I want to learn to weld

[Jon_E]

At the thread title says, I want to learn to weld. My brother used to own a fabrication shop and still does a bit of fab work every now and then, but he employed others to do most of the work and is really just a hobbyist. So I picked up a little bit here and there, mostly just watching him and his crew, and probably have all of two hours total time on a decent MIG gun. I could weld something in an emergency but that's about it. Most of my welding projects would be "farm-type" stuff - i.e. welding hooks on buckets, equipment repairs, building a carry-all or small off-road trailer, maybe building a workbench or racks for the shop, etc. Something I can do with a few simple tools and off-the-rack steel shapes.

I do have occasional access to a 250-amp Lincoln MIG unit but it's not something I can afford to own. I've been told MIG is not the best way to learn, and that stick welding is probably where to start. I'm leaning toward finding a class, but don't know where to look or what it will actually teach me. I don't really need the classroom stuff; I need hands-on. I learn better that way. I need to know enough to be comfortable with it, and not screw something up bad enough to risk someone's safety. Any advice for a guy wanting to learn the basics?

 

[Robby321]

Any weld shops town? Go ask if ya can "get some pointers". Many the old guys love to teach a up and coming..

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Local vocational school or even some high schools with ag programs would be good places to look. Even some community colleges teach welding.

 

[aka Larry]

I don't really need the classroom stuff; I need hands-on. I learn better that way. I need to know enough to be comfortable with it, and not screw something up bad enough to risk someone's safety. Any advice for a guy wanting to learn the basics?

Do you know what can happen to you if you weld galvanized metal? I didn't, but I learned it in class, and was glad I did. Most CC classes are 90% hands on, but the actual classroom part can also be very helpful.

My advice is to start with a class at your local CC. It's been 10 years since I took mine, but it was the best $60* I ever spent.

*I know it's not that cheap now, but still more than worth it IMO.

 

[stioc]

Finding a class is probably the best way to go. I'm no expert but I bought my first welder, a little Hobart 140 back in 2005 (I still have it and use it) and am self-taught. I used it off and on for little projects for a while but it wasn't until I really started putting together larger projects and burnt through half of the 10-lbs wire spool when I started to feel I was comfortable with the look and consistency of the welds. So like most things in life practice as much as you can and in my experience the best way to learn is to do fillet T joints which you can put in your vise and break or cut it to see how good the weld penetration was but that's a bit further down the road to do if you're just starting out. Try to run consistent beads for now.

I recently added an old stick welder to the arsenal to tackle the jobs the little 140 can't do and it's fun...mainly because it doesn't require cleanup of the base metal (though recommended of course) but you do have to chip away the slag afterwards. Stick is a bit harder than MIG but neither is rocket science.

 

[vettex2]

buy a welder and start welding

 

[Locker537]

Local vocational school or even some high schools with ag programs would be good places to look. Even some community colleges teach welding.

I second this recommendation. I took a class locally for ~$600 and enjoyed it very much.

 

[sberry]

The internet is so good now you can learn a lot from it. But which machine is the age old question. This is value added advice of a good salesman. If you don't have a 200 class mig its a machine I would want anyway and to tell the truth it could do most of the work I do now if it was the only machine I had. My neighbor is a retired professional, hasn't been down to weld something in 10 years since he got a 175 mig.
This is a place its worth looking or spending up some if you are going to buy new and get it right the first time. You can likely find a deal along the way for a stick ****** if you decide you have a burning desire down the line but the small feeder is really the workhorse in a small shop and so much stuff today, salvage is lighter than scrap was 30 yrs ago. It makes it easy to work with sheet.

 

[pi_guy]

learn to gas weld first.

 

[jimgood]

I'm leaning toward finding a class, but don't know where to look or what it will actually teach me. I don't really need the classroom stuff; I need hands-on. I learn better that way. I need to know enough to be comfortable with it, and not screw something up bad enough to risk someone's safety. Any advice for a guy wanting to learn the basics?

