What your favorite Welding How to Book?

stevenf · Jul 20, 2006

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

HomeBrew2 · Jul 20, 2006

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

E6011 rod for AC, E6010 for DC (I think) (also don't know which polarity for 6010).

Best would be to have someone show you to get started.

stevenf · Jul 20, 2006

Thanks Homebrew2, That is a great tutorial I've spent an hour just glancing at it, I believe I'll go print it out and study it hard, nice to own a print shop where this is a simple and quick job.
Steve

flusher · Jul 20, 2006

stevenf said:
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

Go to the Wall Mountain website and buy their CDs "Arc Welding I" and "Arc Welding II" Cost about $50.

http://www.weldingvideos.com/

You'll learn more faster with these goodies than reading a book on welding.

Defective · Jul 20, 2006

ESAB University: Basics of Arc Welding

http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/AWTC/Lesson1_2.htm

PBinWA · Jul 21, 2006

flusher said:
Go to the Wall Mountain website and buy their CDs "Arc Welding I" and "Arc Welding II" Cost about $50.

http://www.weldingvideos.com/

You'll learn more faster with these goodies than reading a book on welding.

I'll second this recommendation. You can also rent them from:

http://www.technicalvideorental.com

automech · Jul 23, 2006

As far as books go, I like "The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding", (the weldor's bible) by the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation. I also frequent the Hobartwelders website. The Miller website and Lincoln websites are also informative.

dirtrod · Jul 24, 2006

All the “normal” books teach you how to produce a proper weld but few I have purchased or looked at cover welding as we see it as back yard or farm welders.
A friend introduced me to a book that is the best thing I ever seem for us fix-it guys. I had been welding for over thirty years when I read this book and I still refer to it often when I am doing unique repairs or stating a new project with some strange requirements. It covers how to use your welder to remove stubborn bearing races, rebuilding worn out shafts and tons of other useful info. Plus all of the standard “How to Weld” stuff.
A great book!
Welding Secrets by Hal Wilson
Published by Flyco Machine Company
3712 Ringgold Road #155
Chattanooga TN. 37412-1638

patrick_g · Jul 24, 2006

I second the Big Lincoln "BIBLE" which covers the history of welding and many applications. I also like a welding class text (paperback) I bought but is put away and I don't recall the name.

I learned from the books and reading and experimenting but it is NOT the easiest way. I'd be cautious about trying to become an instant expert to avoid starting a class at the bottom as you might just be learning bad habits that will interfere with learning it right from the instructor.

The CDs sound like a real good deal as seeing it happen is way better than just reading about it. If it is a while before the class, you might do the CDs first and not pick up any bad habits.

Not all good tradesmen are good instructors but you might find one with whom you could trade services and get some professional tutoring in trade for you doing something for him. If I was just starting out trying to learn to weld, I'd be offering to be a helper for free in trade for some lessons. I have a similar scheme forming up with a guy who is running cattle with me on my place. He is a welder by profession and I am a near total failure with a cutting torch. I will get some lessons from him in trade for some dimensional lumber from logs I cut. I am so bad with an OA torch that I bought a plasma cutter, an expensive proposition to make up for lack of skill with an OA torch.

patrick_g

R W · Jan 27, 2007

Books published by Lincoln would be my favourite,but the book
"Welding Secrets" mentioned in a previous reply sounds interesting.
The PROCEDURE HANDBOOK
Of Arc Welding.
Is a great book but is not really a beginners book.

R W

ovrszd · Jan 27, 2007

Another amusing welding thread!!!! One time I was sitting in a bar watching a guy clean up playing pool. I asked, Ron, how did you get so good at this game? He pointed his cue at the quarter slot and said "put enough quarters in that slot and you'll be good too".

Go buy a 50lb box of rod and start burning. You'll figure it out. No video, CD, Book or friendly advice will teach you as much as burning rod.

thingy · Jan 27, 2007

Well,now that you got you a good welder,you gotta quite that how big a rod,how much amps for this thicka stuff,,,thats not how it works,,prepare groove if its thick,,make multipasses,,etc,,etc,,,you gotta get over that kind of thinking,,,,,,,,
Rods,,get you some 3/32 and some 1/8 6010's,,,,,,6010 plus are good uns but you might have to buy a 50 lb can,,,,dcep,,thats what you use,,you don't need the ac,,,,,
Welding books,,theres a bunch of them,,,modern welding technolgy is a good thick one,,[might be out of print]?,,by howard b gary,,,thingy

kennyd · Jan 27, 2007

Steve,
Check out the Miller site, they have some great books on welding...

At the bottom of this link:Miller - Education - Tools is the "Student Package" for $25.00, it comes with a bunch of great books and resources. (and a coupon for a free jacket if you buy a Miller machine)

It is a great value for $25.00, there is lots of good reading in the package.

BearKiller · Oct 15, 2009

dirtrod said:
A great book!
Welding Secrets by Hal Wilson
Published by Flyco Machine Company
3712 Ringgold Road #155
Chattanooga TN. 37412-1638

Does anyone know the ISBN # for this book ??

Thanks.

aczlan · Oct 15, 2009

BearKiller said:
Does anyone know the ISBN # for this book ??

According to the Amazon ad it is one of the following:
ISBN-10: 0970055404
ISBN-13: 978-0970055408

Aaron Z

Iplayfarmer · Oct 15, 2009

The best welding manual I've seen yet is the excerpt in the middle of the Norco catalog.

roamrdb · Oct 16, 2009

i'm sure there are many excellent books and videos on the subject. if you want to be an accomplished weldor, in my opinion, the very best thing you could do is take a class. in a structured environment you will learn the basics, what happens when you make a weld, what needs to happen before you weld it, and in some cases what needs to happen after you weld it. just like with anything else, if you want to be really good, you need a thorough basic understanding of the process. you will know which electrode you need, and what the difference in rods are. you will also learn how to use a torch properly. hands on experience with a good instructor is hard to beat. best regards.

Renze · Oct 16, 2009

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

Gary Fowler · Oct 16, 2009

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.