Hey guys I'm fairly new to welding and I have a question. I was buying mild steel from an online store and it was great but it gets very expensive due to cut fees and shipping. And becuase I'm new at welding i'm buying a lot to practice on. I was buying 1/8 inch mild steel online. Today I went to home depot and They had steel there it looks just the same and the sticker on it says 1/8 inch flat bar or flat stock steel. Is this the same stuff ? meaning what makes steel MILD is there a difference between steel and mild steel ?

Thanks
Brian

 

What you are looking at is probably A36 hot rolled. it is fine to use or practice on. 1018 is cold finished, doesn't have scale, and is a nicer metal to work with. Check out craigslist you might be able to find some stuff to practice with for cheap or even free.

 

Look around your town for job shops or laser shops and see if you can buy some scrap by the pound from them. Some might even just give you some if you tell them you are learning how to weld

 

Don't buy from the Box stores unless you absolutely have to. It is extremely expensive compared to buying from a true steel supplier. You should be able to find the local steel yard and go buy from them for much cheaper. Of course, for practice the Laser shop idea is a good one. You might even offer to bring back you welded scraps and let them get the scrap money off them. It may allow you to get some practice scraps for free.