So, what you really want is a shortcut to being an expert welder with no equipment.

You might not like that "classroom stuff" but that is the language of welding. In order to become an expert (someone that can weld confidently with out risking someone's safety), you need to be fluent in the language so that you can converse in it, ask the right questions and understand the answers.

There are no shortcuts.

 

[jimgood]

learn to gas weld first.

And I will second this.

 

[koditten]

I like the buy a welder and start welding phrase.

I don't know who told you stick is easier than MIG, but I found that to be the complete opposite.

I really don't agree with spending money on a vocational class. Everything you need can be found on the internet. In fact, most of your questions can be answered here. You just need to keep asking them.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I took a class at the local technical college. It was one night a week for 8 weeks, where we learned mostly MIG and also a little TIG. It wasn't meant to make people into certified welders, but mainly an intro. The cost wasn't bad at all, we had good equipment to work with and an instructor who's day job was welding at a nuclear plant so he knew his stuff. Each night there was 45 minutes or so of classroom, followed by 2 or more hours of actually welding.

Check in your area for extension classes at vo-tech or technical schools, or even adult education through a local high school. You could also stop by local welding supply shops to see if they know of any introduction to welding classes being held in your area.

 

[brownbagg]

get a $100 cracker box and a 50pound box of 6010,6011, 6013. doesnt really matter which, just whatever you can get. sit and burn the whole 50 lbs at one sitting with nobody helping or talking to you. That will be the start, stick some rods, catch yourself on fire, flash yourself. grab the electrode and steel table at same time.

now grasshopper you are ready to learn

 

[matt_i]

I learned to weld by buying a welder, a Mig welder at that. I had about 1 hour of training before buying the "package" of machine + gas bottle + consumables + ppe. Basically just need some steel flat bar and practice running beads on that to start. Stick is fine but imo its for heavier-duty or rusty-er stuff and it welds out of position much better than anything I've ever been able to do with a mig. These days its 90% tig welding. I'm sure real professional welders would laugh at some things I do but it seems to get the job done and things have never fallen apart.

after you get the welder, you will want to do a project. I would recommend a saw, a 4x6 horizontal bandsaw can do a lot of work, and a steel supplier.

 

[sberry]

Wanting to weld stuff is a different goal than becomi g a career welder. you dont need to know everything to build or fix. Classes are good too

 

[Richard Cranium]

I too would like to find a class to learn to weld with a mig.

 

[pi_guy]

I like the buy a welder and start welding phrase.

I don't know who told you stick is easier than MIG, but I found that to be the complete opposite.

I really don't agree with spending money on a vocational class. Everything you need can be found on the internet. In fact, most of your questions can be answered here. You just need to keep asking them.

Yes but can you tell the worthwhile information from the ****.
Learn from a professional there are many things you do not want to learn the hard way.

Some points on gas welding you learn to master temperature control.
You learn how to watch a bubble of molten steel and you develop hand control. The cost is cheaper than other forms and has other uses cutting, brazing and my popular use is heating cases for bearing remove and replacement.

From what I have seen of many newbie welding a safety class would have been a good thing and every welding class I have taken it is the first thing covered.

 

[jhn9840]

Yes but can you tell the worthwhile information from the ****.
Learn from a professional there are many things you do not want to learn the hard way.

Some points on gas welding you learn to master temperature control.
You learn how to watch a bubble of molten steel and you develop hand control. The cost is cheaper than other forms and has other uses cutting, brazing and my popular use is heating cases for bearing remove and replacement.

From what I have seen of many newbie welding a safety class would have been a good thing and every welding class I have taken it is the first thing covered.

