Need a cheap location to learn to weld

[bluesanta]

New here. Hello everyone.

I discovered this website while searching for suggestions on building a temporary garage for welding.

This community seems to be full of experts on the subject, so here I am.

The short and sweet is that I'm looking to build or acquire a temporary structure I can use to weld throughout the year. It would be nice if I could even heat and use it during heavy snowfall in the Northern Alaskan winters where I live, even if that means being responsible to brush snow off the top of the structure on a regular basis.

I need something that would keep cost to a minimum (with an emphasis on minimum, as I'm not willing to take out loans) while making sure the spatter doesn't catch the surrounding territory (forest) on fire. I also need to make sure that my two kids are visually protected from the weld light, in case I'm ever working and they come outside and would otherwise be tempted to stare.

A bit of background about what I have currently on my ~3 acre homestead.

I have one small room in my cabin available to keep tools warm and dry, and this room provides a little bit of workspace. Dimensions are approximately 10' x 16'. Most of this space is currently full of my tools and things. I am unable to do even simple woodwork in this space, as it's too crowded. The rest of the cabin is unavailable for shop use (unless the wife isn't home...).

I also have an 8' x 8' wooden shed. It's not heated, but it does a decent job of keeping a few things dry, although not warm. (Temperatures in this location drop as low as negative forty degrees in Dec/Jan, so this is a bit of an issue for some types of equipment.) The shed is too far away from the cabin to obtain grid-powered heating. The shed is also too far away to obtain the high voltage/amperage electricity necessary for welding. Furthermore, as the shed is wooden, I'd have to repurpose it.

I have a 24'x13'x11' steel-framed tent; canvas is made of common tarp fabric. It provides a little bit of protection against snow and rain, and keeps away some condensation, but it does little else. It's not usable as a welding workspace, for obvious reasons. I'm honestly a bit disappointed in this and would sell it in the future, if I can get a better garage situation.

I recently began the process of purchasing (for dirt, dirt cheap) a thirty year old non-functional RV that I intend to use to keep some of my shop tools warm and dry. The RV will be towed to my property sometime in the next few months. Size of the RV is 30' x 8'. The intention is that it will someday be a decent mobile shop for fixing light vehicles and for building light rental structures away from home. For this coming year, I only intend to make sure the RV functions as a heated shelter and nothing more.

None of the above are suitable for welding. Can't weld in your own home for safety reasons. Don't have a normal carport/garage. The shed's too far away, and really too small for anything but small-item welding. The tent would burn up. The RV will, hopefully, be useful for climate-controlled storage for large items, and as an aside living space, but the RV's not for welding itself.

I really just need some type of 10' x 10' steel or aluminum box with a pitched and insulated roof. I can make do with a gravel floor.

Perhaps there's something else I haven't thought of.

Anyone have any ideas? The best options would be based on repurposing junk that I can acquire at low to no cost, but only if it doesn't come at the expense of safety.

Look forward to meeting y'all.

 

[65ranchero]

Welcome to the site
just a thought , it won't be free but it's a thought


Cargo container! or 2
short or long

 

[Rst277]

Wait until the summer - work outside. Free and good air circulation.

 

[ybnormal]

since you're welding, you've got two options: metal or wood
wood sheds are EXTREMELY expensive right now, metal sheds are not that much cheaper (but enough to make a difference)

you also have a 3rd option but you'll need to price it out. take that tent frame you have and cover it with corrugated roofing. since you're up there you need to seal the edges of the shelter, I would do that by digging sod up and stacking it around the edges of the shelter

here's a sampling of videos

 

[wssix99]

Welcome to the site
just a thought , it won't be free but it's a thought


Cargo container! or 2
short or long

+1 on the shipping container:
- easy to transport
- put it anywhere
- less worry about snow loads
- lots of companies sell accessories for things like heaters and other appliances

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I have 3 rolls (40'x60') of 12 mil heatshrink plastic that is also flame resistant. It is used for storing boats, and other equipment over the winter. I plan on using mine for the same as you. I will put some metal shielding in the area where the most sparks will fly.
Unfortunately i dont have any links to the product as i bought it as new old stock thru a private seller.

