New to Welding, What do I Need?

[HotRodHudson]

I am new (brand new) to welding and purchased a Lincoln Pro Mig 140 a while ago but I just haven't gotten around to messing with it. I really need to get this thing fired up and learning because I have a 16 year old daughter who also wants to learn to weld!

Currently, I don't have any thing other than what the kit came with thus I am in need of knowing what are somethings I really need now to get going and maybe add in the near. One thing I would eventually like is a welding table, which may be a good thing to sharpen my welding skills on, as it is built. So if someone has suggestions, I am all ears!

While I would love to find someone locally who could be a teacher, I just don't know of anyone who welds. So if someone can also direct me to videos or books which I can use to learn from would also be very helpful.

 

[Garett]

I'm also a rookie, going on 25 years. All the good welders I know had some training, one of the local trade school offers this but it's on Saturdays that I work. One of the local retailers has a half day starter class, maybe see if anyone offers something like this.

I've watched a lot of YouTube, it's better than nothing. Also using shielding gas is huge, it makes a world of difference.

 

[EVOLVO]

You need Jody Collier. Check out his videos, none better!

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/store.html

 

[joe49]

A mentor would be good, or classes. If you work were any welding is done cozy up to the welders and boss.

 

[matt_i]

Couple of basic needs...helmet, gloves, protective jacket, safety glasses

Also helpful: angle grinder (thin cutoff disks and flap disks), and a method for sawing metal, which could also be the thin cutoff disks. Some type of clamps, could be C-clamps, bar clamps, vise grips, magnetic clamps, measuring tape and a square

A stick welding chipping hammer comes in pretty handy for knocking off MiG slag beads.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Enroll in a class at your local community college. You will be money and time ahead.

 

[zmotorsports]

What do you need??

Patience.

Don't get discouraged as you will get a lot of advice and not stellar results at first. Remember to practice, practice and then when you think you've got it, practice some more.

 

[sberry]

Cash helps.

 

[kazlx]

Enroll in a class at your local community college. You will be money and time ahead.

This. Even more, it would be something awesome to do with your daughter.

 

[NVSean]

Lincoln puts out a book on the basics of welding and theory as well. I remember using a similar book in engineering school 30+ years ago.
Fins a project, small at first, and talk to others about what you want to do.
Material prep and gas are critical for a good weld. Clean and grind any areas before welding if they have had paint or primer.
Classes are great, but local community centers sometimes offer. If you live in a farming community ask around, as most can do some basic welding.
My next door neighbor races stock cars and they are constantly welding frames, so great to ask for advice.
Best of luck.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[zmotorsports]

Speaking of books, there was one written by a gentleman named Richard Finch called Performance Welding. I had one of his original versions, can't remember the copyright date, but it was very informative and I think I wore it out pretty much cover to cover. He has released several revisions of it since but I still prefer his original version and I highly recommend it.

The Lincoln print mentioned above is also good but I gained much more from the Performance Welding book, it seemed to have been written in more simple and easy for me to understand terms.

 

[rsanter]

What you need is a bunch of metal to practice welding together
Then try to break them apart. If the weld breaks, then you did a bad job

 

[BikerDad]

The first thing you need is a welding helmet, one for you and one for your daughter. The second thing is MIG gloves, third is a welding jacket. (Cotton is fine for now.) After the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), you need a fire extinguisher. Once you have the above, you are ready to secure the knowledge, tools and material to move forward. Start with the knowledge, previous responses have pointed the way.

 

[dogdog]

you needed a grinder and paint to complement your welder.

 

[Jason280]

Where are you located, its possible you could find a member local to you willing to help. Other than that, there are tons of good videos on YouTube...

 

[Blk88GT]

I recently signed up for a welding course at a local high school. I've had a welder for years but couln't manage much more than something Ray Charles would produce. After a few hours in the classroom, I've come to realize that the problem isn't me, it's the machine!

The course was worth the few bucks it cost to get some seat time on different machines and test my skill and technique.

 

[rustedgoat]

For a work area, I set up 2 saw horses with plywood top then a piece of cement board on top, only because I had it. A dedicated power outlet that nothing else is on check the breaker size and what the welder needs. No extension cord, if you do make sure its a quality one. Cut up an old fender or scrap steel then play with the flux core. Try to run some beads. Play with the settings and see the changes to the beads. I just do 3 sec bursts For any bodywork you will want to hook up the gas, but to play around flux core will work. Also check if the welder is wired internally for flux or mig. Its usually swapping 2 wires around. Learn about duty cycle, Plenty of youtube stuff to get you started.

 

[Bretny]

You have a 16yr old daughter and she wants to do more than play on her phone...something smells fishy with this story.