I agree. Went to welding school way back in the mid 70's. First class off the bat was safety. First practical class was O/A welding. Gives you a solid foundation for whatever follows.

jhn9840
John

 

[vettex2]

buy a welder and practice
it worked for me

 

[sberry]

As I said, there is a difference. If a sprout is going in to it for a career its different, if you like classes or want them its good too, you get exposure to people as well as equipment and some practice. I see some pretty good self learned wire welders, a few stick guys but not so much, more rare.
If the goal is to fix some hobby equipment and some yard art, etc buy a machine even if headed to a school.
The school may not actually clear up which machine is right for you, I know guys learn on a pipeline and think everyone should start with a 400A engine drive. Choices are soooooo much better today than when we started, so many places and brands, new models etc that it can be confusing. One may gather from a class that this ideal arc etc is the absolute best and that's what they need at home but may not have the perspective to realize a DC buzzer will do the same thing at that level.
After doing this a while I can say for almost sure if a guy doesn't have a welder a 200 mig is for him and would even sell at top dollar if he really decided it wasn't for him but I don't know anyone ever got rid of one. This s a machine I would want in the lineup even if I do have other units.

 

[Locker537]

I like the buy a welder and start welding phrase.

I don't know who told you stick is easier than MIG, but I found that to be the complete opposite.

I really don't agree with spending money on a vocational class. Everything you need can be found on the internet. In fact, most of your questions can be answered here. You just need to keep asking them.

For me, the value of the vocational class was exposure to the different welding processes and techniques. I don't have ready access to any machine, so the class let me experiment with SMAW, MIG, TIG, oxy acetylene, and many different types of metals.

I wouldn't have been able to do that at home! I wish I had friends or relatives to give me exposure but I don't.

 

[sberry]

I am a career welder, I have been doing this near 40 yrs now, have 9 other machines, use this 90 percent of the time and the other is mostly because I can or really contracting for a type of work the avg hobby type wouldn't do.

 

[steel 35]

start here?

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/

 

[stsmytherie]

I don't know the right way for you to learn, but I found a night class at a local VoTech and it was totally worth the money. 20% class time, which was helpful to understand how stuff worked and how to not get hurt. 80% hands on. We had a chance to try gas, stick, MIG and TIG on quality equipment with an expert giving feedback on our work. Helped me a lot.

I went in thinking I'd want to do mostly MIG and almost bought a MIG box up front. Ended up loving TIG and spending most of my time working through that learning curve and ended up buying a TIG rig for home instead.

So I highly recommend the class approach if one is available to you.

 

[michaelf]

Any school class would be a much better way to learn and well worth the time and money.

 

[TauntDevil]

If available, I would go to a class. Sadly, where I am, the classes are colleges and I didnt have the high funds to go to a college just to learn how to weld for hobby reasons.
I ended up buying my first mig welder for $25 and learned on that. Was crappy but I quickly understood how they worked.
After that, I eventually bought a few lincoln welders and got much better with a better machine.

Long story short, I think it would help you greatly to purchase a welder to be able to practice with while at home and if available, go to a course / classes to weld as it will speed up the learning process.
You state that you may work on farm equipment, I havent worked on much but I assume some of it is thick metal, maybe best to learn stick as its (IMO) good for thick material than mig as far as price goes. Just my opinion though. Not saying mig is bad or anything like that, all can do the same, just stating my opinion on what I read in this thread...

Best of luck!

 

[pi_guy]

Just a comment to the OP
Go to Eastec it is on this year it is in springfield Ma in May

http://www.easteconline.com/attend/event-location-directions/

They have most of the welding companies there also.

 

[byoungblood]

I'm in the buy a welder and start welding crowd. A used stick welder is usually the best bang for the buck and the learning curve isn't as hard as you think. Get some 6011 and 7018 and start running beads. Only real limitation is it is harder welding thinner material (1/8" is as thin as I dare at my skill level) and ornamental stuff can be a challenge.

Plus side is that if you get a DC stick you can scratch start TIG for thinner material. Once I get a better hang of what I'm doing I'm probably going to get a TIG torch and bottle of argon for my CST 280 and try my hand at TIG.