 

[karoc]

Watch some Youtubes, then burn some rods. Play around little with settings, use thick metal then little thinner trying not burn though. No I'm not welder, learning as I go.

 

[haveissues]

+2 on the shipping container. You can also customize it using your new skill that you are learning.

 

[FredWanaker]

it isn't only children who stare at welding light. Animals do to. A good friend blinded some of his best animal friends that way and it really bummed him out.

 

[niget2002]

I tell my family when I'll be using the welder. They look at the window to see if it's on before coming to the door. If it's on, they'll holler my name while still outside the door to get my attention.

We use the same rules if I'm going to be running the laser engraver.

 

[KEH]

As far as learning to weld, I suggest, if you have a public library, that you check out some books on welding and welding projects. Not being from AK or any where else cold, I won't suggest how to get a warm place to weld, except to add the suggestion to get a cargo container.

KEH

 

[WNYflyer]

I always thought most if not all shipping containers have a wood floor covering? I know a few years back I worked on a job where one was fitted out as a Motor Control Center and when delivered and set the plant safety folks where none to happy to see the wood floor covering. Don't know what if anything they did to fireproof the floor.

 

[bluesanta]

What a fantastic response. Lively community. Thanks!

These are great suggestions.

Seems like everyone agrees that the simplest solution is to get a shipping container. I see those around on Craigslist from time to time in the low four figure range. I might be able to make that happen sometime late or mid-summer. Thanks for the encouragement.

The one concern I have regarding used shipping containers is that I hear that they may have been used to transport hazardous chemicals, and there's no way to know.

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

[jrsavoie]

I bought a 24' van body. For $500 I'm still using it. The bed is on trailer and the aluminum box is on a concrete pad. Full of shelves and stuff.

 

[bluesanta]

since you're welding, you've got two options: metal or wood
wood sheds are EXTREMELY expensive right now, metal sheds are not that much cheaper (but enough to make a difference)

you also have a 3rd option but you'll need to price it out. take that tent frame you have and cover it with corrugated roofing. since you're up there you need to seal the edges of the shelter, I would do that by digging sod up and stacking it around the edges of the shelter

here's a sampling of videos

I just finished watching the videos. This is surprisingly brilliant.

The tent in the first video is actually the exact tent I currently have. I don't like it much, but sheesh, if I could repurpose it at a low cost like that (that guy says he spent only $300), we could probably solve this very cheaply, and soon, too. The guy in the second video even says he's specifically trying to build a welding tent, which is encouraging.

One issue with the tent as it is, is that here in Northern Alaska, the tent needs to be brushed off of snow often to save it from collapse.

The siding in the first two videos is laid out so the grooves stretch horizontally. If I did that, the snow here would be difficult to brush off. There would also be a build up of ice, as the weather here frequently goes above positive forty degrees Fahrenheit, the snow starts to melt, and then the weather immediately dips back down to negative thirty degrees. Ice forms in every nook and cranny at those times (and destroys all my tarps in the process).

We recently had a record breaking snowfall that shut down the local military base for four days, a feat that has never happened before. I was shoveling snow off of and around from this tent constantly during this weather -- at least three hours per day saving this tent alone. I can make better tools for next year -- that's part of the idea behind learning to weld! I have a broken down ATV that needs welding repair, for instance. Got it off Craigslist and the lack of working space is the chief hold up.

Also, if I were to mount the metal siding so the grooves stretch vertically, like in the third video, that would help. It'd take a bit of work to make them fit the round top... I could talk to the local siding supplier and see if they have any ideas. I could simply cut sheets so that they are wide across but short in length, and then mount the siding so that there are lots of lateral rows. This would allow the siding to form joints around the bends. Hard to describe what I'm thinking. I'd need to draw it out.

There's also the issue of insulation. In a perfect world, the solution for this project would allow me to have enough insulation in the tent that I can keep it at least positive fifty degrees Fahrenheit during the winter. That's warm enough that I can work without wearing gloves -- a safety issue that has prevented me from using many a power tool outside this winter.

