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Learning to weld

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don t. - 9n180179

Member
Not looking to be an expert, but would like to connect 2 pieces of metal together.
Mig, Tig, Arc are all greek to me.

Where does one start, short of paid training.

Thanks....don t. ....
 
cheapest to learn is arc, then mig, then tig. buy an old buzz box off craig's list, make sure you have the 50-60 amp service to run it, and get welding!
 
I got a job on the production line of a frame manufacturer. They sent me to an intense 1-week MIG welding training course at the local vocational school...which taught me all I needed to know in the plant.

Five years later, the plant lost the bid and closed. That summer, I took an adult ed course at the local high school to allegedly learn stick, MIG, TIG, and oxyacetylene. I demonstrated that I already knew as much MIG as they were going to teach, so they moved me to stick, and then oxyacetylene. We only had ONE TIG machine, and I never got a turn on it. BUT the instructor tols me that, since I seemed to have mastered oxyacetylene, TOG was only slightly more complicated than OA.

Bottom line...I know a little about welding. The rest comes from either further training or from experience.
 
...and if you run into any videos by Lanse or ChuckE2009, for goo'ness' sake don't tell anybody here that you watched 'em...no sense in smackin' THAT hornets' nest.
 
Not long ago I was exactly where you are. I wanted to be able to do repairs around the garage and fabricate the occasional metal object. I went with a stick welder. I picked up a Lincoln AC/DC "tombstone" from Craigslist.

As long as you don't plan to do a lot of sheet metal welding, stick is the simplest to learn and the least expensive equipment wise. It is also very flexible in that you have a wide variety of stick electrodes available and they can be purchased at your local TSC, Lowes and Home Depot stores.

I never stick welded in my life but I watched a lot of YouTube videos and a lot of what Lanse has posted.

After watching some videos get yourself a couple scrap pieces of steel and practice with the various rods.

Even though I never stick welded before I have been successful in making several repairs and even doing a few fabrication jobs for things for my tractors. My beads aren't the prettiest I've seen but they aren't the worst either. I'm sure they will get better with practice.

I also recommend that you don't start out with projects whereby a failure of the weld would cause serious injury or property damage. Although I've not had any of my welds break I know I'm not ready to go out and start building trailers. :-)
 
My dad taught me to stick weld. I still have the old Lincoln welder. Striking the arc is always the most difficult for me. I tend to stick the electrode to the work piece a few times. I always remember his advice. Strike the arc, then start making "CCCC" shapes as you drag the puddle (molten metal) along your weld. It has always served me well. Have fun!
 
I suggest you buy an acetylene torch (if you don't already have one) and learn to gas weld. A torch is a must-have for any shop, and once you learn to gas weld it's not hard to transition to an arc process.

On the other hand, if you just want to be able to do a quick and dirty weld and have it stick, MIG is hard to beat. If you can operate your wife's glue gun, you can probably MIG weld.
 
Mig welding is easiest, stick is most versatile as far as what you can weld. Torch welding is least strong but gives you a torch to use for other stuff. Any will work for light duty stuff and give a good place to start. You can always add as you learn. Buy quality equipment tho, cheap equipment will make it much harder to learn since even good welders can struggle if the equipment is poor quality. This is especially important with mig and tig welders.
 
Hi Don,

I run a studio for metal artists in the welding shop of the local community college, and sometimes I teach a community education (not for credit) evening class which is called Introduction to Creative Metalwork and Welding in that shop. Over the years I've helped hundreds of students who have no experience with any kind of welding learn to weld (more or less). I firmly believe that there is no better way to learn to weld than in a situation where you get feedback from a knowledgeable person. It is absolutely possible to teach yourself to weld from books, videos, online advice, asking questions, etc., and a ton of practice, but it is much more difficult than you would expect. I see so many people get stuck on some simple thing and just not be able to progress from that point when all it might take is a comment from an experienced person to move them right past it. Really. All the time.

