How did you learn to weld?

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DusTed74 said:
A few months ago I bought a Miller sincrowave 200. I've been practicing tig welding mostly on sheet metal. It's not as easy as some people make it look but I'm getting it. Do yourself a favor and save your money for a good name brand machine. You'll be much happier in the long run.
Ted
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We have the same machine at school. We use and abuse them and they keep on running. A 3/32 stainless electrode at 170 amps is really cool. Nothing like a red hot stick and only able to weld an inch before the electrode melts. (we are only using the machine for stick welding currently TIG comes in a few months) I have been thinking of buying one myself. But I really want a dynasty 250. I just don't know if I wanna pay the extra $ for it. I know my electric bill would love me if I got the dynasty but my wallet won't.
 
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE,get some junk sheetmetal and get practicing.And I am not defending anyone here but you will find out why those body guys get good money for doing this because its a lot of work and paitence to do real nice work.
Doug
 

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Do yourself a big favor buy name brand new welder, not some Chinese junk from a local supplier. If you buy a used welder, buy it from someone you know and trust because you might be buying someone elses junk. JMO.

Bill S.
 
I was a production MIG welder for several years.. When I started the foreman walked over and picked up a MIG gun put it on a metal table, pulled the trigger made sparks and said, now you do it .. So my experience was self taught under the guidance of a few other experienced welders.. But I have to agree, hands on is the best, followed by quality machines. I just recently picked up a Hobart 140 at tractors supply on sale for $469.99.. Good price, will do anything I'll need to do.. So dive in, make sparks, and don't forget to have a "fire extinguisher" around.. Safety first! And have a good helmet with a lens you dont have to squint through. And oh by the way something everybody knows but tends to forget...get yourself an old shirt with long sleeves, or buy some welding sleeves. The spatters leave the little blisters but, the the light from the arc will give you a major sunburn if you don't protect your skin! Good Luck!!! And have Fun!
 
I leaned in HS to oxyactelyne and stick weld. To pass the the class we had to make a litlle 2" sheet metal box and it had to be perfect. :) We also casted our own aluminum C clamps and made our own tool boxes. it was callled "Industrial Arts" and they did away with the class just a few years after I graduated.

I taught myself MIG welding on the job at the motorcycle shop and built a motorcycle trailer for the boss with his stick welder. Take a class and practice, practice practice. I love to weld and it's all about getting a feel for the metal.
 
moparclown said:
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE,get some junk sheetmetal and get practicing.And I am not defending anyone here but you will find out why those body guys get good money for doing this because its a lot of work and paitence to do real nice work.
Doug
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Don't get me wrong. People that have that talent deserve to get paid for it. I just can't afford it. I have run into guys that have done GREAT work on other peoples stuff and have given me reasonable prices. But when it came time to do my stuff, they don't touch it for months, do half of what they said they would, and then generally shaft me.
 
I initially learned how to weld in a high school metalwork class and i loved it.
Then i decided to make it a career when i got out of high school in 1980.
I then took a 10 month pre apprentice course at my local college.
The big thing that was drummed through our heads was the safety as well as the practice, practice,practice aspect in combination with education on how and why and what works for any given weld position as well the process used to achieve the best results for a given situation. We did safety and oxy/acetylene cutting and welding for the first 2 months, then we burned over 100 rods a day just to perfect techniques in all positions for about 6 months, then we did wire feed for 2 months. We never even touched on tig in the first year.
When we got out, we were good welders, but it was hard to find a job because most of us had no experience working in a production welding shop. Most quit the trade and only 2 of us out of 24 actually became journeymen.
Fast forward to today, my advice to you or any one else for that matter would be to take the introductory welding course at a local college because they will teach you the right way to weld and more importantly the SAFETY aspect involved in using and working around welding equipment.
It actually gripes me to no end watching car shows on t.v. and watching the guys building stuff on there mig or tig welding with bare skin exposed, using improper helmets or turning away when they tack things together etc. A lot of people think that it's o.k. to do that because they do it. Getting burns and shocks as well as losing your eyesight isn't fun!
The least you can do is buy some books or watch some videos online if you can't take a course at the local college and use some common sense around the equipment.
My 2 cents,
Tom.
 
i went to school for it ..had a nice looking lady teacher as well..i learned to stick weld..then i got a mig and learned how to do that myself...but you do have to stay on it or you'll be working at it a lot...got my son some books as i want him to learn...but he has yet to read the book but will try to weld...if you like i have a few books you can use to learn if you like..just let me know...some times i just find metal to make stuff out of..i made my cart for the mig welder instead of spending 40.00 for it ..last week 1 of the wheels on my tool box broke off so i made a cart to put it on so i can roll it around ..mike let me know on the books you can use them if you like ..
 
I would be interested in reading anything you have to offer. I would really like to take some classes. Gonna have to seriously look into that.
 
sireland67 said:
Do your self a favor, and enroll in a local night class at a community vocational center, or college.
If you have never welded before they will teach you the right way from the start, so you do not pick up any bad habits.

FYI my parents bought me a set of Harris torches when I was 13 for christmas so I could braze together go carts from old scrap metal.
Still have them and use them today after 31 years and only had to have torch rebuilt once.

