Learning how

[dstig1]

I took a CC class, and it was awesome. Partly luck of the draw as we only had ~8-9 students, and only 3-4 were serious enough to show up regularly. Got great 1-1 time. 4 hrs every Thurs evening for 13 wks. Ask questions about how much is lab time, and ask the instructor directly if possible, as teaching styles vary.

It cost ~$300 but I probably burnt half of that in rods and steel. Plus I got to try a few extra things like TIG, MIG and O/A which weren't in the course description (was a stick class with some torch cutting). They had it all there and we had time, so the instructor helped us "serious few" try some other things when the rest of the class didn't show up towards the end.

If you can find someone (like James K) who can help you 1-1, that is hard to beat too.

 

[Jeepnford]

I took some welding classes at a vo-tech and they were great. The first class was close by and there were only 3 of us in the beginning (1 dropped out) and the instructor was a lifelong pro weldor. 95% of class time was welding. That school cancelled the class due to lack of participation and the second class farther away but it was also good. It was taught by a 30+ year pro power plant weldor. I guess it depends on the school how good it is.

 

[undercut]

Im in nixa

Orange Toys, James has been very helpful to me in these forums. If he is anywhere near as helpful in person, you've got a very valuable resource within your grasp. Cheers!

 

[rcowan]

I would say take a class at your local community college. I took an O/A class last go around and the MIG starts in August. We started with 16 in the class and finished with 11. Had a great instructor. When we start the MIG he is going to let me focus on FCAW. There is a little wind welding outside in SE AZ.

RC

 

[meburdick]

How does one go about choosing the *kind* of welding to pursue? Which method would be the best for a homeowner, tractor owner, and general "handy person" to look to invest into equipment? I'd like to be able to make minor repairs to my tractor if necessary, maybe even the cars. I'd also like to be able to put together some items that I could use for lifting / storing the snowmobiles or other items around the house.

I will not weld "a lot", but I want it to be a skill that I can pull out when I need to. So, owning my own equipment would be great, but I want to control the costs as well.

 

[k0ua]

How does one go about choosing the *kind* of welding to pursue? Which method would be the best for a homeowner, tractor owner, and general "handy person" to look to invest into equipment? I'd like to be able to make minor repairs to my tractor if necessary, maybe even the cars. I'd also like to be able to put together some items that I could use for lifting / storing the snowmobiles or other items around the house.

I will not weld "a lot", but I want it to be a skill that I can pull out when I need to. So, owning my own equipment would be great, but I want to control the costs as well.

If controlling cost, repairing tractor related things and some light fabrication are you concerns. I would suggest Stick.. Everyone says just go get an AC only buzzbox.. and they work, they just dont weld as pretty as a DC stick machine. Their graces are they are really cheap, especially used, and they will last forever with minimal care. With stick (and I recommend you start with a DC machine if you can afford it) your cost's are nothing more than a few cents of electricity and cheap stick electrodes.. No gas, not tungsten's no rolls of wire that cost more than sticks. you can change what kind of sticks you are using in a heartbeat and thus change your weld characteristics easily. Downside (remember everything has a downside) it is harder to learn than MIG. or Flux-Core. wire welding. Not as hard to learn as TIG. Also stick is not good for really fine thin materiel's. Both TIG and MIG are way better. If you get a DC or AC/DC stick machine you can get into TIG fairly cheap as an add on and do scratch start TIG.. now you can weld all those small or thin steel things you could not weld with stick.(aluminum is going to require a dedicated TIG rig ). but now you have invested about 300 more bucks in gas bottle, torch and regulator and a few tungsten's to get started. And it is not super easy, you have to study and work on it. Mig and FCAW (Flux-Core) machines are more dollars(at least ones you can weld more than sheet metal on.) And the consumables are more (gas for MIG) and more expensive Flux Core wire so you can weld outside with the possibility of wind. So there is no super easy super cheap path but I think (remember everyone has an opinion) that stick is the cheapest path, but not the easiest. There is lots more, but this will get you to start thinking and ask more questions.

James K0UA

 

[Shield Arc]

I want to control the costs.

This is a skill I need to learn!

 

[k0ua]

This is a skill I need to learn!

Seriously. There is no end of wanting better and more welders/chainsaws/tractors/guns etc. I have never forgotten something a man in a gun store told me as a kid.. I went in to buy some ammunition reloading equipment and proudly exclaimed to him that "I want to save some money".. He laughed and said "Son you are not going to save any money, you are just going to shoot more".. no truer words ever spoken.

James K0UA

 

[meburdick]

Thanks for the thoughts, K0UA.

I will definitely want to be able to do things like: repair a crack in the bucket of myloader, make a hitch "add-on" for my ballast box so I can move the loaded snowmobile trailer to snowblow without pulling off the box, and make some frames for various tasks around the garage. I would guess that a large part of what I would need to work with would be angle iron or the flat plates of steel of the tractor.

If I understand your comments correctly and have applied the information against what I'm certain of for use, it sounds like a DC stick welding system would be adequate for me.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks for the thoughts, K0UA.

I will definitely want to be able to do things like: repair a crack in the bucket of myloader, make a hitch "add-on" for my ballast box so I can move the loaded snowmobile trailer to snowblow without pulling off the box, and make some frames for various tasks around the garage. I would guess that a large part of what I would need to work with would be angle iron or the flat plates of steel of the tractor.

If I understand your comments correctly and have applied the information against what I'm certain of for use, it sounds like a DC stick welding system would be adequate for me.

A DC stick would be your best bet. Either one of the older Lincoln or Miller AC/DC transformer welders, if you can find one used at a reasonable price. Or one of the newer chinese inverter welders for under 300 bucks new. I have an Everlast PA160 and it was under 300 shipping and all. It works well.

James K0UA