Not sure what type of insulation I would use. I have sitting in my yard about 42 giant blocks of styrofoam, each 6" thick and anywhere from 4'x4' to 4'x8'. Got them off Craigslist from a guy who salvaged them from a house demolition. The blocks would keep the reinforced tent toasty warm. However, if I installed them on the inside of the reinforced tent, they would take up a ton of space, and then they obviously would melt while welding nearby. I think collectively they are also probably too heavy for the steel frame, considering the added snow load. I would prefer to keep these styrofoam blocks for the rental unit I had hoped to build in the somewhat near future.

Perhaps I could instead put a layer of metal siding on both the inside and outside of the steel frame, and then sandwich insulation in between. It'd have to be something that the squirrels wouldn't steal... I think I might be able to find something that fits the bill.

I am reluctant to use any type of foam spray on this, because if it needs to be repaired or restructured, the foam would prevent that. I used it on my cabin, and it works wonders and lowered our heating bill by probably 70%... but... once it dries, good luck getting rid of it. I suppose I could use some foam spray around the joints and in the gaps in the grooves, since I have to. Without it, the joints would become an absolute haven for wasps.

For heating, I actually have a nice furnace that's sitting in my 8'x8' wooden shed right now. It's an oil-based furnace, never been used as far as I know. Unit is about 4' tall, and is meant to heat a whole house. It's an extra unit leftover from the previous owner of our cabin. I think I also have most, if not all, of the peripherals needed to install the furnace. Been picking them up off Craigslist yard sales. Just needs power. There's enough room to just place the furnace in the reinforced tent... although if the tent were to fail I would hate to have the furnace tip over while it's running. Might be dangerous; don't know that a unit this size would have any reason to have a tip-over sensor. I could either create some reinforcement inside the tent to protect the heater... or even just build a separate structure out of wood that sits outside the tents and feeds inwards... or perhaps I could find a way to move the 8'x8' shed closer to the house and install the furnace there. I could then run heat ducting into the RV, as well, which would save me from having to buy a heater for it this winter. Those are all relatively cheap solutions. It'd be a sight to behold... wouldn't be winning any homemaker awards. But hey, why not?

The one thing that makes me most excited about the reinforced tent solution over a used shipping container is the height and width (well... there's also the cost, too... since even used shipping containers have more than tripled in price over the last two years. I doubt I could pick up a clean one for less than $3.5K, and that would just be the beginning of the cost). The width of the ShelterLogic tents is a nice feature. You can fit an entire light pickup truck in there and you have enough room to walk around the sides.

The one remaining issue is getting power to the unit.

The previous owner of our cabin already had a hole drilled through the logs near the cabin fuse box, and there's some non-live wires poking out the side. So, routing power from the fuse box to the reinforced tent seems doable.

But what I am still wondering about is how much power I would need. These are the notes I wrote down earlier. I've never wired anything before, so I don't know if I'm on the right track. For example, can you wire lights on the same circuit breaker as general-use GFCI outlets? Or do the lights have to be separate? My notes:

• One 120v fuse box switch for common electrical components: lights, computer, general purpose outlets
• One 120v fuse box switch dedicated to 120v/15amp power tools
• One (?v) fuse box switch dedicated to heater
• One (two?) 240v (230v?) fuse box switch(es?) dedicated to plasma cutter/welding tools

My plasma cutter says it needs 208/230V 50/60Hz and a minimum of 40 amp service, and my welding unit needs 208/230 V AC, 50/60 Hz 1-ph, Input Amperage (Recommended): 46/42.

I would like to, eventually, create a DIY plasma-cutting table (and other CNC/3D printing type adventures), so that would need power both for the plasma cutter itself, and then all the electrical components to run the table simultaneously, plus the computer and other common electrically powered items. The plasma cutter I strongly suspect needs its own power source; everything else though, maybe-maybe not?

Any thoughts on what a minimal shop like this needs?

I have a gasoline-powered air compressor, so that won't draw on the power resources. I think it's 27CFM or something. And I also have a 5kw generator that can provide occasional assistance, but I don't want to run it constantly.

There is one issue with the air compressor. In winter time, you have to keep it warm. That's difficult when it's gasoline powered and it must run outside. I could create some type of standalone overhang, I suppose. Wouldn't need to be expensive; could probably do it almost free from lumber on my property. Hmm...

Wow, you guys really got my brain going. Thanks! Fun times.

