What your favorite Welding How to Book?

[Iplayfarmer]

Books or videos arent going to teach you how to weld. That only comes from hands on practice. That said, books will teach you the why's and how to's. It isnt enough to say just get some E-xxxx rods because they burn good or because the make a pretty bead for a beginner welder. You have to know some metallurgy so you know which electrode is proper for what you are trying to weld. Weld bevel preparation and finished weld profile are also essential to making a weldment that is not going to break due to fatigue cracking. These items you CAN learn in a book or if you have a good instructor he can teach you. I would never suggest that anyone try to learn welding just by getting a welding machine and a box of rods and start welding. A good structured welding class (I have taught many of these) starts with a good text book knowledge and then lab application of each chapter till the student is able to apply that knowledge into a hands on welding test. A good basic welding class for structural steel is going to take you several months to complete when doing it in night school. If you can find one that lets you work 10 hours per day on it with a good instructor and night time book study (homework) and you have the natural ability you can learn to weld and pass an American Welding Society D1.1 prescribed structural test in about 6 weeks average. Some can do it quicker and some take much longer. Natural eye hand coordination is essential for a good welder along with good vision and steady nerves. Some folks will never be more than a dauber regardless of hours of practice. Just like some folks cant be an artist or muscian, some folks just cant weld and the instructor should recognize this in 2-3 weeks and tell the student if he is trying to learn this as a vocation.

I am totally self taught (unless you count the advice here on TBN), and it shows in my poor welding.

I've done the "burn rod for practice" thing, but it's time for me to get some of that text book metallurgy and theory that you're talking about. There are a few welding classes offered around here, but they are all geared toward someone planning to make a career out of it. I need a good class for a few hours on Saturdays that can teach me the basics.

I guess the Norco catalog will have to do for now (and the continuing advice from TBN).

 

[Defective]

Best welding book... hmm... what about: "kid's trial and error in the farm workshop" ?

I read that book back in the early 70s. Learned a lot from it.

Everything else I learned by trying until it worked.

I wouldn't try to get a job as a weldor, but I'm not afraid to build or fix things.

 

[RPW]

There's two that come to mind for me. One is from Haynes (automotive books) and the other is from Jeffus (that's his last name). That one is the book I'm using taking a collage class on welding and seems to be an industry standard. I don't have the book in front of me so I can't give you the exact title.

 

[Pops15]

Books or videos arent going to teach you how to weld. That only comes from hands on practice. That said, books will teach you the why's and how to's. It isnt enough to say just get some E-xxxx rods because they burn good or because the make a pretty bead for a beginner welder. You have to know some metallurgy so you know which electrode is proper for what you are trying to weld. Weld bevel preparation and finished weld profile are also essential to making a weldment that is not going to break due to fatigue cracking. These items you CAN learn in a book or if you have a good instructor he can teach you. I would never suggest that anyone try to learn welding just by getting a welding machine and a box of rods and start welding. A good structured welding class (I have taught many of these) starts with a good text book knowledge and then lab application of each chapter till the student is able to apply that knowledge into a hands on welding test. A good basic welding class for structural steel is going to take you several months to complete when doing it in night school. If you can find one that lets you work 10 hours per day on it with a good instructor and night time book study (homework) and you have the natural ability you can learn to weld and pass an American Welding Society D1.1 prescribed structural test in about 6 weeks average. Some can do it quicker and some take much longer. Natural eye hand coordination is essential for a good welder along with good vision and steady nerves. Some folks will never be more than a dauber regardless of hours of practice. Just like some folks cant be an artist or muscian, some folks just cant weld and the instructor should recognize this in 2-3 weeks and tell the student if he is trying to learn this as a vocation.

I don't have any book recommendations, but I whole heartedly agree with the post by Gary Fowler.

 

[Scotty370]

SteveF- Lots of good advise in this thread. I bought the exact same welder that you've picked up, and never struck an arc before doing so! I've got to admit I was more than a little intmidated by the unit, before I finally worked up the nerve to turn it on! I also bought a book: (HP Books) "Welder's Handbook" a guide to Plasma Cutting,Oxyacetelene, Arc, Mig and Tig welding. By Richard Finch ISBN 978-1-55788-513-5. Less than $20- at Lowes. I wasn't a total stranger to welding, and have use OA torches for years. I use 6013 1/8" rod on DC Neg @ 170-195amps, for most 1/8-1/4" mild steel. I try to always get my pieces super clean, fitted, and clamped so that I can weld in the horozontal position. I bought a Auto-Dark Helmet also. I need all the 'breaks' that I can get, before welding. While reading is good, bench time is the "nuts'!! After 5-10#'s of rod, I don't think I've gone back to reading more than a few times! Your gonna love it! ~Scotty

 

[Jeepnford]

If possible classes are the way to go. I wouldn't worry about looking like an "idiot". If everyone was born knowing how to weld,there would be a lot of unemployed welding instructors.

 

[Bill_C]

I heartily recommend "Welding Skills", by R.T. Miller (no relation to the company I don't think). Mines the 2nd edition, American Technical Publishers, ISBN 0-8269-3007-7 though by now I believe there's a 3rd edition.

Lots of technical/reference stuff, but it's easy to read, its well organized and gives lots of "how to" lessons for each process with plenty of drawings and pictures. For a true beginner, it's great, yet its still very useful to an intermediate or even more advanced weldor. Hundreds of pages thick.

"Welding Essentials: Questions and Answers" by Galvery/Marlow didn't really appeal to me, it's written like a giant web site FAQ with few hands-on "how to" pointers IMHO.

The Lincoln "Procedure Handbook" is the bible of course, but IMHO you kinda need to know and understand a lot of the basics to really get into what the Lincoln book is telling you. I don't really recommend the Lincoln Procedure Handbook for an entry-level book.

 

[firefighter jim]

I had a thread going on a Lincoln AC/DC welder that I found on clearance at Home Depot its a K-1297 / 225-125 unit. I bought the machine this morning and now I'd like to find the best, most informative book that money can buy to help me learn how to weld. I'd also love any info on the best all around rod for welding 1/4" to 1/2" metal on things like farm implements and the tractor. I'd also like to enroll in a welding class but I figure it'd be best to have some clue before I enroll so I don't feel like the village idiot in the class.
Steve

Steve: If you give me your address, I'll send you atleast 2 excellent books on welding. I recently sold all of my welding equipment and no longer have a use for them. Jim from Ohio jimandrobie@hotmail.com

 

[BigE_]

Here's a free online tutorial to get you started.

Updated link: http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/bldgconst/welding01/welding01_v2.asp

 

[IslandTractor]

Here is another book that I have found useful. It is done in a Q and A style and covers all the common processes as well as elctrical safety and metallurgy. One thing I like about it is that it uses clear diagrams and illustrations rather than photographs. It is not really a start from scratch how to book but rather one that does a good job of answering specific questions and gives quite a lot of detail.

Welding Essentials: Questions and Answers
William Galvery and Frank Marlow
Industrial Press 2001
ISBN 0-8311-3151-9