After you learn the basics do not buy the crap from china, spend the money for USA made equipment. There is a huge difference on the welding quality.
Years from now you will still be using the USA equipment.
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Great advice
 
Learned how to stick weld in high school. About a year after graduation a buddy taught me to mig for a production weld job. Amazingly I passed the test and did that for 4 years. 2005 I moved to Colorado Springs and got on at a job shop welding. Still there. Certified mig in mild carbon, stainless, armor plate, and aluminum. Can tig as well but not certified yet. Actually right now I'm testing on a high tensile strength wire and steel for a job that's gonna be used on an aircraft carrier catching fighter jets. Pretty cool stuff. Also I help build (fab and weld) robotic systems that are sold to Caterpillar and other industrial places...it's funny because our welds have to look like a robot welded them, no joke. Thats how tight our weld quality has to be.
The trick to welding aluminum is making sure it's spotless clean. Use a stainless wirewheel or brush. Dirty aluminum looks like a turd when welded. A good hot-start helps a ton too.
 
Handed the arc welder from my dad at about 10/11 ... We were working on a lawnmower trailer to pull behind the lawnmower. Taught to weld in a few steps.

Dad was welding from the age of 14 and was taught by a professional welder. Later went and wrote his high pressure welder ticket back in the 70's and worked for years until a union strike and he walked away from that job and took over the family Dairy farm. Our shop is known as the "need something in metal come to us" from fixing machinery to fabricating who knows what.

I found a job out of highschool mig welding stainless steel pig feeders 22 ga up to 10 ga (self taught on the mig welder) Went to college and didnt pick up a welder for 5-8 years.... Then bought my dart.... body work is a royal pain in the .....(dad hates body work)

Now machinist that should of been a milwright :)
 
I wouldn't be so afraid of used equipment. I bought a used Italian welder and use the snot out of it, paid about half the price of a new welder, and I can weld 1/4" in a single pass. I've seen $2500.00 Miller Welders on Craigslist for $600.00. Keep in mind that if you buy a production machine, that is a machine designed to be used in shop eight hours a day, you will get a machine designed to last decades. If you can find one of these machines in someones garage with light usage you'll get a screamin' deal.

Also try to find a used welder that includes a bottle. Check the tag on the bottle to see how long it will be before it has to be tested again. When I bought my welder it came with a bottle, unfortunately it was out of date, so I had to have it tested right after I bought it. Still cheaper than buying a new bottle.

If you decide to buy a bottle buy a big one. Mine came with a little 25 Cubic Foot bottle, I could weld with that for about an hour. I then bought a 125 Cubic foot bottle, worth every penny. I'd get at least a 100 Cubic foot bottle.

There are a lot of good videos on welding on the the internet. But I'd TEST the first few dozen welds. Weld a T joint let the part cool and then put it in a vice and beat the crap out of it, if the weld fails you fail. If the metal fails before your weld, you pass. A lot of good looking welds can lack penetration and thus will fail. Some crappy looking welds have plenty of penetration and although they may look like a wad of bubblegum holding the metal together it will hold.

Regards,

Joe Dokes


PS - practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
 
dodgedifferent2 said:

best advice of the whole thread!!!!
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Yup my Hobart 250 was made in the early 90s and makes some gorgeous welds(after I cleaned up and rebuilt the rheostat)

I picked up a welder, asked some questions, invited a buddy over to give me a quick "101" started with some scrap metal to get a bit of a feel for it, moved up to a small project of editing my welding cart, than went to my motor mounts since it didn't matter if the welds were ugly. Yup just started, you can see everything on my resto thread in my signature.
 
My Dad started teaching me stick when I was about 7-8 years old. Takes practice. I inherited his Victor propane cutting torch, which he bought used from a welder in 1960. The welder thought it was "pretty used up" and had bought a new one. Dad had it rebuilt when he got it. I don't really know how old it is. I'm guessing it was made in the late 40's or early 50's. But it still works like new. I just put a new tip on it the other day, burns as pretty as a picture, cuts 1/2" plate like butter, very little slag. Been building a winch mount and front bumper for my Ramcharger. I also inherited his old 225 Lincoln cracker box. I've been using both of 'em for 40 years now. Geez..............I just realized I'm old.

I also bought a Lincoln wire machine for shop work. If you get one,{any brand} spring extra for a machine that uses gas sheilding. Flux core wire sucks. It gets the job done, but it's not much good for sheetmetal. Gas is much cleaner, less spatter and no slag.
Another thing I'd think you'll find is a major help welding sheetmetal, beyond learning the basics, is an auto darkening hood. Sheetmetal requires lots of tacks, and not having to flip your hood up and down, being able to see your work and the tip's position before you pull the trigger, is a huge plus. It'll also make it easier to learn. Don't know how I ever got along without one. Worth every penny.
 
this old man is self taught so the only thing i can offer is what ever one buys should be more than one thinks they need when buying. i have been laughed because i bought more that i needed at the time. about half the time i would run into something that i wish what i had was bigger, stronger or better.
 
I did not know how to weld in march 2011 but i borrowed a hobart gas sheilded mig and i'm still not a welder but i'm much better now, i'm able to fabricate the sheetmetal parts/patches i need and weld them in, this project will not be a show stopper by any means but i'm doing it myself and doing the best i can and saving money at the same time. I know now why the process of restoration is so expensive [i could not do bodywork for a living] i like the mechanical type of hotroding, body work is not my favorite but like you i can't afford to have it done. Watch u tube and read articles and practace you'll be fine, good luck just dive in and don't look back take your time and think things thru.
 
Started young @ 14 my dad was a millwright and taught me on torch welding first then moved to electric welding, Ive been doing bodywork now for over 30 years, Fabing panels and butt welding 20 gauge is alot different then welding 1/4''. It takes alot of practice practice practice.Like all the other posts start out with some scraps, For butt welds leave about the same gap between the 2 pieces of metal as your wire thickness then start stitch welding ( small welds at a time then cool down with your air blower) till the panel's all welded when done right there's minimal warpage. Have fun at it!!!:burnout:
 
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