want to learn how to weld help guys
- Thread starter bowanna03
- Start date
WSMC633
Well-known member
If you just want to fix stuff around he house etc. get a welder, check out some tutorials on-line and start trying it out. Grab some mild steel scrap and go to town on it. Eventually you'll start to get the hang of it. Also, a lot of Trade type schools and Community colleges offer welding classes.
What type of stuff do you think you'll be welding?
If you want to do structural repairs on something that a failure could lead to injury, I'd recommend some formal training.
What type of stuff do you think you'll be welding?
If you want to do structural repairs on something that a failure could lead to injury, I'd recommend some formal training.
riley.m
Well-known member
do you already own equipment?are you asking what weld process would meet your everyday shop needs,what will you be working on,and what materials will you want to use.
PAToyota
Well-known member
Some good discussions on this already posted:
nadogail
Well-known member
Befor you spend a lot of money on equipment, spend a little time deciding on what it is you want to weld.
There is, in my opinion, no one machine or system that is the magic bullet to do everything.
There is, in my opinion, no one machine or system that is the magic bullet to do everything.
rsanter
Well-known member
have you looked at taking a class at an adult school or local college
there are people that can stick thingd together with a welder and there are people that can actually make a good strong weld
bob
there are people that can stick thingd together with a welder and there are people that can actually make a good strong weld
bob
Titus
Well-known member
I am currently in an "auto body welding" class at my local Community college. So far it has been great. So far we have learned oxyacetylene welding and brazing as well as MIG welding on thick and thin metals. Over the next 2 months, we will learn to MIG weld upside down, Mig Welding on aluminum, oxyacetylene cutting, Plasma cutting, and TIG welding as well.
fatfillup
Well-known member
I'm with them, take an adult ed course at the local high school vo tech if you can. Also nothing beats practice. Get some scrap and go to town. Also, I've seen a lot of used mig equipment on craigslist going pretty cheap. Just take a buddy along who knows how to weld and have him test the machine for you. Lastly, an auto darkening helmut will make your learning go quicker.
SocketDeviler
Well-known member
I was considering such a class. I have zero welding experience. Is such a class suited for my inexperience or is some basic experience required or expected?
Titus
Well-known member
In my class, everyone but me is under 21
and nobody had a clue about welding coming in. On the first day of class, I turned to the guy next to me and made the comment "I can't wait till we get past oxyfuel and start doing MIG and TIG". He looked at me like I was speaking another language. 
J.A.F.E.
Well-known member
Another vote here
I took 3 semesters at my local CC for less than $100/semester. Plenty of lab time and free practice materials and the local welding suppliers offer a student discount. I wasn't the oldest one in the class but almost. I figure the amount of welding materials and steel I burned up were more than the class cost. And I got to play with Al, SS, brazing and pretty much anything else that caught my attention.
Another option is if you buy a welder at a welding supply shop they will be more than happy to show the basics of welding. The shop I buy supplies from in Illinois has a class every couple months. For the items you mentioned that you would like to weld, I would buy a good stick welder. You can pick up a used Lincoln tombstone for $150.00.
Merkava_4
Banned
Community College, Community College, Community College, . . . .
riley.m
Well-known member
if i were you i would get a mig.And learn how to use it before you start welding your treestand together.
speed bump
Well-known member
Our school district offer the class for $80 and the instructor is a hell of a lot better than most of the COT people. I check out the high school adult ed before just trying for you local college.
kartracer55
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2005
- Messages
- 5,317
Take a welding course, for sure. My local CC/votech has them for like 120 a semester or something and It is where I learned to weld. I took several semesters of classes there and it was worth every penny.
A lot of people will say grab a mig and start welding but the thing is, you can make a great looking mig-weld that absolutely *****, and unless you know what to look for you might get yourself in a jam one day. What you need to remember is that mig welding was developed for fast production work. Instead of 10 skilled weldors, you could have 1 skilled weldor set up the machine for 9 guys off the street and just have them do the welding.
Id recommend learning some other process first. The thing is, GMAW (The fancy name for mig) is easy and takes relatively little skill compared to other processes. I took several courses on stick and later on tig before I even picked up a mig welder. 15 minutes I had picture perfect mig welds.
My take is to learn the "meat and potatoes" of welding before you pick up a hot glue gun.
A lot of people will say grab a mig and start welding but the thing is, you can make a great looking mig-weld that absolutely *****, and unless you know what to look for you might get yourself in a jam one day. What you need to remember is that mig welding was developed for fast production work. Instead of 10 skilled weldors, you could have 1 skilled weldor set up the machine for 9 guys off the street and just have them do the welding.
