pyroracing85
New Member
So How do you guys think I could start learning how to weld? I really don't know to much about it and never even held a weldor in my hand...
please help
please help
Learn how to weld?
- Thread starter pyroracing85
- Start date
Paul Cooper
New Member
Years ago, I took evening Adult education classes at a local Vocational Highschool to learn welding and other "Shop" related things. Tis was very inexpensive and I was able to get substantial "hands On" time.
Also every yea, in Lakeland, the Experimental Aircraft Association hosts Sun-n-Fun. They set up a training area to teach people how to do various things involved in aircraft construction. Hobart and Lincoln set up displays with equipment and instructors to teach classes and give hands on time with the latest welding equipment. I found that this is a great way to get experience and advice. The downside is that the event is held only once a year. I have to believe that the vendor's muct have traveling seminars to teach this as well.
Good Luck
Also every yea, in Lakeland, the Experimental Aircraft Association hosts Sun-n-Fun. They set up a training area to teach people how to do various things involved in aircraft construction. Hobart and Lincoln set up displays with equipment and instructors to teach classes and give hands on time with the latest welding equipment. I found that this is a great way to get experience and advice. The downside is that the event is held only once a year. I have to believe that the vendor's muct have traveling seminars to teach this as well.
Good Luck
pyroracing85
New Member
wow I never knew about that Sun-n-Fun. I am only 45 minutes from lakeland anyway I should check that out one time.
thanks a lot.
thanks a lot.
I recently started learning how to weld for an A-level Design Technology project. (Well, that's the excuse, anyway! 
). The following site seems very useful:
http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/14250/index.htm
Start at chapter three. It seems to be a manual for US Navy fabricators.
# BUYING A WELDER
Obviously there's no substitute for hands-on-experience. I'd recommend you buy a stick welder (shielded metal arc, not tig!); you can pick them up fairly cheaply and they're most fun (MiG just seems like cheating because you don't really have to do anything apart from pull the trigger).
Places I suggest you look to buy a welder:
o Ask around - see if anyone will be willing to let you have an old welder cheaply.
o Check out the Freecycle group in your area (they're on Yahoo! somewhere). It's surprising what people are willing to give away.
o Try and make friends with an 'insider' - one of my friends has a bunch of welders he was given from one of his engineer mates; they failed a routine safety check and he was supposed to destroy them, but they seem to work fine. I take no responsibility if you die though!
o Obviously you can also buy one - this is probably the best idea for starting out because you know the welder actually works! I bought mine from Screwfix.com for £50 (about $90), but they only sell within the UK.
# OTHER EQUIPMENT
I'd STRONGLY recommend buying the following in addition to a welder (in no particular order):
o Obviously you'll need a face mask
o A set of clamps. I bought these from Screwfix: http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=18295&ts=77717 . They are immensely useful for holding stuff together and save you having to fiddle with G-cramps and stuff.
o Welding gauntlets. They protect your hands when you forget that the metal's red hot and you try to pick it up, and they also protect from the spluttering molten metal.
o An angle grinder. I know it costs quite a lot, but it saves you having to cut welder fodder with a hacksaw which means you get more done.
o A chipping hammer. You need this to chip the slag off the weld.
o A magnetic work holder, for example: http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=16535&ts=77717 . It becomes very useful when you start learning fillet welds and stuff.
# STARTING TO WELD
If you buy a welder new, you should get an instruction manual with it. This will tell you information on work thickness against electrode thickness against welding current required. Here's the welder I bought, there's a link to the instruction manual near the bottom of the page, just in case you need a manual: http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=100333&ts=78590&id=80274 .
I suggest you start by learning to lay a bead on some relatively thick stuff (say 5mm thick). I learnt on 1mm (18 ga) and by the time you've got the metal to flow, the base metal has got a hole in it. Unfortunately my project is in 16 ga so I have to learn to cope with that!
That's about all I have time for at the moment, I'm afraid. If you want more information, just reply to this and say what you want to know. Please be aware that I AM NOT a professional welder. I've only been teaching myself on and off for a couple of months. I'm sure there will be professional welders on here who will be more than willing to help you out.
Good luck, and enjoy your welding!
). The following site seems very useful:http://www.tpub.com/content/construction/14250/index.htm
Start at chapter three. It seems to be a manual for US Navy fabricators.
# BUYING A WELDER
Obviously there's no substitute for hands-on-experience. I'd recommend you buy a stick welder (shielded metal arc, not tig!); you can pick them up fairly cheaply and they're most fun (MiG just seems like cheating because you don't really have to do anything apart from pull the trigger).
Places I suggest you look to buy a welder:
o Ask around - see if anyone will be willing to let you have an old welder cheaply.
o Check out the Freecycle group in your area (they're on Yahoo! somewhere). It's surprising what people are willing to give away.
o Try and make friends with an 'insider' - one of my friends has a bunch of welders he was given from one of his engineer mates; they failed a routine safety check and he was supposed to destroy them, but they seem to work fine. I take no responsibility if you die though!
o Obviously you can also buy one - this is probably the best idea for starting out because you know the welder actually works! I bought mine from Screwfix.com for £50 (about $90), but they only sell within the UK.
# OTHER EQUIPMENT
I'd STRONGLY recommend buying the following in addition to a welder (in no particular order):
o Obviously you'll need a face mask
o A set of clamps. I bought these from Screwfix: http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=18295&ts=77717 . They are immensely useful for holding stuff together and save you having to fiddle with G-cramps and stuff.
o Welding gauntlets. They protect your hands when you forget that the metal's red hot and you try to pick it up, and they also protect from the spluttering molten metal.
o An angle grinder. I know it costs quite a lot, but it saves you having to cut welder fodder with a hacksaw which means you get more done.
o A chipping hammer. You need this to chip the slag off the weld.
o A magnetic work holder, for example: http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=16535&ts=77717 . It becomes very useful when you start learning fillet welds and stuff.
# STARTING TO WELD
If you buy a welder new, you should get an instruction manual with it. This will tell you information on work thickness against electrode thickness against welding current required. Here's the welder I bought, there's a link to the instruction manual near the bottom of the page, just in case you need a manual: http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=100333&ts=78590&id=80274 .
I suggest you start by learning to lay a bead on some relatively thick stuff (say 5mm thick). I learnt on 1mm (18 ga) and by the time you've got the metal to flow, the base metal has got a hole in it. Unfortunately my project is in 16 ga so I have to learn to cope with that!
That's about all I have time for at the moment, I'm afraid. If you want more information, just reply to this and say what you want to know. Please be aware that I AM NOT a professional welder. I've only been teaching myself on and off for a couple of months. I'm sure there will be professional welders on here who will be more than willing to help you out.
Good luck, and enjoy your welding!