I don't know how much similar programs cost at other locations, but the classes I teach cost students $4 per hour. You can use materials costing more than that without breaking a sweat, but they're included with the class. I'll say it again: I believe that there is no better way to learn.

Stan
 
"Torch welding is least strong"

I will play the devil's advocate here, and say NOT if done correctly!
 
FYI, if you plug it in or it creates an arc, it's an arc welder whether it's stick, MIG, TIG, plasma, Flux-core, sub-arc, etc, etc.

The absolute best thing you can do is take a course/lesson from an experienced welder. The next best thing you can do is up your budget and not try to learn on the cheapest welder you can find. Trying to learn on an AC buzz box is going to do more to frustrate you than improve your confidence or skill level.
 
I'm with you on this one, Bob. If the metals are properly "fused" together by welding, the weld will be every bit as strong as the base metal was to begin with.

Now, a BAD oxyacetylene weld is every bit as bad as a bad stick or MIG weld.
 
I've read enough posts here to know, if I buy don't go cheap, to get better at welding takes practice. While my name is not Rockefeller, a good tool only hurts once. Since Im a complete novice, im not sure buying used is a good idea. How do I know if something is wrong, if I don't know what im looking at?

Wife is semi on board, knows I should learn, but like everyone else, money is tight.

Thanks again. I do appreciate your time.
Have fun...don t. ...
 
(quoted from post at 10:25:21 09/11/13) I've read enough posts here to know, if I buy don't go cheap, to get better at welding takes practice. While my name is not Rockefeller, a good tool only hurts once. Since Im a complete novice, im not sure buying used is a good idea. How do I know if something is wrong, if I don't know what im looking at?

Wife is semi on board, knows I should learn, but like everyone else, money is tight.

Thanks again. I do appreciate your time.
Have fun...don t. ...
Click to expand...
You need to read more posts....until you know (realize) that the most important thing is training!
Take a night class at your local high school or better yet at a community college.
I learned very basic welding in metal shop class in high school. Then I took welding class at our local career center (vocational high school). I learned a great deal in that class. If you're going to be any good at all you need good training.
Look at it this way...why invest in the tools if you won't invest in the training to use them properly?
I agree with those that say to learn to use a torch first. Master that and the other processes will come to you quicker and easier.
You should be able to find a good used O/A set up and a used stick welder at prices that won't hurt too badly. I bought a complete Airco O/A set up, tanks, cart, regulators,hoses, torch and a bunch of tips last year for $140. Didn't get a title with the tanks though.
A used Victor brand O/A set up would be a great choice.
Watch C/L for a used stick welder. Old Airco AC units are everywhere dirt cheap. Just be sure you're not buying a 3 phase machine.
Stay away from 110 volt welders.
Resist the urge to learn to weld using MIG. Anyone can lay good looking beads with a MIG, but they often have cold lap (poor penetration).
Back to getting proper training....you'll test your welds by pulling the metal apart, or bending the metal. You'll see with your own eyes how a small undercut next to a decent looking weld can cause a failure, or how a small slag inclusion can cause a failure.
 
I agree Ellis.
Pony up and take a night class at your local votech. After teaching you the fundamentals as it pertains to all forms of welding and giving you some good safety training, most courses will allow you to specialize/practice on whatever type of welding you wish.
It is the best way to learn and considering the cost of materials, electrodes, electricity and neccesary gasses probably the cheapest.
 
Buying used is not necessarily bad. I would buy a 20 year old buz box from a name brand that was made in the USA before a new one that is most likely made in china. Stay away from 110 volt welders what ever you choose because they just don't have the power for most stuff and also stay away from mig welders that aren't set up for gas and solid wire. You can pick up an ac/dc buz box used for not much more than a straight ac and they are easier to use, but there are millions of straight ac buz boxes out there doing a lot of work too. There are many farmers and hobbyists that only have a buzbox welder and do a lot of welding with them.
 