Id recommend learning some other process first. The thing is, GMAW (The fancy name for mig) is easy and takes relatively little skill compared to other processes. I took several courses on stick and later on tig before I even picked up a mig welder. 15 minutes I had picture perfect mig welds.
My take is to learn the "meat and potatoes" of welding before you pick up a hot glue gun.
chad s
Well-known member
Most old and very experienced welders will tell you to learn to gas weld first. Its helps you to really learn heat control, and filler deposit. From there TIG would be a simple step once you master gas welding. I find TIG to be much easier than gas welding (better heat control with a pedal, and no extreme heat from the torch), so if you can gas weld well, you can TIG.
I hate MIG welding.
I hate MIG welding.
speed bump
Well-known member
I don't know why they say that because I found oxy-fuel welding to be a piece of cake.
I haven't tried TIG yet but thats on the list. I really want to get good at stick welding but thats taking me a lot of rod and going very slowly.
Merkava_4
Banned
Stanley Neal and Robert Fransen of Fresno City College are the best welding instructors in the world - I win.
The CC or Vo-tech instruction offers the most value for your time. However, these videos can be a great primer to wet your whistle.
http://www.tonywelding.com/
http://www.tonywelding.com/
chad s
Well-known member
Some have it naturally. I guess Im pretty lucky as well
If you find gas welding a piece of cake, then TIG will be easy as well. Most have a very hard time learning to control hear and dip the rod, and coordinate it all. Like I said, some just have it, some must take a while and learn it.To the original poster and fellow garage junkies, you may want to check out these links to a U.S. Navy manual for steelworkers which explains various forms of welding and techniques.
The first linked document covers the basics and much more. The second linked document is a more advanced manual delving more into planning and management but since they're a series, I posted them both for you junkies.
http://www.everyspec.com/USN/NAVEDTRA/download.php?spec=NAVEDTRA_14250,_NONRESIDENT_TRAINING_COURSE,_STEELWORKER_(VOL_1).003246.PDF
http://www.everyspec.com/USN/NAVEDTRA/download.php?spec=NAVEDTRA_14250,_NONRESIDENT_TRAINING_COURSE,_STEELWORKER_(VOL_2).003245.PDF
These manuals are from http://www.everyspec.com I work in the aerospace industry and I find this site a very useful resource for old government specs when working on designs.
Many of these U.S. government manuals and especially specs are public domain, thing is, most people don't realize they're available as they're not always easy to find.
If you're like me, I guarantee that you'll be spending a lot of time looking through these govn't docs....there's so much interesting stuff. It's truly a library at your fingertips.
The first linked document covers the basics and much more. The second linked document is a more advanced manual delving more into planning and management but since they're a series, I posted them both for you junkies.
http://www.everyspec.com/USN/NAVEDTRA/download.php?spec=NAVEDTRA_14250,_NONRESIDENT_TRAINING_COURSE,_STEELWORKER_(VOL_1).003246.PDF
http://www.everyspec.com/USN/NAVEDTRA/download.php?spec=NAVEDTRA_14250,_NONRESIDENT_TRAINING_COURSE,_STEELWORKER_(VOL_2).003245.PDF
These manuals are from http://www.everyspec.com I work in the aerospace industry and I find this site a very useful resource for old government specs when working on designs.
Many of these U.S. government manuals and especially specs are public domain, thing is, most people don't realize they're available as they're not always easy to find.
If you're like me, I guarantee that you'll be spending a lot of time looking through these govn't docs....there's so much interesting stuff. It's truly a library at your fingertips.
Last edited:
Steve from Socal
Well-known member
I recommend the Community College route as well. Ox/acc is a good start but my local CC has classes for both Tig and Mig that are ab-intro and need no prior skill. Learning on your own is like learning to fly on your own, you really want somebody who knows right from wrong to show you the basics, re-learning the right way is much harder than learning the right way first. Also your rate of success will be higher and you will move on to more advanced skills sooner. As noted much of learning to weld is doing or practice, at a school setting you are taught a skill and practice it for reinforcement with a knowledgeable instructor there to critic your results. Alone you may do fine or totally blow a skill and not know it.
You don't need a PHD to teach you how to weld, there are many good welders who moonlight at CC teaching and they all have to meet minimum requirements with regards to instructing. Again, it is so much easier to learn in a structured environment, the right way, than to bumble around trying to teach yourself.
Steve
You don't need a PHD to teach you how to weld, there are many good welders who moonlight at CC teaching and they all have to meet minimum requirements with regards to instructing. Again, it is so much easier to learn in a structured environment, the right way, than to bumble around trying to teach yourself.
Steve