 

[bluesanta]

I always thought most if not all shipping containers have a wood floor covering? I know a few years back I worked on a job where one was fitted out as a Motor Control Center and when delivered and set the plant safety folks where none to happy to see the wood floor covering. Don't know what if anything they did to fireproof the floor.

I've heard you can just put aluminum sheeting over the floor. That's the suggestion in the DIY Learn to Weld book I just finished reading.

Here are the books I'm reading. Finished the first and am working on the second. I like them both very much.

Learn to Weld: Beginning MIG Welding and Metal Fabrication

Farm and Workshop Welding

 

[bluesanta]

Worth mentioning that I just read elsewhere that spray foam is not recommended for a welding environment. It does pass the fire test, but it's generally not meant for such risks.

The expert I'm reading recommends fiberglass batt insulation, covered with type x gypsum. I'm not familiar with either product and am looking further into them.

 

[nadogail]

This thread Speaks to me because I became of age in Alaska. I graduated from to Anchorage High School ( there was only one High School in Anchorage at the time) and worked in Anchorage, Seward, Gulf of Alaska, Montague Island, and Prince William Sound. I have driven the Alaska Highway by myself, during the winter, (both down and back up) in a pickup during the winter at the age of 21. The first election I voted in was to approve Statehood in the late 50's.

You have not really shared your location; Alaska is BIG and varied from South Eastern to the North Slope and from the Canadian Border to the Aleutians. Each area is it's own reality, and basically "We didn't give a damn about how the do things Outside".

You mentioned you have a Plasma Cutter, that is a tool I never saw until much later, With a plasma cutter, some room and a vehicle, you can repurpose 55 gallon steel drums into heavy gauge sheet metal. Cut both ends off just at the seam. and then cut the remaining cylinder from top to bottom.

With the weight of your vehicle (and some planks) you can roll the that former cylinder into something resembling resembling a rectangular sheet of steel. You will need several of these; they can become fireproof panels from which you can side and roof your shop. As I recall, Alaska was littered with discarded steel drums.

As a young man I recall Homesteads were a full Section and Home Sites were 2 1/2 acres, but I will not complain about semantics, If the land is where your home is and you intend to live there more than temporarily, by most definitions that is your Homestead. Building materials are what you make buildings from, those are limited by your budget, imagination, and initiative. In my journey through life I have seen many serviceable structures that were built from "alternative materials" that served their inhabitants very well. Recycled wooden pallets are really useful, with a little welding skill, you can build your own Pallet Disassembly tool from a 4' length of Steel pipe and some short pieces of steel. I very dangerously assume you have access to Google, for an illustration.

Pallet Wood is far from prime lumber, but if available, it can substitute for the costly pretty stuff. You wrote you have an engine driven compressor that compressor can help you warm your shop if you can stand the noise of it running and get the exhaust gasses outside. When I bought my first small engine (from Harbor Freight) l started and ran it, after securing it to a sturdy bench, and realized that the cooling air from the engine was pretty warm (almost hot). The exhaust stack you put in for the engine can later become the flue for your stove or furnace.

The University of Alaska put on an exhibition in Anchorage, about 60 years ago and showed that Sawdust, both plentiful and cheap made a pretty decent insulation, if kept dry and away from fire, a little boric acid powder mixed into the sawdust will keep the bugs from living in it.

I have seen many buildings made from welded steel. Old drill pipe, in the right hands, becomes Steel Lumber.

Kids will watch the Arc, I did and blinked for a week from watching a Weldor from what I thought was a "Safe Enough" distance; fortunately that bit of youthful ignorance caused me no permanent eye damage. I bought myself a stick welder after I was pushed out of my last job because of my age, I don't call myself a Weldor, but I can stick steel together most of the time. 7014 rod is my friend; I describe it as "Farmer Rod" for those who really don't know how to weld but do it any way they can. It runs on both AC and DC and is available at welding supply houses but it is not found at Home Depot.

When your kid is old enough you might get them their own welding helmet and gloves so they can watch and "help" their Dad in his shop and learn something about a useful skill.

