gwdixon
Elite Member
Try Welding Tips & Tricks for videos. The guy covers it all.
Welding Tips and Tricks - TIG, MIG, Stick and a pantload of other info
Welding virgin needs direction ...
- Thread starter beppington
- Start date
- Views: 12975
Try Welding Tips & Tricks for videos. The guy covers it all.
Welding Tips and Tricks - TIG, MIG, Stick and a pantload of other info
nunyabinis
Gold Member
"It is what it is."
YouTube - Iceman & my jam-up fitter/foreman Wes gettin down in Salt Lake thats how we do reppin North Carolina
Indeed it is.
.
YouTube - Iceman & my jam-up fitter/foreman Wes gettin down in Salt Lake thats how we do reppin North Carolina
Indeed it is.
.
Danno1
Veteran Member
In the meantime, get a few books on welding and read them until you understand everything they say. That way, you will not only know what to expect when you start the class, but it will enable you to ask higher level questions of the instructor. Both of which will enable you to get more than your time and money's worth of the class.
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baronthered
Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2009
- Messages
- 26
- Location
- South central KY
- Tractor
- Ford 3930 tractor, Ford 801 powermaster, D6C caterpillar dozer/crawler
Personally I prefer a good AC/DC tig/Stick machine for all round convenience. Big stuff only limited by duty cycle; small stuff and odd metals are only limited by your setup and ability to see. I definitely recommend either signing up for classes or alternatively being friends with a weldor. Either way you will be able to learn from and find the machine that will best suit your needs.
Another thing regarding the different processes is;
MIG : Have to have shielding gas coverage and is best used indoors. a lightly breezy day will blow the gas away and the weld will be poo poo.
Stick and flux-core (SMAW & FCAW) respectively are fine for outdoor use stick more-so though ( my personal take on it) Flux-core sometimes will depending on the wire you get, may be a dual-shielded variety and will need gas too so breezy outdoor welding is out as well. Stick can be used in fairly windy conditions if the need arises.
TIG: I love it I hate it. Slower than the other processes but the welds are beautiful and can be a pain to learn. best done indoors comfortably as possible and calmly as possible. This is a very hard process to get halfway right and to learn it you will learn to get some of that Buddhist monk zen feeling :cool2: or frustration will drive you up the wall :mur: . I hate it and love it.
Now for the kicker. Once you have figured out how much welding you plan on doing ( occasional or lots ) find a machine that will do what you need and get it. A bigger machine is more powerful and can weld longer without a cool down (duty cycle) but is also more spendy. A smaller machine can do big things if you know what your limitations are and the machines and work within them. The thing is it may take longer to get something put together correctly ( multiple passes, preparation, etc. ) but will keep the budget down.
Consumables are something you need to look at as well. Stingers, MIG gun liners and all that stuff. Many folks are ordering online now but when that project has to be done today online ordering can't cut it so find a LWS that you can build a working relationship with and that will help alot.
Always keep a fire extinguisher close even three or four ( please don't ask :laughing: ) If it smalls like hair (clothes, leather) burning it is. :confused2:
I'm gonna end this long winded post here. I usually lurk unless the topic is something I know anything well enough to contribute to ( rarely ) but fortuneatly welding is my bread and butter. Good luck and have fun.
Another thing regarding the different processes is;
MIG : Have to have shielding gas coverage and is best used indoors. a lightly breezy day will blow the gas away and the weld will be poo poo.
Stick and flux-core (SMAW & FCAW) respectively are fine for outdoor use stick more-so though ( my personal take on it) Flux-core sometimes will depending on the wire you get, may be a dual-shielded variety and will need gas too so breezy outdoor welding is out as well. Stick can be used in fairly windy conditions if the need arises.
TIG: I love it I hate it. Slower than the other processes but the welds are beautiful and can be a pain to learn. best done indoors comfortably as possible and calmly as possible. This is a very hard process to get halfway right and to learn it you will learn to get some of that Buddhist monk zen feeling :cool2: or frustration will drive you up the wall :mur: . I hate it and love it.
Now for the kicker. Once you have figured out how much welding you plan on doing ( occasional or lots ) find a machine that will do what you need and get it. A bigger machine is more powerful and can weld longer without a cool down (duty cycle) but is also more spendy. A smaller machine can do big things if you know what your limitations are and the machines and work within them. The thing is it may take longer to get something put together correctly ( multiple passes, preparation, etc. ) but will keep the budget down.
Consumables are something you need to look at as well. Stingers, MIG gun liners and all that stuff. Many folks are ordering online now but when that project has to be done today online ordering can't cut it so find a LWS that you can build a working relationship with and that will help alot.
Always keep a fire extinguisher close even three or four ( please don't ask :laughing: ) If it smalls like hair (clothes, leather) burning it is. :confused2:
I'm gonna end this long winded post here. I usually lurk unless the topic is something I know anything well enough to contribute to ( rarely ) but fortuneatly welding is my bread and butter. Good luck and have fun.
Mark @ Everlast
Advertiser
If it smells like bar b que, stop and put some sauce on it...because your skin is cooked. Don't forget the terrible sunburn you can get in mere minutes welding. Seriously, though a thought occurred to me reading the previous post. Diabetics need to be extra careful when welding, because sensation isn't what it should be. A burn may go unnoticed and the end result could be very bad.
wdchyd
Elite Member
Don't take chances.....coverup when welding....everything (hands, arms,legs )...don't be a tough guy/gal.....not worth it:thumbsup:
gwdixon
Elite Member
How true. I'm a 40-year Type 1 diabetic (63 years old now somehow) and have two examples.
1. Slag from a cutting torch fell though my pair of sandals and went between two toes. Didn't notice it for several hours. It took 5 months to heal. Burned a hole in the bottom of the sandals too.
2. Was wearing rubber boots while cutting angle iron at 45 degrees. The angle iron came apart before I was ready for it and the hot pointed end hit and pierced my boot. Didn't have any pain so kept working. Walked in the house and left a trail of blood from a sock that was blood-soaked ankle high. That took 4 months to get better.
Nothing but steel-toed leather boots after those two episodes. Guess I'm a slow learner.
One other thing you can do is start shopping. Hitting craigslist, ebay and the local classifies on a regular basis will help you get a feel for what to look for in price on used equipment. You've got a good short list of welders to look for based on replies in this thread...get to know what they cost, so that when you know what you want halfway through class, you can confidently pull the trigger on a good deal.
CrashandBurn
Member
If I could have just one machine, it would be a DC stick with 6010 rod....
