begining welding

[frank_f15]

as stated in previous post. take a class! and do some reasearch.u mentioned SCRAP METAL, be advised, that mig is not to tolerant of rust and contaminents. it really depends on what u want to do, and how fine u want the weld.WELDING UNITS like tractors are job specific! a bx2200 will do some things better than a L3010, but the L3010 will do some things better than the bx, thus a stick machine is better for some things, but a mig is better foR others, then there is TIG WEDING.. DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE U , just trying to make sure u undrstand.

 

[MossRoad]

I enjoyed the classes that I took. I ended up buying a torch set and a sears buzz box. I like them both. I am kind of partial to the torch. Something about using a flame and pushing that puddle just gives me great satisfaction.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.cut-like-plasma.com>I saw this torch</A> in some other posts. It looks pretty cool. I did a search for it and found lots of information. I still have to ask a few owners how they like theirs after I do some more research.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You are right about taking a class. I am lucky as I am good friends with a couple guys that own fairly large machine shops here and I get to talk to them on a regular basis. For anyone who plans on using argon/CO2 mix do it in a well ventilated area as Argon is heavy and settles forcing the O2 you breath up in the rafters. It is possible to affixiate yourself using Argon while welding in confined areas and you will learn other valuable tidbits in classes or go talk to some experienced welders at machine shops or garages. I learn something everyday thanks to my friends there and I know I will continue to learn from them as long as I can keep thinking of questions to ask.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

RJOHNSON, I would like a welder for my shop, I did weld in high school with a stick that we just called ARC welding. The type of welding that I will probably doing is mostly 3/4 in. maybe some 1/2 in. for fabricating. I really cant see the time for a class, so the training will be the welding manual and practice. I do have 220 in my shop and the welder probably wont move from there. I appreciate your knowledge and have another question, what is the best way to cut the metal to the shapes I need? Thanks

 

[TonyC]

I feel the urge to clarify a few things that I'm sure the welders on this board know but I don't think it came through in the messages.

Just for terminology buffs, GMAW and MIG are synonymous.

As far as MIG goes, it is best known for being the easiest to learn. Most folks can run a decent bead with a MIG welder in no time. There are two types. The cheaper ones don't use gas as a shield for contaminents. For those you must use flux coated wire which produces a shield like an ARC or stick welder does. Down side: because the wire comes on a roll, the flux is not as robust as the nice thick coat that comes on an ARC rod. Another big down side: The flux is very susceptable to moisture and age. Arc sticks can be bought in small quantities so you can get fresh ones for new projects. The wire spool on the MIG lasts a long time and the flux will get old and inneffective if you don't use it up soon enough. In any event, the gas sheilded will produce the best results. Not just my opinion but the result of a lot of reading and research.

Speaking of reading, I highly recommend the "Welder's Handbook" by Richard Finch, available through Amazon etc. For 18 bucks it will put you light years ahead if you're just starting out. It did the trick for me. I, like some of you, just do not have the time to take a class not to mention the community college is too far away for me. Another bonus: This book will tell you everything you need to know about choosing the correct welder for your needs.

 

[RJohnson]

Putty,
You really need to register so we can tell where you are located and know a little bit about you.
Now about what you want for your shop. I would look for a welding machine that can use the 220v, just make sure that the welding equipment is compatable with what you have in your shop. The reason I keep stressing going to a class is that unless you have the right information you may end up with equipment they won't do what you want and can damage your eyes. The lens number that you want for your welding hood will depend upon the electrode size and how much amperage you will be welding with. Although I hear the new autodarking hoods are great, do a search on the site there was a good discussion on them. There was also a discussion on cutting torches, especially on plasma equipment. Are you really saying that you will be working with 3/4" thick material? A square foot of plate that thick will weigh 30.5 pounds and will require either a really big plasma machine or an oxygen/acetylene torch unit. And here again with acetylene you are using an unstable gas and if the pressure get up above about 15 psig it can explode. I again would encourage you to do alot of research before you just jump it to welding and cutting.
Now about your question on "ARC Welding", that is a general term that covers a varity of welding process that usually use a electric arc to either melt your base metal, your electrode or both. As opposed to oxy/fuel welding where you have a combustion product supplying the heat input as opposed to an electric arc. Weling processes such as GMAW (MIG), FCAW, SMAW and GTAW (TIG) are all arc welding processes. IT looks like for what you have described a SMAW (stick) machine would be what you want. There are various electrodes available that will do a wide variety of welding jobs on different types of materials. Stick welding will also cover up a great many sins when you don't cut your materials right/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
So if you still don't want to take a welding course then go out and buy a good book on the subject. Lincoln Electric offers a great book at a very reasonable price.
try this link <A target="_blank" HREF=https://ssl.lincolnelectric.com/lincoln/store.asp?PID=16&cat=7>https://ssl.lincolnelectric.com/lincoln/store.asp?PID=16&cat=7</A>

