where to start

[fishon91]

first off i'd like to say hey to everyone, this is my forst post on this forum.
second, i've never welded before, and know nothing about it. however i've always been very interested and always wanted to learn. im 16 now, and makin my own money, so i'd like to give it try. i'm sure i need to start off with a mig, what do i look for in buying one? also how or where can i find how to use it, and how it works. second, what else do i NEED in order to weld. thanks in advance everyone :cool2:

[Broccoli1]

16- so I assume you are still at home:D

If you have a 240v outlet to use then we can go from there

If not-

What does Pop say about adding a 240v outlet?

:drinkup: and that's Rootbeer to you:laugh:

[weldbead]

why do you needto start with amig?

[fishon91]

the only 240 V outlet we have in the house were in now, but the one we're moving into might. also i'm npt sure that i need to start with a mig, i just thought those were easier to use.

[blue&gray]

They are pretty easy to use but there's several aspects of a wire welder that can be somewhat confusing to a complete beginer. I learned on a stick welder, got pretty decent with that and then got thrust into production mig welding on a job I took. I picked the mig up over a few days time using lots of the skills stick welding taught me. If you started with a good Lincoln, Miller or Hobart AC/DC 240V stick welder you'd have a machine that would be your best friend for years to come as you burned up rods, improved your skill and began to dream up big projects. With a 240V welder you'd be starting out with some serious capability, your skills and how hard you work at it regulates what that machine will produce for you. A little 110v mig would be somewhat tame when you've allready been burning 1/8 rods for awhile. Read, read , read, there's alot of info here on all welding processes and the ups and downs of them all.

[blue&gray]

What you need:

A welding helmet, auto dark means you can see clearly throught the lens before the arc starks. Fixed shade means you can't see until you start to weld. Get an auto dark they cost more but are worth it.

Thick leather gloves. Getting burned sucks.

Thinner leather work gloves, These are nice for working steel and not getting all cut up.

Protective clothing, preferably non burning stuff. Catching on fire sucks. You'll be more confident when your fully protected from the flying sparks and what not.

Eye protection. You wear this under your helmet and all times otherwise. Your working with steel and it has nowhere better to go than in your eyes. You'll need eyes the rest of your life so always protect them. It should feel wrong to even pick up a tool without safety glasses.

Some kind of hat, cover your hair with something when welding.

Hard toe boots, stuff will always fall and it will always hit your feet. Sparks by nature fall also, straight down into your tennis shoes is not where you want them to be.

Slag hammer for removing the slag off your welds if your stick welding.

Wire brush, cleans welds and removes trash from any area you are about to weld.

As far as power tools..well thats endless. The two you will use the most would be 4 inch grinder and a drill. A grinder is your everything tool, with thin cutting wheels it can cut steel up nicely. With a thicker wheel you can remove welds or anything else for that matter. With a cupped wire brush you can clean up steel quick and easy. Pass up the 20 dollar grinders and get a good one, DeWalt, Millwaukee or what not, look to spend 60 bucks or so and it will give you good service for along time to come.


Check out Home Depot, Lowes, Napa, any other tool store, steel supply or welding supply store. They all have welding sections with welding gear. Shop around for the best price and also what feels the best. Being protected from possible dangers is key, a grinder can mess you up good in a few seconds if it gets away from you and finds bare skin. You will be welding and working steel for years to come and enjoying it as long as you take every precaution to protect yourself and use common sense.

[Rojodiablo]

first off i'd like to say hey to everyone, this is my forst post on this forum.
second, i've never welded before, and know nothing about it. however i've always been very interested and always wanted to learn. im 16 now, and makin my own money, so i'd like to give it try. i'm sure i need to start off with a mig, what do i look for in buying one? also how or where can i find how to use it, and how it works. second, what else do i NEED in order to weld. thanks in advance everyone :cool2:

Try to find a welding class at school, or a junior college in your area. Or, try to get a part time job at a muffler shop, or a fence building shop, or a sheetmetal shop. Offer to sweep floors, fetch metal, cut steel for them, and ask that they teach you some basics about welding. The first thing you need for welding, with nothing else at your disposal, is a basic welding handbook. Home Depot has them, welding shops have them, the library has them, and you can find a decent one on www.Lincolnelectric.com . The last one is...free!:laugh: Read up here, and try to get a part time job at a shop with a welder. You will be able to learn on someone else's machine, saving you a lot of money. And, you can even make a few bucks while learning.:)

[duaneb55]

fishon91,

Welcome to the forum. It's refreshing to see a young person interested in learning such a valuable skill as welding and working with metal. Keep it up.