(quoted from post at 04:25:21 09/11/13) I've read enough posts here to know, if I buy don't go cheap, to get better at welding takes practice. While my name is not Rockefeller, a good tool only hurts once. Since Im a complete novice, im not sure buying used is a good idea. How do I know if something is wrong, if I don't know what im looking at?

Wife is semi on board, knows I should learn, but like everyone else, money is tight.

Thanks again. I do appreciate your time.
Have fun...don t. ...
Click to expand...

Welding is a matter of 'luck' and the more you practice the 'luckier' you get :)
 
Years ago I had a baler that needed new angle iron where the bale slides out after/being tied. I gave myself a crash course in welding with a torch. Didnt do to bad but now I have a stick welder. Use it ALOT and do alright with it.. NO it doesnt look like a pro did it but will usually hold and still doesnt look that bad. BUT what helps the most is taking two scraps and spend a day making a bead. Also i have a friend that is a professional broiler maker.. showed me some tricks. GOOD LUCk
 
I purchased a lincoln 225 buzz box at lowes and bought a book on welding. Stayed at Holliday inn and read the book. You get smarter if you stay atHolliday Inn, at least that what their Ad said.

I also have a mig. Would not recommend one if you are going to use rusty metal like I do. Great for new metal and doing body work.

Found that 6011 rods are the ones to get to learn with, either 1/8 or 3/16.

Get you some cheap metal and have fun burning rods. The more you weld, the smarter you get.

Or go to Ivy Tech and sign up for night class.
George
 
Any Vo-Teck schools in your area?? If there are they will have a welding class and that is a good place to start learning. Ya I have never taken a class for welding but I started playing with welding when I was 16 and then learned more from a friend when I was in the Navy. He was a Hull teck so that is what he did was welding. Then when I move here a friend who was a retired welder taught me a lot.
A well trained money can mig weld if the machine is set up correctly
Arch welding for most repairs is better for the common man but takes time to learn.
Welding is another thing I did for a living off and on over the years
 
It would be best to pay for some training. Check area night schools. Usually they start on oxy/acet then advance to arc. If you master oxy/acet it is very similar to TIG [ however tig is expensive to set -up and purchase]. Once you get gas and arc the MIG is easy to learn self taught. Its not so much the running a good bead as knowing what to troubleshoot when things don't go right . Well both really. An instructor can help with " when things arent going well " part.
 
I may get scorched for this....but.....look up posts by Lanse, and find his posts and videos on youtube. He would be a good resource for someone like yourself, I believe
 
Lincoln Electric published a series of books in the 50s and 60s.Farm Arc Welding,Welding Help for Farmers.Find them and buy them.A Lincoln 180 or 225 welder is all you need.I bought my Lincoln 225 for 93 bucks in 1964.I had welded with an old junk yard welder my dad bought for 10 bucks.Yard man said bring it back for refund if it didnt work.Put a line cord on it and made a repair to a terminal board.Made a cart for it and screened the bottom to keep mice out.I still use the 10 buck welder for most jobs and bring out the lincoln for jobs the old Weldmaster cant handle.It helps if you can get someone to teach you but I learned by reading and doing.
 
Buy Lincoln or Miller, maybe Hobart (by Miller). Stay away from cheap junk.

Practice practice practice.

Spouse and I both attend local Vo-Tech for one semester night-class of four hours once a week nothing but stick and MIG.

Got pretty good. She's much better than I.

And you get another welder on the place to help and better yet understand what's going on and help in jigging-up the workpiece---a knowledgeable welder's helper. Sometimes you're the helper.

Total cost something like $100 each incl materials.

Got to try different equipment and different methods and different metals.

Well worth the effort and recommend same course of action to anyone wanting to learn to weld.
 
There's some good inexpensive inverters available that are 10 times the machine of the low end Lincoln and Miller AC buzz boxes and less money to boot. Back 20 or more years ago, this wasn't an option and buzz boxes were the least expensive. Having a better machine with DC makes it so much easier to learn and do much nicer welds. It's night and day difference. Having an experienced welder to help you is the best thing you can do if you actually want to learn to weld rather than just make some sparks.
 