Watch a bunch of you tube videos and start welding. Make sure you metal is clean, dry and paint free. Old angle iron bed frames can be had for free and really good for small projects and learning how to weld.

Making a welder cart is a good first welding project. A welding table is a bit more complex. Needs to be really flat, square and level. They are also costly in material to build.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

1) Contact Tips- and force yourself to change them when worn, regularly.
2) Welper Pliers- and force yourself to trim your wire regularly.
3) PPE that fits- again with the theme, force yourself to wear it every time. Even for a tack.
4) Grinder and flap wheels and force yourself to clean everything, even if it's already clean. Nothing is ever clean enough.
5) A good ground- if it looks good, make it gooder by grinding.
6) Jody Collier on Youtube

 

[HotRodHudson]

Tons of great information & ideas! Very much appreciated! I had to laugh about the 16y/o with a phone because it’s so true! However, the daughter who wants to learn to weld is also the daughter who is a competitive precision shooter too. Kind of a unicorn of sorts...

 

[Mavawreck]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=384880

Been going through the same thing. HF welding table and some cheap welding clamps have been one of my favorite purchases to date. Like you, I'd like to build my own table someday but it works for now.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Enroll in a class at your local community college. You will be money and time ahead.

+1 I had clients who were employed in the welding trade take classes at Austin Community College. They tried out a variety of brands of equipment to find what they liked. Several completed commissioned work for a course grade. Pretty sweet deal actually.

Who actually owns orbital welders, CNC, blacksmith equipment, and machine tools? Often, the jewelry and art metals classrooms are nearby and you can learn some stuff there.

https://www.millerwelds.com/resources

 

[rnmcaasi]

Great thread was looking for something like this!

 

[IdahoMan]

I see the need to learn to weld too and have been thinking a lot about it. Can't do certain projects without it.

One of my main concerns is it seams that everydoby who welds wears glasses. I have good eyesight, and even with the right PPE I fear I'll end up the same way.

 

[mike_dmt]

Lots of good advice here. PPE being important and a fire extinguisher even more so.

Watch some YouTube vids, and grab some scrap and see what happens. Your likely going to goof up some stuff. Knowing WHY you goofed up is where you learn.

Then once you think you know which end of the gun to point at the work, take some classes if they are available. If not, there's always more scrap.

 

[LeeG]

One thing that I think is under stressed is wearing safety glasses under your welding helmet. When I started welding, I figured that I didn’t need the glasses since I had the helmet on. Wrong. My prescription glasses had several burns from the weld spatter. Wear safety glasses under your helmet!

 

[BD1]

Post your location. The weldingweb site has great members and tips.
http://weldingweb.com/forum.php

 

[HotRodHudson]

If you were asking me to post it here, I am located in Billings, Montana. I had never heard of that forum you posted but it looks like a really good resource.

LeeG: I honestly had never thought about or heard about wearing protection under the helmet & over your prescription eye glasses but I've only got one set of eyes!

I really appreciate all of the input from everyone, this has been very very helpful, and I can't wait to start melting steel.

 

[gtabasso]

I am happy that your daughter will learn. I didn't until I was in my 30s.

 

[pgk]

Check out some of Jody's video's, wealth of knowledge. Once you get the basics down, practice practise practise.. Here one is of his part 1 series on Mig welding https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=5KrwmK7df-s

Pete

 

[bdbecker]

Speaking of PPE... Always wear earplugs when welding. First reason, welding is surprisingly loud. Second reason, you don't want one of those little balls of molten metal getting into your ear canal.

 

[dogdog]

Taking a welding class is the best route, but if you can't just practice and videos...

If you can spare the $25 This dvd from Steve Bleile is the best I got for mig welding when I first started, with no friends, or access to classes on welding topics. Best DIY learning... and very detail process of each techniques..

When you first start out, you really don't want to bombard your self with bits and pieces of information from every "other" welding videos out there and wasting your time to sift through all the materials... I would watch Jody's after I get a hang of the basics.


Even Jody gives two thumbs up. But this guy don't have tig welding videos, just ARC/Mig/Oxy-acetylene

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/arc-welding-video-2.html

....Honestly, I was blown away at the value I got from these 25 dollar welding DVD's.

No BS here.

I can recommend every one of Steve's Welding Videos without hesitation.

They are worth every penny and then some. .....

 

[MarkG]

Do whatever you have to in order to take classes! Welding isn't a good thing to learn strictly from YouTube. Once you have a few classes (full semesters of them) under your belt, you'll have a better idea of what the videos are talking about.

Trying to learn on your own is a bad idea since no one will be there to tell you when you're doing something wrong and if you do things wrong on the wrong project, things can get ugly fast.

On your own, you might weld up something with a bunch of cold welds, thinking they look great, until the thing fails and someone gets hurt. Learn the right way----from a qualified instructor.