I scrounge up all the steel that I find, repurposed pallet beams and pipe make very good fence posts and frames for carts and buildings. Old Bed Frames are not well regarded as steel, but they can be used. The axle under my Miter saw table is a section of old bed frame with 5/8" bolts for the Harbor Freight wheels to turn on.

Year ago I read of a guy who took an engine and turned it into a "complete energy system" when he ran the engine it powered his 220 Volt generator, charged his low voltage batteries for house lighting while pumping his water into an elevated storage tank, and the heated water from the engine also warmed his house. His primary heat source was wood, but heat is heat, no matter where you get it from.

Please feel free to let the Chechakos know how you are building your own in "The Great Land"

 

[CraigStu]

You are getting some great ideas on your building and I can't add much there. But one thing to consider is the type of welding your will be doing. I mention it because a change might make your building and fire prevention less of an issue. Any chance you could do your welding w/ a TIG machine? I ask because they have virtually zero splatter. I have used mine on several occasions to weld inside a car, a complete car that I drove right before and right after I did the welding. W/ a TIG you have to be careful of the heat it creates but that is it. No sparks flying around. You already have a welder so look into TIG add-ons. You don't need an entire new machine.

 

[ybnormal]

I just recently setup a ShedInaBox and know how the UV rays eat up the fabric so I've been looking for a UV coating to apply for the last several years. Basically, as near as I can tell, it doesn't exist.
however, I did find Yutube videos showing these tents being wrapped like @alwaysFlOoReD suggested. put the styrofoam blocks on the outside of the walls then shrinkwrap the entire structure. you now have a windproof insulated structure

 

[rayra]

Another stick-framed shed building but sheathed with metal roofing panels inside and out. And with insulation. You'd get your all-weather requirement and the interior metal will help prevent your burning it down.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I spent 3 years welding outdoors in all weather, in upstate NY, with a steel oil drum to house the welder. I bundled up in winter. Wore a raincoat on wet days. You get the drift. The first arc I struck was during a snowstorm.

 

[Magnum440d100]

In a more milder climate, we got a Costco carport (it is like 8’x20’), and enclosed it with corrugated sheet metal and plywood. Been that way for 20 years. It did a decent job of keeping the rain off the top, though the front and back were open. Just the top and sides were closed in.

I’m 2200 miles from it, and can’t just go snap pics, but here is some really crappy “I think I see it?????” pics lol

As mentioned, it was built probably 20 years ago. I was barely a teenager, not knowing what I was doing. And it’s held up.

As far as the pic of the blue and orange truck, that white canopy/carport frame is the type we used (just not THAT one. Pic for reference).

 

[ZRX61]

it isn't only children who stare at welding light. Animals do to. A good friend blinded some of his best animal friends that way and it really bummed him out.

Many years ago there was an issue with cows at a farm in the UK developing eye problems. All sorts of tests were done & they were mainly looking at vitamin deficiencies & possible poisoning. Turned out the cows had been watching the guys welding powerline towers along a nearby hill.

 

[nadogail]

Kay Said:
" I spent 3 years welding outdoors in all weather, in upstate NY, with a steel oil drum to house the welder. I bundled up in winter. Wore a raincoat on wet days. You get the drift. The first arc I struck was during a snowstorm."

I am sure you were using a Stick Welder, not a $100 Harbor Freight Mig

 

[bluesanta]

This thread Speaks to me because I became of age in Alaska. I graduated from to Anchorage High School ( there was only one High School in Anchorage at the time) and worked in Anchorage, Seward, Gulf of Alaska, Montague Island, and Prince William Sound. I have driven the Alaska Highway by myself, during the winter, (both down and back up) in a pickup during the winter at the age of 21. The first election I voted in was to approve Statehood in the late 50's.

You have not really shared your location; Alaska is BIG and varied from South Eastern to the North Slope and from the Canadian Border to the Aleutians. Each area is it's own reality, and basically "We didn't give a damn about how the do things Outside".

You mentioned you have a Plasma Cutter, that is a tool I never saw until much later, With a plasma cutter, some room and a vehicle, you can repurpose 55 gallon steel drums into heavy gauge sheet metal. Cut both ends off just at the seam. and then cut the remaining cylinder from top to bottom.