I looked at Craigs list and see Lincoln and Miller 225 welders for 50 bucks,most sell for 100 bucks.Inverters are fine until they break down, then its big bucks to repair.We all know that the buzzboxes have short duty cycles are are not suited to commercial welding.I still use an old welder that is wound with cotton covered wire.No fan,it was old when my Dad bought it in the mid 50s.I bought the Lincoln in 1964 because I was welding for farmers.The Lincoln still works fine.I borrowed a friends Airco Dip/Stick welder to work on my truck cab.This welder could run wire and stick weld AC or DC Never welded with DC .Tried it and liked it so built a converter that I can use with both AC welders.If I waited until I could afford a Lincoln Idealarc I would still be using the old Weldmaster.Although professional welders look down on the buzzboxes they are all most of us need.
 
(quoted from post at 15:18:16 09/10/13) Not looking to be an expert, but would like to connect 2 pieces of metal together.
Mig, Tig, Arc are all greek to me.

Where does one start, short of paid training.

Thanks....don t. ....
Click to expand...

I'd say impossible to do without minimal instruction. If you happen to occasionally strike a proper arc and create a proper puddle/bead, you still won't know if it is correct or not. Things like proper penetration...splatter etc. The safety factor here is important..Those 2 pieces may hold together at first but later..things like condensation that build up in welds with lots of porosity...undercutting etc..Bad things to have happen in a weld...worst to have it fail under load.
 
Hi 36 coupe,

I agree totally, but I suspect that most people have been misguided by advertising to the point that they can't tell the difference between what they need and what they want. I'm sure that the situation is better among the people who frequent this site, partly because they're older, on average, than the general population, and partly because they're more likely to be people who want to be able to do things, not just own things. But even here it's very common for people to talk about buying equipment which is obviously far in excess of what they actually need, largely for the status of having it, and because they can afford it.

Stan
 
I will too Bob. Oxyacetylene welding was with the exception of forge welding, the forerunner of all the welding processes. If done properly it is every bit as strong as any other process, and I might add, just as pretty beads can also be produced. Been there and done that, Keith
 
Keith,

Improbable as it seems, arc welding and resistance welding both preceded oxy-acetylene welding by a few years. That's according to Lincoln Electric's book, The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding. I've read it in other places, too. In the earliest years of the 20th century, both arc welding and oxy-acetylene welding were used in industry to a limited extent. Oxy welding was the more successful of the two because the combustion of acetylene produces its own shielding gas, while the bare steel and iron electrodes then in use in arc welding created brittle, weak, low quality welds. In 1912 an effective covered electrode was developed and patented, and shielded metal arc welding became the predominant method used in industry in WWI, and for many decades thereafter.

Stan
 
Lincoln still publishes welding books but no more farm welding books.You can still find copies of Farm Arc Welding.When I was selling books I bought every copy I could find.Still have some.The computer ruined the book business.
 
"Paid training" is not a swear word.

You can take as little as a one-evening welding class, and you will be miles ahead of trying to figure it out yourself.

It's still going to take a lot of practice on your own time to get good, but without the basics you're just making dingleberries.

The class will also help you decide on what welder to start with. You will choose between stick or MIG, period.

A good MIG machine will weld anything from thin sheet metal up to heavy plate, but it is limited to CLEAN metal, indoors with gas, needs a gas bottle, and is more expensive.

You can also use flux core wire in a MIG machine and skip the gas.

A good stick machine will weld 1/8" on up (you can do thinner with practice), will weld dirty metal, and is cheap.

Stick is a little more difficult to get a consistent weld because the length of the stick is always getting shorter, and you have to stop every little ways to load a new stick. MIG is better if you have shaky hands because you're always the same distance from the work.

TIG and oxy-acetylene welding are advanced processes for specialty fabrications. You wouldn't build a trailer using TIG unless you were trying to show off.
 
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