 

[fasteddie]

You'll want an auto darkening helmet, makes the whole process so much easier. I've had a $30 HF helmet for many years, works great and has never flashed me.

 

[aka Larry]

Do whatever you have to in order to take classes! Welding isn't a good thing to learn strictly from YouTube. Once you have a few classes (full semesters of them) under your belt, you'll have a better idea of what the videos are talking about.

Trying to learn on your own is a bad idea since no one will be there to tell you when you're doing something wrong and if you do things wrong on the wrong project, things can get ugly fast.

I know this isn't the most popular opinion here, but I agree 100%. I took a semester at my local CC about 8 years ago and it was some of the best money I have ever spent.

Had I not taken the class, I wouldn't have know that welding galvanized parts can kill you and you'd never even know what happened. Can you find that info online? Sure, but I didn't know about it, and suspect there are quite a few others who don't as well.

FWIW, I also a have a Lincoln Pro Mig 140. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned getting a gas cylinder vs. using flux-core. Welding with gas is a lot easier without the smoke produced with the flux. IIRC, this welder does come with the hose and regulator needed, but you'll need to get a tank.

 

[bdbecker]

...Had I not taken the class, I wouldn't have know that welding galvanized parts can kill you and you'd never even know what happened. Can you find that info online? Sure, but I didn't know about it, and suspect there are quite a few others who don't as well...

Welding galvanized steel won't kill you. It can make you really sick for a few days if you're not careful (commonly called "metal fume fever"), but unless you have other health complications, it is unlikely to be lethal. I'm not saying long term over-exposure won't have some sort of health complications, but for the average hobbyist, its perfectly safe (as safe as welding can be) as long as you take the right precautions (remove coating from the weld joint with wire brush, good ventilation/fume extraction, keep your head out of the plume, etc.)

I'd actually argue that the bigger danger that doesn't get talked about enough is MIG welding stainless steel and the release of hexavalent chromium. That is some really scary stuff. Again, as long as the right precautions are taken, it can be made safe(r) as long as you know what you are doing.

I do agree that taking classes or having a mentor is hugely beneficial when compared to just trying to learn by trial and error on your own.

 

[Jason280]

Do whatever you have to in order to take classes!

I know this is highly recommended, but it can get prohibitively expensive. I flirted with the idea of taking a TIG class at the local tech school, but it was going to cost between $1600-2k...not really an expense I could justify for what amounts to be a hobby.

 

[dogdog]

for tig welding, I always recommend the Ron Covell series TIG Welding Basics DVD and Advance Tig welding DVD... both worth every penny. Except for O/A I learned from HS long long long long time ago.... All other welding methods are DIY with DVDs...

sample of it.

 

[sberry]

The school forces practice and allows for some criticism etc. I went to school for it young and not sure how well I would have got without the discipline of it. It is still a problem. Building stuff with welding is one thing but sitting in to run coupons a couple hours at a pull is a different thing. First 10/15 years of my career welded a lot, most of it besides pipeline which I regret not doing. Still should.
For work and trade being able to pass critical weld tests is where its at. So easy to hire on but I have even struggled where I wasn't doing a lot. Some of it is so unique it needs practice so you are driving the rod vs just hanging on. For customer work and limited amounts my work looks great and no one thinks 2x about paying for it especially given the speed.
But, I really don't weld, if I do most of it is a rod or 2 and simple. A while back I thought I might have to test so I thought I will grab a rod in the booth to do something tricky,,,, ****. I had to run 10 to 20 rods a day for 10 days before I really made it do what I want without thinking about it.

My motor skills are not fine anyway and no better today, it helped a lot when I was a regular driver. I was finer but in some sense so much better today, do it 2x as fast with half the rods and half the steel I did when I started. Filling a crack isn't quite as pretty but a lot faster for some reason.

 

[sberry]

I meant to say was that one of the thing makes Jody so good is that he focuses on simple test plates. He gets right to it and he has been there, you can "feel" it from him.
I mentioned practice. There is even a difference in hours a day. I have had jobs where there was half the day every day under the hood doing the same joints. Even in a hi q spot like a nuke plant the real quality could slip a little as it was easy to fab all week and weld for a few minutes in all different situations. Some guys I seen come from ship yards were really good, they burn a box of 5/32 lo hy in a day or 2, one after another hours on end. Innershield is the same way, on steroids. You can really get the quality up with consistency, machine set perfect, don't got to stop in bad spots, can keep stickout steady, repetition perfect , both stringer and weaves. Can even organize grain structure and purity.
I had been using 600A machines and went back to apprentice school where they had 300. Felt like a toy. They commented on the quality and appearance of the plates but it still didn't feel as fluid as it did with more poop where the machine did the work and the operator just had to keep up.