Welding...How to?
07-11-2003, 09:39 PM
#1
Welding...How to?
Fellas,
Where I can get some experience welding? I wouldnt mind taking a weekend shop class(can I do this?) or having someone local show me, but how hard is it to learn? How expensive are the tools?
Really want to start doing all this stuff myself so I dont have to rely on others, but haven't been down this particular road yet.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Jonathan
Where I can get some experience welding? I wouldnt mind taking a weekend shop class(can I do this?) or having someone local show me, but how hard is it to learn? How expensive are the tools?
Really want to start doing all this stuff myself so I dont have to rely on others, but haven't been down this particular road yet.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Jonathan
07-11-2003, 11:25 PM
#3
Best thing to do is to take the adult education classes at your local college. Most of them offer the beginning to welding upto advanced welding and the classes are no more than $400.
A good 135amp wirefeed MIG welder with pressure regulator will run about $400. Then all you need is the tank filled with CO2/Agron Mix and you ready to weld away.
Best thing I can say since I just got back into it, is flat out PRACTICE. Just bought some scraps, do some straight welds on a flat piece, see how well you hold the weld and make it smooth. Then move to making butt joints, T joints, and so forth. Its all about watching the puddle behind the arc. And ALWAYS wear full clothing, no shorts or slippers. And heavily recommend a full face shield, not the ones that some of these welding kits come with where you hold the shield in one hand and weld with the other. Hell no! If you really gonna be involved, get an auto-darkening welding helmet like I have. Im crazy into it now for some reason. Im just looking for shiet to weld have the time.
Im also looking at buying a TIG welder now.
Dixit
A good 135amp wirefeed MIG welder with pressure regulator will run about $400. Then all you need is the tank filled with CO2/Agron Mix and you ready to weld away.
Best thing I can say since I just got back into it, is flat out PRACTICE. Just bought some scraps, do some straight welds on a flat piece, see how well you hold the weld and make it smooth. Then move to making butt joints, T joints, and so forth. Its all about watching the puddle behind the arc. And ALWAYS wear full clothing, no shorts or slippers. And heavily recommend a full face shield, not the ones that some of these welding kits come with where you hold the shield in one hand and weld with the other. Hell no! If you really gonna be involved, get an auto-darkening welding helmet like I have. Im crazy into it now for some reason. Im just looking for shiet to weld have the time.
Im also looking at buying a TIG welder now.
Dixit
07-11-2003, 11:31 PM
#4
Hell ya BigDog. I'm right behind ya! I bought a cheapo 110v mig rig but that should be okay for the thin pipes I want to screw with. I gotta buy a gas tank though. so a co2 argon mix is best? Not a 100% argon? What %?
07-12-2003, 06:08 PM
#5
When you say cheapo what you mean by that? What amp is the welder?
You want 25% CO2 and 75% Argon mix. This is a standard blend at your local welding gas shop. You can do 100% CO2, but it wont be as good as the CO2/Argon mix for Mild Steel welding.
Basically 135amp should be enough to do almost 1/4" of metal. Sometimes almost easier to make a second pass. 1/4" is alot.
This weekend I brought my MIG down to Alabama where my parents live and my dad has me welding stuff left and right. I welded some new casters to my tractor that broke off. Also did alot of other welding which was about 1/4" thick. Ive been getting really good in holding an extremely smooth weld. Sometimes I try not to push it in one weld, I will make a 2nd pass to make it smooth.
Jeff, Let me just put it this way, I got this welder and the most amazing "tool" ive bought in years. And Ive bought things like air compressor, band saw, miter saw, table saw, jointer, you name it and I got all the wood tools. But this is something I cant get myself off of. Im walking around the house looking for stuff to weld. Im sure you will do the same.
Dixit
You want 25% CO2 and 75% Argon mix. This is a standard blend at your local welding gas shop. You can do 100% CO2, but it wont be as good as the CO2/Argon mix for Mild Steel welding.
Basically 135amp should be enough to do almost 1/4" of metal. Sometimes almost easier to make a second pass. 1/4" is alot.
This weekend I brought my MIG down to Alabama where my parents live and my dad has me welding stuff left and right. I welded some new casters to my tractor that broke off. Also did alot of other welding which was about 1/4" thick. Ive been getting really good in holding an extremely smooth weld. Sometimes I try not to push it in one weld, I will make a 2nd pass to make it smooth.
Jeff, Let me just put it this way, I got this welder and the most amazing "tool" ive bought in years. And Ive bought things like air compressor, band saw, miter saw, table saw, jointer, you name it and I got all the wood tools. But this is something I cant get myself off of. Im walking around the house looking for stuff to weld. Im sure you will do the same.
Dixit