With the weight of your vehicle (and some planks) you can roll the that former cylinder into something resembling resembling a rectangular sheet of steel. You will need several of these; they can become fireproof panels from which you can side and roof your shop. As I recall, Alaska was littered with discarded steel drums.

As a young man I recall Homesteads were a full Section and Home Sites were 2 1/2 acres, but I will not complain about semantics, If the land is where your home is and you intend to live there more than temporarily, by most definitions that is your Homestead. Building materials are what you make buildings from, those are limited by your budget, imagination, and initiative. In my journey through life I have seen many serviceable structures that were built from "alternative materials" that served their inhabitants very well. Recycled wooden pallets are really useful, with a little welding skill, you can build your own Pallet Disassembly tool from a 4' length of Steel pipe and some short pieces of steel. I very dangerously assume you have access to Google, for an illustration.

Pallet Wood is far from prime lumber, but if available, it can substitute for the costly pretty stuff. You wrote you have an engine driven compressor that compressor can help you warm your shop if you can stand the noise of it running and get the exhaust gasses outside. When I bought my first small engine (from Harbor Freight) l started and ran it, after securing it to a sturdy bench, and realized that the cooling air from the engine was pretty warm (almost hot). The exhaust stack you put in for the engine can later become the flue for your stove or furnace.

The University of Alaska put on an exhibition in Anchorage, about 60 years ago and showed that Sawdust, both plentiful and cheap made a pretty decent insulation, if kept dry and away from fire, a little boric acid powder mixed into the sawdust will keep the bugs from living in it.

I have seen many buildings made from welded steel. Old drill pipe, in the right hands, becomes Steel Lumber.

Kids will watch the Arc, I did and blinked for a week from watching a Weldor from what I thought was a "Safe Enough" distance; fortunately that bit of youthful ignorance caused me no permanent eye damage. I bought myself a stick welder after I was pushed out of my last job because of my age, I don't call myself a Weldor, but I can stick steel together most of the time. 7014 rod is my friend; I describe it as "Farmer Rod" for those who really don't know how to weld but do it any way they can. It runs on both AC and DC and is available at welding supply houses but it is not found at Home Depot.

When your kid is old enough you might get them their own welding helmet and gloves so they can watch and "help" their Dad in his shop and learn something about a useful skill.

I scrounge up all the steel that I find, repurposed pallet beams and pipe make very good fence posts and frames for carts and buildings. Old Bed Frames are not well regarded as steel, but they can be used. The axle under my Miter saw table is a section of old bed frame with 5/8" bolts for the Harbor Freight wheels to turn on.

Year ago I read of a guy who took an engine and turned it into a "complete energy system" when he ran the engine it powered his 220 Volt generator, charged his low voltage batteries for house lighting while pumping his water into an elevated storage tank, and the heated water from the engine also warmed his house. His primary heat source was wood, but heat is heat, no matter where you get it from.

Please feel free to let the Chechakos know how you are building your own in "The Great Land"

Great ideas! I like the idea of pulling the scrap metal off of old barrels. I've seen many around town; haven't gone looking to see how many I could scrounge up. Definitely worth putting on the list.

Lots of other great ideas, too. Thanks! Will keep you posted.

 

[bluesanta]

You are getting some great ideas on your building and I can't add much there. But one thing to consider is the type of welding your will be doing. I mention it because a change might make your building and fire prevention less of an issue. Any chance you could do your welding w/ a TIG machine? I ask because they have virtually zero splatter. I have used mine on several occasions to weld inside a car, a complete car that I drove right before and right after I did the welding. W/ a TIG you have to be careful of the heat it creates but that is it. No sparks flying around. You already have a welder so look into TIG add-ons. You don't need an entire new machine.

I'd like to TIG weld, eventually. The machine I purchased is intended for MIG, although with the purchase of a separate nozzle/lead it can be adapted for TIG.

I hear that TIG is more difficult to grasp for beginners, so I'm saving this for down the road. I had read in the book I mentioned elsewhere here that TIG is ideal for outdoor welding.

 

[bluesanta]

I spent 3 years welding outdoors in all weather, in upstate NY, with a steel oil drum to house the welder. I bundled up in winter. Wore a raincoat on wet days. You get the drift. The first arc I struck was during a snowstorm.