 

[Dr Stan]

Hobart has a number of how to weld videos on YouTube. Check them out here:

 

[Jon_E]

You guys are great. Thank you for the information and advice. I'm certainly not looking for a career, but it would help me at work as I am a facility manager and I need to be a jack-of-all-trades. Also 47 years old, so not a youngster learning a new trade.

I admit I've watched many a YouTube video, but there is just so much you can learn by watching someone else, and then you try it for yourself and wonder how they made it look so easy. The local high school has a trades program, and they offer a welding class for $695, which includes "welding materials and a helmet" but I don't know how long the class lasts or specifically what is taught. Guess I'll have to look into that a bit more. $695 goes a long way toward a new 180 amp MIG welder though. If I can find a used machine for a decent price, maybe I'll just load up on scrap metal and wire spools and trial-and-error myself to death.

 

[TK-421]

Take a look at your local community college, a lot of them will offer classes to people who want to learn how to weld but don't want a full on degree in welding.

 

[WWheeler]

get a $100 cracker box and a 50pound box of 6010,6011, 6013. doesnt really matter which, just whatever you can get. sit and burn the whole 50 lbs at one sitting with nobody helping or talking to you. That will be the start, stick some rods, catch yourself on fire, flash yourself. grab the electrode and steel table at same time.

now grasshopper you are ready to learn

There's much truth and experience talking there. That's exactly how my grandpa let my brothers, friends, and I begin to learn well before we got to high school and could take some vo-tech classes.

 

[pi_guy]

There's much truth and experience talking there. That's exactly how my grandpa let my brothers, friends, and I begin to learn well before we got to high school and could take some vo-tech classes.

But grandpa was acting as a mentor which is like being in school.

I am almost 60 and I still learn continue to take classes and attend seminars and I run an intern program for race techs.
& I still get mentored or assisted by older racers.

When you think you know it all your done, never stop learning.

Too often on this board the cheap way seems to very dominate, welding can be very lethal a number of different ways. So it is really best to have some proper training.

 

[koditten]

Yes, Grandpa was a mentor. With the aid of the internet, you can have a whole world of mentors. Believe me, if bad advice is given, they will be called out.

I still stand by my opinion of not needing to enroll in organized education for welding.

I'm not going to convince you to take classes or not take classes. It just seems to me, that $650 will buy a very nice home use MIG unit.

 

[dogdog]

I just watch a bunch of videos and practice on some good clean coupons....

watch this video from Steve Bleile... he explains the welding process textbook wise the best possible presentation to its audiences, easy to understand... After you get the basics, then you can watch others to get shortcuts...

https://www.google.com/#q=mig+welding+steve+bleile&*

 

[TK-421]

Yes, Grandpa was a mentor. With the aid of the internet, you can have a whole world of mentors. Believe me, if bad advice is given, they will be called out.

I still stand by my opinion of not needing to enroll in organized education for welding.

I'm not going to convince you to take classes or not take classes. It just seems to me, that $650 will buy a very nice home use MIG unit.

That $650 could also save you a lot of time, frustration, and money spent on wire/metal while you bluster through trying to teach yourself how to weld.

It all depends on how well you learn on your own with very little in person instruction. Some people do just fine with that kind of learning environment, other people need a more structured learning environment with a hands-on instructor who knows what they're doing and can help show you the do's and dont's and can help you avoid of wasted time and frustration.

 

[koditten]

I'm kinda sorry I got sucked down this rabbit hole. Isn't this the section for showing things that you have made?

Please carry on.

Color me gone.

 

[59 wagon man]

go to a welding supply dealer and ask him if they give classes. the vocational school took my money but being that I wasn't looking for accreditation they weren't interested in teaching me anything

 

[trackwelder]

Some class time with a competent welder would definitely go a long way. I burn more metal in a month than most guys will ever do in their entire life. I have never regretted the time or money spent on training classes early on.