I want to learn to weld so I'd like a little advice.

1: What sort of equipment to get? I have a budget of about $500, and I'd like to get something that can weld a wide variety of materials.

2: Any suggested learning exercises? When learning to solder, for example, a great exercise is to solder a little box out of paper clips.

3: Safety recommendations? I'm not dumb enough to weld on top of a pile of oily rags or anything, but I'd rather learn how not to burn myself ahead of time.

Thanks to anyone that can either help or point me to help.

 

Almost all colleges okay community classes will have a welding class.

 

I've seen some decent MIG welders that would be a good beginner tool at Walmart. Its made by Lincoln and cost $299. Its for steel only. I don't think you will find anything cheaper that will do steel and aluminum.

 

Go by at least two different welding supply shops and talk to them.

Both Lincoln and Miller (major manufacturers) have "shows" where they show up with a semi truck and sell "packages" at great details.

Get a name brand welder so that if it breaks at a latter date, you can get it fixed. It's a major investment that could last your life time!

You don't need a welder that runs off of 220 for the welding you will do (in most cases).

You do want a MIG welder. This is a wire welder with gas bottle added (argon / co2). Although it's possible to get rosin coated wire and not use the bottle, it's no way near as clean a weld.

Get a quality welding mask that is "auto-darkening"!

Read and follow ALL instructions that come with the unit.

Get a friend to show you how to do it at first (however don't assume that he is totally correct, you could get misleading information).

Practice on clean metal. Then try a piece of rusty metal just to show how important it is to clean off the metal prior to welding.

The "spatter" of almost any type welding will burn! (yaa, I know it's common sense) But did you know that those spatters are hot enough to melt a piece of glass and leave a pit. In other words, cover things like the windows that may get splattered.

Buy the heaviest gloves you can get. Also think about sun protection! This may sound silly at first, but it's possible to get a sun burn from the light put out by arc welding.

I've got a Miller MM130 and I've been able to do most of my "hobby" welding with it. That includes welding of stainless steel.

Wes

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Wes V &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Go by at least two different welding supply shops and talk to them.

Both Lincoln and Miller (major manufacturers) have "shows" where they show up with a semi truck and sell "packages" at great details.

Get a name brand welder so that if it breaks at a latter date, you can get it fixed. It's a major investment that could last your life time!

You don't need a welder that runs off of 220 for the welding you will do (in most cases).

You do want a MIG welder. This is a wire welder with gas bottle added (argon / co2). Although it's possible to get rosin coated wire and not use the bottle, it's no way near as clean a weld.

Get a quality welding mask that is "auto-darkening"!

Read and follow ALL instructions that come with the unit.

Get a friend to show you how to do it at first (however don't assume that he is totally correct, you could get misleading information).

Practice on clean metal. Then try a piece of rusty metal just to show how important it is to clean off the metal prior to welding.

The "spatter" of almost any type welding will burn! (yaa, I know it's common sense) But did you know that those spatters are hot enough to melt a piece of glass and leave a pit. In other words, cover things like the windows that may get splattered.

Buy the heaviest gloves you can get. Also think about sun protection! This may sound silly at first, but it's possible to get a sun burn from the light put out by arc welding.

I've got a Miller MM130 and I've been able to do most of my "hobby" welding with it. That includes welding of stainless steel.

Wes</TD></TR></TABLE>



good information

 

I am not new to welding . if you get a basic mig set up you shold be fine. I just finish welding up my brothers charge pipes for his car . and i used a mig. I am still learning Mig is fairly easy ,when the machine is set up

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RevenantAE &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I want to learn to weld so I'd like a little advice.

1: What sort of equipment to get? I have a budget of about $500, and I'd like to get something that can weld a wide variety of materials.

2: Any suggested learning exercises? When learning to solder, for example, a great exercise is to solder a little box out of paper clips.

3: Safety recommendations? I'm not dumb enough to weld on top of a pile of oily rags or anything, but I'd rather learn how not to burn myself ahead of time.

Thanks to anyone that can either help or point me to help.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Best learning excercises are taking a course at a local collge. Here anyway, college tuition is heavily subsidized in certain areas (if the government thinks that it will create jobs). The instructor claimed that the tuition would cover half the costs of the materials we would use in the course, so it's cheap practice too.

One you've taken the course, you should know how to setup the machine and troubleshoot your welds.

When practicing past that point, the best thing you can do is practice on offcuts of the material you intend to weld. My race car frame, for example, is built out of 1" 16 gauge box section, so I welded offcuts into little cubes until I had the machine setup, and the welds were good.

 

One odd thing that is worth mentioning is, if you have a dog, dont let hin (or her) be around while you are welding. Dogs will stare right at the weld for a long time and it can blind them. They dont get the "dont look at the light" thing.
B.

 

read the 50+ page welding thread i the FI forum.

 

nice write up I'm also a beginner and that was very helpful.