm not to sure what you want to know.

[95 3-4]

Tig=Tungsten inert gas, a small torch held in the hand with a tungsten electrode and sheilding gas usually argon or a argon/carbondioxide mix acts as a torch to melt the rod of choice which is melted to the work. Very clean precise strong welds, weld virtually any metal. Practice Practice Practice

Good 220v units starting at around $1000

 

Mig=Metal inert gas a.k.a. Gmaw=Gas metal arc welding, A hand held gun dispenses charged wire from a spool to charged work with a the same sheilding gases as TIG. Good for sheetmetal and heavy work depending on wire size and amperage of machine, machines that use small 5# flux wire are piss poor......110volt machines are the worst IMO and shielding gas is recomended for best welds.

Limited to steel and alum mainly. Makes learning to weld easily, no trailer hitches please

Medium priced good gas/20-30# spool hobart goes for about $750 for a 175 amp 220volt unit

 

Arc=A charged flux covered rod is touched to charged work to weld, the flux replaces shielding gas to aid penetration, best suited to heavy work where strong deep pentration welds are desired and also general purpose automotive and shop use, Basically a slow 16" inch at a time wire welder. Bodywork can be done but will be cumbersome and ugly, mucho grinding required.

Only iron here, plasma like cutting can be done with an arc-air set-up which uses air and a copper rod to cut thru steel

Lowest priced for good units around $300 for a ac/dc lincoln 200 amp 220volt

[Turbo231]

That's what vocational/tech/Maritime academy schools are for! Most are open to the public. Nice thing about them is you can be exposed to a variety of welding techniques and equipment. Once you find one you like, fine tune it. Of course, most schools have good equipment, so you'll learn on that, then go out and buy some POS welder in your desired flavor...hopefully by then you'll adapt to it's crappyness and make nice welds.

 

I had to take arc welding in college. Best Class Ever. My father and I went 50/50 on one of those $30 traveling tool show arc welders...thing is like 100 amps...weak at best, but after about $70 of accessories and welding rods about as thick as a paper clip, it actually does a good job. I'll be welding my S-10 exhaust together with it.

[cutlass1991]

hmm.. this doesnt sound as easy or cheap as I had thought. damn all those shows on the discovery channel for giving me false expectations.

I guess I will have to do a little more research into this and save up money if I ever want to get some good equipment. Thanks for your input guys.

[JW]

im sure ill get replies to this but IMO you cant buy cheap equipment and expext to do what you're saying and be happy with it. you need that 750 mig he was talking about minimum. those welders you see on tv are thousands and thats why it looks easy, that and thats all those people do.

[Cuhlass3100]

I would check out the book WELDING PRINCIPLES & APPLICATIONS. I used it in my welding classes and it was a pretty good book about all the welding processes. Here is a link to it on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6954986056 .

I do agree with jw and 95 3-4 about how cheaper isn't always better. But IMO you should be able to get a decent mig unit and do an ok job with it. You won't be able to do wonders but I think for the small things you want to do, you could do it with a decent unit.

I also think it would be easier to take a welding class or have someone teach you how to weld. It would be a lot easier for someone to show you, then you do it and then they tell you how you did. And really it would be easier to start with tig since you have greater control over everything and can see clearly what is going on.

[rshissler]

my skool offers a weldin class but its considerd Ag. Mac. more or less small engines and farm stuff. but its worth takin. I got my old mans stick welder he bought way back when i was like 5 years old and he never learn to weld because he always had someone else do it for him, so one day i just got it out and started to weld scrap metal together and soon i started to be good enough to weld my exhaust on the truck and my friends "ricer" pipe on his car. just takes alot of pratice. and the biggest lesson u wil even learn is never weld without eye protection. i learnd that the hard way and when ur face gets burned also it sucks..

[GnatGoSplat]

Maybe I'm a dummy, but I bought a relatively inexpensive Lincoln 3200HD 110V welder. I've heard Lincoln 110V welders are pretty good for a beginner, that's why I bought it. I haven't used it yet since I still need to pick up some supplies, so I could be in a world of regret.

 

If I see the need, maybe I'll upgrade to a Lincoln or Miller 220V welder (I've read in many places Hobart is not as good as Lincoln and Miller). 220V welders are twice the voltage and twice the price!

[Jcrow]

110 welders are fine, especially for body panels. hell ive welded 5/8" thick steel with it. Of course with the thicker metals 1/4" and up you need to preheat the metal with a torch. For anything under quarter inch its fine (****NOTE there are crappy 110 welders out there****) Look for the highest amp rating, and get the expensive one.

If anyone disagrees lets have a welding contest

[JW]

hobart is made by miller and the only difference in the 220v hobart (180A)and the lincoln(175a) is the voltage control on the hobart is in steps instead of being variable. thats what the salesman said any way. i almost bought the lincoln until he said that. i dont know he would lie if i was going to spend 200 more for the lincoln.

[GnatGoSplat]

Yeah, I read somewhere Hobart and Miller are manufactured by the same company (ITW or something like that), but the Miller is higher grade with metal gears and voltage is infinitely selectable while Hobart has plastic gears and stepped voltage. I think the Miller also had some additional features. That's why it's better to pick Miller over Hobart... I found that info on some other forums in a Google search awhile back.

[White93z34]

from what i've used i definately like lincoln and miller mig and arc welders alot, gotta be 220 though and gasm the 110 ones i've used with no gas have been difficult at best to get good welds with. as far as how: go to the hardware store and buy some sheet metal and just practice.

[tgpguy21]

yeah cheap welder will work just as well as a expensive one. If your doing small stuff like that a cheap one would work great. Just remeber its all about practice. you dont practice you dont get good welds. Oh and just because you get a good bead make sure you get penetration on the other side of the metal your welding otherwise it wont be a strong weld.

[paulo57509]

That's what vocational/tech/Maritime academy schools are for! Most are open to the public. Nice thing about them is you can be exposed to a variety of welding techniques and equipment. Once you find one you like, fine tune it. Of course, most schools have good equipment, so you'll learn on that, then go out and buy some POS welder in your desired flavor...hopefully by then you'll adapt to it's crappyness and make nice welds.

 

I had to take arc welding in college. Best Class Ever. My father and I went 50/50 on one of those $30 traveling tool show arc welders...thing is like 100 amps...weak at best, but after about $70 of accessories and welding rods about as thick as a paper clip, it actually does a good job. I'll be welding my S-10 exhaust together with it.

 

This is good advice. Sign up for a class at your local vocational school, community college or university. You can learn how to weld using THEIR equipment, learn welding theory, a bit of metallurgy...basically you learn the right way.

 

After this you're better prepared to shop for equipment, assess your equipment needs, and know what welding process will do the best job for the task at hand.

[Jcrow]

Yes, get the gas! that flux cored wire sucks and it gives you slag

[Dirty Rockstar]

Shawn!! Hurry up and use the welder!! I need to know if it works well! LOL.. I need to amke my own exhaust!!

 

Just practice.. This is the only way to get good at it.. I was so bad at it in Metals shop, that I wanted to quit.. But by the end, I kicked so much ass.. lol.. I need a welder of my own..