this is a basic how to. just to give you an idea of how to weld. if im not there to check penetration/technique you're pretty much screwed. this is called a stringer weld or a seam weld on a basic plate of metal @90 degree angle practice this over and over as many times as you can. in a few months ill post how to do a double fillet, or a t bracket weld.

this is known as stick welding also

using a 6010 rod (eaiset to learn on IMHO)

many people dont like the 6010's becuase they cant weld with it. you dont like things that make you look like ****!

on the 6010 rods you want a reverse polarity dc +

set the amps at 90-100 you will have to adust this not all machines are the same not all metals are the same. for now just set it at 95 you dont know what to look for in a quility weld.

set the ground clamp........................................its a ******* aligator clip, a ground is anywhere on the welding table, closer to the work = better

striking the arc whew this is a bitch for a first timer

after you have the rod inserted into the stinger hold it at a 90 degree angele if you're right handed you weld left to right

oppostite if your left handed

quickly strike the rod against the WORK not the table! like a match stick or in a dip motion, bring the arc high then back down to welding range .

if the rod freezes quickly snap it off of the work or undo the stinger from the rod keeping your hood on as it will flash as you remove the stinger (trust me flash burn hurts!)

do it fast becuase if the rod stays there and creates a "short" you can burn the machine up and you will destroy the rod

if you managed to get the arc steady, bring the rod within 1/16-1/8th of an inch away from the metal

as the rod melts use a back and forth motion to form your seam.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

is how you want you weld to look underthe slag

(((((((((((<fire>0*arc* <---move a little forward then back to form tight patterns-->

dont weld within 2 inches of the end of the rod throw it away after you are done

do not chip/scrape slag when red hot. do not touch metal with gloves (it will burn you still) do not touch metal without gloves for at least 45 mins

after youre metal cools (relatively ) to orignal steel color scrape your slag off of the weld inspecting the weld

keep practing it WILL look like absoulute crap! for the first few days and it will not be structrualy sound since you're a newb!!!! XD

for best results practice in a class or with someone who is certified with ASW or LA

 

common problems:

help! i cant strike the arc!

-relax, get confrotable, make sure you're at a 90 degree angle 45 degree is possible but it is abouve your skill level as of now

help! i cant do the match stick method

want to know a secret ? me neither! i use the "dip" method, works just fine for me

will i get shocked when welding?
its possible but highly unlikely in normal use

im scurred!
dont be

can i weld aluminum?
-yes must be thicker than 18 guage and you must use a special rod. in a well ventaliated area

an tips/tricks?
-yes a cheap smaw welder with 6010 can be used as a cheap cast iron plasma cutter type device

whats TIG stang for?
tungsten inert gas
heliarc, GTAW(gas tungsten arc welding) and tig are all the same thing

it is essentially arc welding with a non consumable tungsten elsctrode while you hand feed filler wire into the grooves. used becuase its "pretty" less splatter, and can weld extremely thin and dissimilar metals, also can weld copper uisng this technique

whats MIG?
aka gas metal arc welding (GMAW) or metal inert gas (MIG)
mig welding is the one with the gun, most commonly uses a shileding gas called argon. shields the chemical reaction in the metal/filler metal to create a visibly "cleaner" weld. useful in auto body and can weld older types of car sheet metals. sheetmetals newer than 5 yeards cannot be fused with the gas metal arc welding method


if i learn stick will it help me in MIG or TIG welding
yes but some argue as to a minimal effect. i like SMAW i cant TIG worth horseshit, and mig i can splatter the ******* thing with wire personally

so in my expericnce stick did not help me as you might think. it did help but becuase i can arc doesnt mean i can TIG precisley

whered you learn how to weld?
-dicking around at a shop i used to work at, i then enrolled into a community college class, currently still learning the basics of arc and eventually plan to get certified to pay my way through UCR


Modified by suicide_shift at 2:47 AM 9/26/2007

 

also people PLEASE do not steal this from me. it is a VERY basic guide and isnt worth alot of peoples time. im not the best welder i just noticed on here everyone thinks welding is TABOO and it is actually fun ! please credit me if you take this

 

oh ya fel free to add to it

 

Just a quick fix on the TIG section.
Also referred to as GTAW(gas tungsten arc welding), not TMAW.
Nice write-up, great for beginners.
At school, we start the students off with OAW(Oxy-Acetylene Welding) for puddle recognition and to slow things down for visibility.
SMAW is great for learning. Some guys can try using 7024(jet rod), 7014, and then 6010, and 7018.
You can try the 7014 and 7024 on DCEN(straight polarity).
As said earlier, have fun with it!!!!

 

my bad, thats how unfamilar i am with gas welding LOL

 

If you are arc welding say an exhaust tubing, can you hold onto the tube with one hand while welding? (of course as far away from the welding area as possible). Will you get shocked?

 

Pics would be nice as well..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tianporn &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you are arc welding say an exhaust tubing, can you hold onto the tube with one hand while welding? (of course as far away from the welding area as possible). Will you get shocked?</TD></TR></TABLE>

as long as your hand is not in the path between the arc and the ground clamp, you should be fine.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by weiRtech &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

as long as your hand is not in the path between the arc and the ground clamp, you should be fine.</TD></TR></TABLE>

dont do that with AC, DC only...otherwise you could be in for a surprise