Welding

[TDJD]

I?m looking to get started welding, my Grandfather has a welder and cables, and I have a welding helmet. What do I need to know to weld some farm equipment?
Thanks.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Go take a course at your local votech.
You will learn a Lot there.
Most votechs offer night classes one night a week for a quarter or semester.
They are worth it.

 

[WayneLee]

A few rods like 6011 or 6013 and some scrap iron. Watch some basic welding videos on youtube.

 

[Andy Martin]

You have to know a lot more than you want to about materials. There are some metals you can't weld, and some you shouldn't. Depending on the metal, you have to use different rods.

6011/6013 and some angle iron and channel iron is a good place to start.

You'll have to learn about high carbon steel which must be preheated, cast iron, which takes a nickle rod, and high strength shafting you should not try to weld.

It is best to take a course before you try to weld on farm equipment.

Good luck!

 

[old]

There bubble gum welding and there is real welding. Bubble gum welding take 5 minute to learn real welding well your always learning something new. I started welding when I was around 16 year old with a cheap $19.95 welder I got from a magazine. It was junk but it did weld. I have since learned to stick weld mig weld and tig weld. It all takes a lot of practice to get good at. Find a school that teaches it or find some one who will take you under there wing. I have never had any schooling in it but knew people who welders like a Hull teck I knew in the Navy and the Pipe line welder who lived close to me years ago

 

[Crazy Horse]

Visit a nearby chicken coop and study the poop droppings which show up on the floor and perches, etc. That'll get you started. Take a few photos if you want. Try to avoid welds that look in any way like what you see there.

 

[2510Paul]

Great comments below. Find a mentor and get yourself lined up for a course.

I have mentored a young man but he really needs to get into a welding course. As pointed out there are a lot of variables. A mentor could get you started.

Paul

 

[gregww]

Welding is not something you can learn from reading a book. No one can tell you how to weld. The only way to learn is practice-practice-practice. You may not like that answer, but it's the simple truth. Greg

 

[Dick L]

I agree with going to a trade school night course for welding. I found a good video at weld.com that would be a good place to get some tips. He gives you the angle of the rod and if you notice he steadies his stinger hand with his other hand. I didn't watch this video all the way through but will help you get the idea of how to hold the stick while practicing until you can find a place to get instructions.
Video Here

 

[jtwat]

Go to youtube and watch some of the welding video's. Welding.com, weldingtipsandtricks

 

[Stephen Newell]

You need a good supply of scrap metal to practice on before you weld on your equipment. If you haven't welded before you may need to tinker with the temperature and rate of speed to get a good weld. When I got started I went too fast and got a weak weld. Assuming the farm equipment is painted it would help to have a sandblaster to clean the paint off around where you are going to weld.

 

[Pops1532]

Night class at a community college.

 

[Tony S.]

Just throw out the 6013

 

[DeltaRed]

I agree. Throw away the 6013. 6011 is way better.For most common farm equipment/mild steel,6011 and 7018 is all you will ever need.

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

Before you REALLY become good, think about what you are attempting to weld, and ask yourself; ?what will be the ramifications if my weld welding job fails? Am I good enough to do the repair right, and safely??

 

[old popper]

I have always said welding is 10% knowledge and 90% practice.

 

[newhollandnut]

I have burnt an enormous amount of rods and been paid for it but I am in no way shape or form a welder. 90% of my welding experience is steel casing pipe for water and sewer bores from 24?-60?. I did not consider that welding because it was limited variables and always the same products. That said one piece of advice that I got that I still use a lot to this day on things of my own and things that need to be good is making ?practice runs? either leave the welder off or unhook the ground lay a pretend bead on what you want stuck. This gives me a good feel for positioning and speed. It?s easy to do with mig because you don?t have to keep getting closer as the rod burns. Just practice practice practice. I?ve seen guys that have been through welding classes that can barely stick metal and I?ve seen self taught guys that can weld more pretty than a machine. Just practice and don?t be afraid to ask for advice

 

[showcrop]

I have been welding for some 35 years. I have been wanting to take a course and learn what I am doing. I bought a Lincoln 225 tombstone from the side of the road for $100.00 after the guy that was doing mine told me that I needed to get my own. It may have had something to do with the manure spreader that I brought to him. I use mostly 6013, and just turn the heat up until I blow a hole in the material, and then back it off one notch and go to town. Twenty years ago I bought a Lincoln 110 wire feed mig unit and have done a lot of sheet metal with that.

 

[derwen1959]

I put a message here yesterday but for some reason it was not posted , you need to practise plenty first before even think about joining metal, do you have auto helmet? goggles and gauntlets are advisable, and when you remove slag if it just falls off then you are welding good. make sure there is adequate ventilation, I will repeat what has been said ? before starting look online to see how its done and best of luck

 

[MarkB_MI]

If possible, take a course at your local community college.

The best method to start with is gas welding, that is welding steel with an oxyacetylene torch and steel filler rod. Everything you learn with gas is applicable to the other methods, and because you'll be working with light material your costs aren't nearly as much as stick welding. With gas, you can easily see the weld puddle and you have much better control than with any other process except TIG.

 

[carvel minne farmer]

good morning TDJD, I will give you my first rule of welding advice :lol: if you smell something burning, it's usually YOU!! ultra dogs advice on finding a night course at a local school will give you a good basic start and as others have said here practice, practice.

 

[the tractor vet]

Well now that we have Schools to teach you go to school and learn . when i started i watched the OLD GUYS till one of them told i was never going to learn watching and start doing . started on weld build up of Idler and track roller shells then on to grouser build up with grouser stock then on to blade build up and bucket rebuilding and learning new things from the OLDER guys . by the time i was 16 i could out weld the industrial arts teacher at school , oh that was when they still had wood and metal shops in high schools . Also try and find a GOOD A C/DC welder and you will soon learn that D/C is better . Been seeing a lot of Lincoln 250's at vary reasonable prices lately , great welders and the old ones were darn near bullet proof with copper coils ya just need a 50 amp 220 outlet . Next great choice is a lincoln portable 225 ranger or a 250 ranger , the newer ones have the capability to run a LN 25 wire feeder so now ya have a great stick machine that can go anywhere you can haul it to plus you can go wire feed in eityher the mig or flux core.

 

[Ken Combs]

Good advice! I learned to weld, 60 years ago with gas. Just yesterday I needed to fix a misplaces saw cut in a bracket off a garden tractor. I have a mig, stick and gas. Chose the gas, because I can place a bead in thin stuff that requires almost no prep to paint. I Can't do that with the others.

 

[dr sportster]

What angle will you hold your rod on when you first strike your arc ? You need a book at the very least and preferably a welding coarse in adult night school. Weld prep is as important as the weld.