Randy

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I appreciate all your info on the welders and I will probably read a couple of books on welding. I do want to go about it carefully, I just can't take a class with my schedule. I am registered under putty340 but a few months ago something was screwing up and when I was getting on TBN it kept saying someone already had putty340 (I guess I was getting the boot from myself) what a jerk /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I have been very busy and just have'nt taken the time to fix it. When I said I would be welding 3/4 in. I was guessing I would be welding thicker metal than thinner

 

[genelp]

I realize I'm getting in on the end of this discussion (I've been working long days and haven't been to this site in quite some time). I also need to mention that I haven't done any welding for approximately 5 years, so my knowledge may be out of date, (if thats the case condider this post as "fiction/entertainment") /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif Is there a smiley face for warped humor? That being said, I wanted to add my 2 cents. I used to do in-house welding training for my company. I want to re-inforce what others have said. If you want to be confident that your welds are sufficient, you will need to take classes from someone that knows what they are doing. I've had to re-train employees that learned welding from a local trade school that apparently had instructors who didn't know much more than the students they were supposed to be teaching! Of course when I say classes I mean someone that knows what they are doing, so this could simply be a friend that had the expertise, equipment and the time to spare. You could purchase the steel and welding rods that your "teacher" reccomends. If you don't take classes I think the odds are that you will become very frustrated at trying to lay down good beads.
Since I mentioned rods I guess I gave away my opinon on a first time purchase for a welder for home use. Care should always be taken to clean the steel you are going to weld and this is most especially true when using a mig welder. I also noticed that you are talking steel plates up to 3/4" thick which I would feel more confidence in being able to weld with a stick welder. Again I want to stress that I've been out of the loop for awhile and there may be advances in mig welding equipment for the home hobbyist that I'm unaware of. So do your research and buy the equipment that matches your needs.

Gene

 

[pajoube]

Randy,
Had to jump in and ask some questions. I have not welded in 30 years (limited even back then) but do have a need as follows.
Weld/cut mostly in the 1/4 to 3/8 steel category. Not much need for portability, at least at this time.
Like others have said, I have a work schedule that changes from week to week not allowing me to sign up for classes. I have been to the library and read almost everything they have. I have ordered books online which have been very helpful. I have not purchased any welding equipment as yet. What would be a good compliment of equipment? Cost must stay under $400.
I would like to do this correctly even if it is only a hobby. The best solution that I can come up with is to try and hire someone to teach me one on one given the time constraints. A retired person may work out the best and I will contact the senior center, which might post my request on the bulletin board.
Any comments you wish to make will be greatly appreciated.
Paul

 

[RJohnson]

Paul,
The trouble with purchasing any welding equipment is that the cost of the power source, while significant, is not the only cost involved. You can almost spend $400 on one of the new autodarking hoods. But for your purposes, I think one of the 110v AC stick (SMAW) machines will fit your needs. You can plug it into any circuit that has a breaker to carry the load. You need understand that AC usually does not penetrate as much as DC+and usually more than DC- for stick welds. I would hit a few garage sales and maybe some auctions, or the classifieds in the newspaper. That way you can get the welding leads along with the machine. But you know the list starts getting endless when you talk about all of the tools you need to weld. Wire brush, chipping hammer, grinder, cutting torch, clamps, gloves, welding hood, etc.
I would check around your neighborhood and I am sure you can find someone who has welding equipment. You can learn alot just watching someone who knows what he (she/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif) is doing. If your not too pushy most people would be flattered to show you what you want to learn at no cost/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif to you. Hang out at some of the welding supply places and ask a few questions, you know you are going to have to buy welding electrodes anyway. Speaking of which I like a E6013 electrode as it looks pretty good but it is not real deep penetrating rod. Get a E6011 for deep penetrating and the diameter is very important. It will depend upon the capacity of the welding machine you have, how thick a piece you are welding on and how much weld metal you want to put down. Usually 1/8" or maybe 3/32" should be fine for your needs. Hope this gives you some ideas.

Randy