I want to learn how to weld.

[Tsaico]

I was thinking of buying a basic MIG argon/CO2 arc welder. I found a decent size one for what I want to do for about $300 new, plus the cost of the tank and gas. Anyone know of a good manual or forum for teaching you basics and technicques to welding?

I am looking to make simple/functional welds hobbyist type stuff. I was orgionally just going to rent one, but they are like $50 bucks here, so after three rentals, I am spending as much as I woulf if I bought a used one.

 

[michaels]

Any local tech school would offer classes.

 

[Tsaico]

Yeah, but I don't want to do the actual class. The ones around the area vocational oriented and span a semester. I just want to know how to not burn myself and basic technique other then "weld away from yourself, not towards" (think of a pushing method instead of pulling) I am confident enough to just start tacking two peices of steel together, but am looking towards finding a good brand of welder, cheap source of supplies, that kind of stuff.

 

[michaels]

I would go to local fab shops and explain your situation, see if you could "shawdow" a wielder. It's nothing to play with and can be dangerous.

 

[Bryophyte]

I learned to weld by taking evening classes at UC Davis. I highly recommend that you check your local community college or university for classes. They have the equipment and experience to help you quickly get skills and good habits, and it shouldn't cost much or take up too much of your time.

 

[Tsaico]

Thanks for the input, perhaps there is a fabrication shop that will let me do that...

But I also found this using good ol google.

Videos on how to weld.

As for the dangerous part, I figure with all the people who buy guns with advice off of here, this can't be any worse.

 

[michaels]

I mainly meant dangerous to your eyes. My dad and brother wield and they burn their eyes fairly often, my dad has incurred extensive retina damage.

 

[bwnv]

Get a good helmet, the lens should be gold plated. Thick heavy leather gloves are a must.
Wear long sleeves, or better yet a shopcoat. You will get sunburnt very easily!! You might want to try one of the unshielded rigs first (no gas but still feeds rod) they are very cheap. There is a cheapo tool shop close where you can buy one and after a couple of days take it back for refund. By then you could probably make a better decision, and buy what's right for you. Just buy from the same place, or Karma might bight you. Erm, just remembered, the place by me is Harbor Freight, I recommend them. And almost forgot, you can weld steel and stainless with stainless rod, but you cannot (reliably ) weld stainless steel with steel rod.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: michaels
I would go to local fab shops and explain your situation, see if you could "shawdow" a wielder. It's nothing to play with and can be dangerous.

Definitely. Drop an acetylene torch, and it can cause trouble. One of my professors did that during a previous job - he was hurrying and hung up the torch in a quick, but improper place. It fell, and as it went, the flame passed down the side of his leg. He said that it instantly sliced right through his pants and shoe, and that he's got a line of a scar all along that leg.

Arc welding - touch the wrong things, and you won't just get a bit of a jolt. You'll be mildly toasty. You also won't want to skimp on protective gear. The sparks can melt through clothing, and the arc itself puts out a lot of UV, and is just really damn bright. I'm sure you won't want to be getting skin cancer or go blind.

It'll take some practice, too. One of my machining processes classes was held in a machine shop environment, and we were given two or three weeks at each "station," and welding was one station. After 3 weeks, most people still weren't very good welders. Most of my welds busted apart like cold taffy. Two of them were genuinely good though (out of a total of 15 samples tested), with the base metal failing in a tensile test before the weld failed. A few of those welds were so pathetic that I could break the two metal pieces apart with my bare hands.

 

[Mucho]

Learning to weld is like learning to ride a bike, weather its Arc or Acetylene you can't do it by reading a book, it can only be done by practice.

 

[bctbct]

The hard part with welding is knowing what settings to use with what material. The actual welding is fairly simple if you know the basics and practice.

 

[skyking]

welding is one thing, but fabrication is entirely another. that is where the experience counts. What guage and type of metal is required for a job, and how to assemble it in a manner to avoid failure and unnecessary excess structure.
Shadowing a fab shop on saturdays in exchange for cleanup and help would be a really good deal, if you can swing it.

 

[BoomerD]

If you REALLY want to learn to weld and do it right, spend the time and money to take a course. Your local community college should offer intro-welding courses. There's a HUGE difference between just sticking metal together and actually welding. Takes LOTS of practice (and knowing wtf you're doing) to get it right and make it look good.

 

[iamaelephant]

Originally posted by: Mucho
Learning to weld is like learning to ride a bike, weather its Arc or Acetylene you can't do it by reading a book, it can only be done by practice.

:thumbsup:

 

[The Sauce]

Northern Tool has a series of DVDs on welding - they run about $24 each. I was thinking about buying one.

 

[LordMorpheus]

If you buy the welder, find an online guide, read it a few times, and then just practice on some scrap. If you don't kill yourself, you'll pick it up fairly quickly.

I was a little luckier - took a once-a-week lab at my university that covered basic welding and machine shop tools.

 

[Tsaico]

Well, I just tried my first stab at welding... I was suprised at the noise it made, and I totally missed my joint. I also didn't have it high enough or moved too fast, since the weld wasn't very strong (I could bust it with a hammer after a few good hits). I think now I just need some practice before I try it out on my actual hobbies.

I think my biggest problem now, isn't so much the safety. I don't have any scrap. I called a pick a part junk yard and they sell the stuff by the pound. So I think I will just buy 50 bucks worth of scrap and just start cutting it up and then trying to patch it back together.

Thanks for the help and input!

 

[drnickriviera]

I'm just about to complete a 10 week class at the local vo tech. I've been welding for 3+ years, but I wanted someone to validate my technique since I'm self taught. I was having trouble TIGing aluminum. Luckily one of the lab techs sat down with me for an entire class to teach me how to weld aluminum.

If you dont' want to take the class, buy a textbook. You'll at least get some information and see some pictures of improper welds.

 

[Batti]

This forums seems pretty good, and the materials on the site can be helpful.

Hobart