Welding - I want to learn ..need advice.

[JB4310]

Not to hijack OP's thread, but I enjoy the welding discussions as do many other TBNers I believe, maybe there should be a welding forum

Anybody know why on my new AC/DC Miller, the AC amps go to 225 but the DC amps max out at 150 A?

Are DC amps "hotter" than AC amps?

Also a pic of the AC warning label.

 

[Reg]

I second the suggestion to take a night course at the local voc tech high school.
I would NOT advise you to go out and buy a mig welder - YET !
There is a non-zero risk that you will QUICKLY learn how to use it very much like a hot glue gun and once in a set of habits those habits will be hard to break.

DO LEARN how to weld from SOMEONE, not from an instruction booklet that comes with a welder.
Also KNOW penetration.
KNOW what a wash weld is and why you don't want that (-:

Oxy-Acetylene is slow, is not easy to learn, but once you "get it" TIG is within reach.

There is a fair/good chance that your night school teacher will have a day job in the industry and can probably help you get a good unit locally, once you know how to use it.

 

[Reg]

Not to hijack OP's thread, but I enjoy the welding discussions as do many other TBNers I believe, maybe there should be a welding forum

Anybody know why on my new AC/DC Miller, the AC amps go to 225 but the DC amps max out at 150 A?

Are DC amps "hotter" than AC amps?

Also a pic of the AC warning label.

That would be due to the rectifier.
"Hotter" ? Well, kinda/sorta; deposition doesn't happen on the other half cycle of AC, but "cleaning" does.

 

[Dan W]

Wasn't gonna go into detail but that's How I almost lost my head, cutting into a smaller 35 gallon drum. Neighbor had one behind his barn, he had brought home from the shop where he worked. I was an up and coming contractor wanna be with a hand me down O/A torch outfit.
I wanted to be like the big contractors who had drums for garbage and burn barrels, so I proceeded to cut the top off. The drum said right on it "SOLVENT" but was old and rusty and dry sounding inside, I wanted to vent it by removing the bung but it wouldn't budge.
Anyway, started at it with the torch, just as it was getting red and I was ready to hit the blower, I thought to myself, HMM, I wonder if this could blow up and I just kinda leaned my head back away from directly over the top, and BOOM!!! sounded like a Navy 20" Gun!

I was peppered with rusty buckshot, blew my glasses off, ears where just ringing as I was regaining my senses, I was feeling around my head with my hands, since my head was all numb and I couldn't hear or see to well I thought for sure I must be missing some parts

This was 6:30 am. My younger sister came running out of the house to check on me, clutching her hands over her heart. Miraculously I had no serious injuries except singed hair and light burns on my arms. The top had come off clean at the seam, the bottom looked like a jiffy pop popcorn thing. if that drum split on the side I might not be here typing this. Just told this long storey to maybe help some one in the future to respect any type of sealed/pressurized container.
Oh yeah, the top was never found.

And almost forgot, before starting that storey, I just wanted to show some pics of me welding today on my snow plow, with the DC welder I'm finally able to show some of my beads
This is 3/8 to 1 inch material, 1/8" 7018 EP ~140amps DC.



JB.

Fianally a 7018 rod user, ... thanks, great welds

Dan

 

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

MY advice to weld you only need two rods 7018 7014 x 1/8 this will weld allmost any thing you get into 7018 ac rod good for hard metal but make sour if you wilder is not ac dc get the 7018 ac rod weld around 130 temp and for the 7014 you can weld down as low as 80 temp i have welded since i was 12 and i am 47 now ,,,,7014 is a ac dc rod when you weld push the rod in to the metal you will see a bubble keep the bubble coming with the rod the higer the temp the deeper in the metal you can weld

 

[Steve C]

MY advice to weld you only need two rods 7018 7014 x 1/8 this will weld allmost any thing you get into 7018 ac rod good for hard metal but make sour if you wilder is not ac dc get the 7018 ac rod weld around 130 temp and for the 7014 you can weld down as low as 80 temp i have welded since i was 12 and i am 47 now ,,,,7014 is a ac dc rod when you weld push the rod in to the metal you will see a bubble keep the bubble coming with the rod the higer the temp the deeper in the metal you can weld

I am a huge fan of 1/8" 7014 when used with DC @ 80-90 amps. It makes me look like a much better welder than I am

When the slag curls up in 6 inch long chunks and can be brushed away life is good

It only works this way for me in the horizontal position though.

 

[RichT]

Welding advice is a lot like financial advice...everybody (in a tractor community) has an opinion. Some good stuff in here. I always enjoy reading the welding threads.

However you proceed, welding is perhaps one of the most rewarding skills you can develop, both financially and the accomplishment aspect. I was mostly self taught, on a nice little Miller 135 (120v), with help from a neighbor who is a commercial tig welder. I currently use a Hobart 187 (185amp) mig and love it. Its big enough to fabricate implements, multiple passes at times, and good on light stuff, bodywork, too. Attached is a picture of a gate I built from $200 worth of steel tubing, as an example of what can be done. With the money I saved from doing this myself I purchased a plasma cutter (another handy gadget for the metalworker).

 

[zman007007]

IMHO, and experience, a stick welder is a lot harder to learn on than a mig welder, and according to your skill level you can do just as well with either one. I weld at work several times a week, and much prefer the mig welder. I will use the stick welder if it is something very critical only. I will tack it with the mig and then finish the weld with the stick. zman

 

[mjncad]

RichT:

Those are nice gates you built!

 

[om21braz]

If you decide to take a class on welding maybe nobody there has learned any of these tricks
(1) Placing a sheet of black construction paper in your helment glass
(2) greasing your helment sweat band
(3) greasing the fingers of your glove
(4) how to make an actylene bomb via the tubing you're welding on or plastic baggie
(5) cutting off your wire feed and/or your argon

Watch out for those pranks and good luck with welding 101 !