Nice.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Kay Said:
" I spent 3 years welding outdoors in all weather, in upstate NY, with a steel oil drum to house the welder. I bundled up in winter. Wore a raincoat on wet days. You get the drift. The first arc I struck was during a snowstorm."

I am sure you were using a Stick Welder, not a $100 Harbor Freight Mig

Oh yeah. This was like 50 years ago. I don't think there was a Farter Freight back then. I started out using a $5 waterlogged PowrKraft buzzbox. The kind you had to unlock, turn off, move a lever, and relock, to set the heat. It was horrific, but it paid the bills.

 

[CraigStu]

Funny you say that. I have tried mig on 3 occasions and it *****. Well 'I **** at it' would be more accurate. For me TIG is the easiest of all welding types. I am not sure about the indoor/outdoor comment you read. I am always indoors so no experience.

 

[claymont]

What a fantastic response. Lively community. Thanks!

These are great suggestions.

Seems like everyone agrees that the simplest solution is to get a shipping container. I see those around on Craigslist from time to time in the low four figure range. I might be able to make that happen sometime late or mid-summer. Thanks for the encouragement.

The one concern I have regarding used shipping containers is that I hear that they may have been used to transport hazardous chemicals, and there's no way to know.

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

The place I worked at had them at every maint shop...couple dozen of them. A couple of them stunk so bad from spilled chemicals, I wouldn't go in them. Smelled like an insecticide on steroids.

 

[dagofast]

For an inexpensive, fireproof shed like you are after, check to see if you have any machine tool dealers/riggers nearby. Most CNC machines come in metal shipping crates that are constructed from angle iron frames with thin metal sheets tacked inside. They come in a wide variety of sizes. They aren't completely water tight as the machine tools would still be covered in plastic wrap, but a couple of tubes of caulk would solve that. They bolt together so they can be broken down in to the base, sides and top. Because rigging time is expensive, I would just unbolt the base and have them lift the top & sides off, then unbolt the machine from the base and quickly move the machine in to place. In my experience, a few dealers or riggers tried to sell these metal crates at first but for any that see them in any kind of volume, those things pile up fast, take up a ton of space and they're usually just happy to be rid of them. A few shops would take them and use them for storage but most would/could not and the riggers were loathe to take them after awhile and charged extra to load them up and haul the crates away. One of your first projects could be to fab up a door in one side.

 

[gmcgeo]

I learned to weld with a ranger 8 stick welding anything from sheet metal, all the way to building trailers.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

For my oil lube compressor in the winter i wrap the head with a battery blanket. I work down to -16C as a high for the day, so it was much colder in the morning when i started up.

 

[ybnormal]

I'd like to TIG weld, eventually. The machine I purchased is intended for MIG, although with the purchase of a separate nozzle/lead it can be adapted for TIG.

I hear that TIG is more difficult to grasp for beginners, so I'm saving this for down the road. I had read in the book I mentioned elsewhere here that TIG is ideal for outdoor welding.

Funny you say that. I have tried mig on 3 occasions and it *****. Well 'I **** at it' would be more accurate. For me TIG is the easiest of all welding types. I am not sure about the indoor/outdoor comment you read. I am always indoors so no experience.

I took a shortened welding class 18 months ago during the summer just as Covid started up. for beginners like me, there is basically stick, gas-shielded, and non-gas shielded. if you're welding outside in a windy area, you're going to want non-gas shielded wire with flux because the wind is blowing away your shielding gas.
it's definitely a muscle-memory skill learning how to 'lay down dimes'. I'd get one really good one (one solid track) out of every 20, with some ok good ones (shorter sections of good dimes) in a track out of another 14. The remainder would be wandering all over, with blow-thru's, ovals, and pure unevenness.

 

[Toxictom]

Great ideas! I like the idea of pulling the scrap metal off of old barrels. I've seen many around town; haven't gone looking to see how many I could scrounge up. Definitely worth putting on the list.

Lots of other great ideas, too. Thanks! Will keep you posted.

I'd be really, really careful cutting up old drums.

 

[fitter30]

Don't forget about ventilation if the building is tight. Fumes don't taste good.

 

[antman213]

lowes has arrow tin sheds on clearance for under 100.