Hello everyone, this is my first post ever in this section. Well anyways, here it is: I want to learn to weld and fabricate. I do not own a welder, nor do I have any welding experience except for the few elds that I made in shop class in high school. The problem is that I don't know where to begin. So far, I have been reading everything that I can on the internet to kind of get me rolling. The only thing that I have come-up with so far is that welding is a matter of practice, and th only way to get better is to practice more.

I don't plan on doing anything crazy like welding a water tower in my backyard, I just want to be able to fabricate things such as exhaust systems, roll bars/cages, and brackets, etc.

Here are my questions:

1. What are some good websites to get me started with all of the basic info?
2. What welders are good, what are the prices of them, and where do you all reccommend buying from.
3. Any good books that you reccommend me purchasing?

I'd appreciate any information. Thanks.

 

personally...I started with a Lincoln 175 TIG and welded everything in sight. I say learn how to TIG...anyone can MIG...and who stick welds anything on a car?

Things you'll need to get started
Machine... 200amps and under will suffice for learnging
helmet...autoflash helmets...so cheap why not?
220v outlet with 50amp fuse
argon bottle with regulator
torch and ground clamp should come with teh machine.

For my personal setup...I got the Miller syncrowave 200 with the TIG runner package for 1960 and I got the LXi helmet for 210. I bought a bottle last year for ~100 bucks....usually cost me 32 bucks to fill it. Rod is like 10 bucks a pound. I buy my tungsten in 10 packs...like 20-30 bucks.

If you look online for a used setup...tahts the way to go if you're starting out. check out craigslist.com ebay etc. DONT get an ebay tig. stick with thermal arc, Hobart, miller, lincoln, ESAB.....anything else just isnt worth it. miller and lincoln IMO are the best. i chose miller so im biased

good luck with your purchase...and you'll love welding.

 

Why do you reccommend a TIG welder? Would an arc welder be better for things such as roll cages, where strength is essential?

 

TIG is arc welding, in fact, so is MIG (GMAW), TIG (GTAW), and stick (SMAW), among others. SMAW is RARELY found in the automotive industry, as typically it is used for more "industrial" projects, like pipelines, buildings, ships, large implements, etc. I personally would recommend a GMAW machine for your first welder, as it is easy to learn and is fairly useful on most projects. For the money, the Hobart Handler 140 is a decent buy.

 

A lot of helpful information guys... thanks a lot.

 

hobartwelders.com has an awsome forum, that helped to get me where I am
also if you can find him, talk to engloid (former honda-tech member, now on homemadeturbo.com) he can really help you out
-James

 

i think mig welding is the easiest to pick up on... I bought a Miller 175 as my first machine although Im sorta regertting not getting a TIG. A tig is harder to learn and little more expensive to do the actual welding but in the end it is usually a better choice. The torch is smaller and can fit into tighter spots, it gives you a better looking weld and sometimes penetrates better. Why not go all the way and learn the hard stuff? I hated the fact I spent $750 on a welder and now I want a TIG. I should ahve saved my pennies and just got the TIG first