As for a 'starter' welder I tend to agree with blue&gray and start with stick and go from there as you improve your skills. I started on stick and have a mig but wish I still had a stick so I'm currently looking to getting another. I point this out so you'll consider NOT getting rid of your first stick welder (if that's how you start) because you'll most likely regret it if you do.

A lot of great suggestions above and more to come I'm sure so pay attention, listen to what these guys say and you'll go a long way in developing a great talent!

[Matthew]

does your school not have a metal shop? most do.. thats where i learned.

This forum will help you alot with any questions you might have, dont be afraid to post!

matt

[Broccoli1]

does your school not have a metal shop? most do.. thats where i learned.

This forum will help you alot with any questions you might have, dont be afraid to post!

matt

Not many do anymore- budget cuts:angry:

[fishon91]

thanls broccoli that was a lot of help. my school does have a welding class, but i cant take it till next year, maybe not even then. as far as a job, i already work everyday at a golf course. i think after huntin season i'll get one of those stick welders. thanks a lot guys. anything else i need to know, just tell me. i'm sorta worried i'm gonna get one, [plug it in, try to use it, and the house loses power due to the welder explodin. just my luck
:dizzy:

[Broccoli1]

the only 240 V outlet we have in the house were in now, but the one we're moving into might. also i'm npt sure that i need to start with a mig, i just thought those were easier to use.


Just wait until you are in the new house.

[Broccoli1]

Where are you located?

Perhaps you are close to a Forum member and they can show ya some weldin'

If you can get into the Class at school that would really be the ticket though.

[weldbead]

consider an oxy acetylene torch. all welding is about melting the metal under control.i think in order of being able to really see the puddle, and having the ability to vary the heat to get the puddle where you want it, tig is highest(best view,most control),then oxyaceteylene,then stick,then mig.(probably not every one here will agree..).so for a beginner without enough budget to buy tig equipment, an oxyacetylene torch is high up there, and very versatile.it cn weld and cut given the proper attachments. cost is relatively low. electric is not required.
qualified instruction in any aspect is absolutely essential for safety and skills.

[duaneb55]

Where are you located?

Perhaps you are close to a Forum member and they can show ya some weldin'


Good call - I agree.

[blue&gray]

When it come time to spend your hard earned money on a welder get a good one. Lincoln Electric, Miller and Hobart are names to insist upon when you make that final investment. If your buying one used have the seller demonstrate it on all settings if possible. You want to leave with a working welder. If you get some crazy story that sounds off the wall your probably best to walk away. Being younger can go against you in wheeling and dealing, take someone older you trust with you and chances are you won't get had by someone selling clapped out junk.

If you go with a stick welder you want an AC/DC welder. Hobarts AC/DC Stickmate is a little under 500 bucks new and lets you dial in your heat range (amps) in very fine increments. Also a new welder from a reputable company will have a warranty, and that should ease your fears of welder malfunction.

[Rojodiablo]

Where are you located?

Perhaps you are close to a Forum member and they can show ya some weldin'

If you can get into the Class at school that would really be the ticket though.

Geat point!!! Fish on, where are you???

[Craig in Denver]

Consider an oxy acetylene torch. All welding is about melting the metal under control. I think in order of being able to really see the puddle, and having the ability to vary the heat to get the puddle where you want it, tig is highest(best view,most control),then oxyaceteylene,then stick,then mig.(probably not every one here will agree..). So for a beginner without enough budget to buy tig equipment, an oxyacetylene torch is high up there, and very versatile. It can weld and cut given the proper attachments. Cost is relatively low. Electric is not required.
Qualified instruction in any aspect is absolutely essential for safety and skills.Weldbead has a good point. I bought my O/A in 1977 and that's all I had until 1993. I got pretty good with it, too. Two years ago, I took a basic autobody MIG class (sheet metal), last year I took an O/A class; and this year I'm in TIG 101. All manual welding is about puddle control.

OBTW: I'll be 61 years old this month. :D

[duaneb55]

Weldbead has a good point. I bought my O/A in 1977 and that's all I had until 1993. I got pretty good with it, too. Two years ago, I took a basic autobody MIG class (sheet metal), last year I took an O/A class; and this year I'm in TIG 101. All manual welding is about puddle control.

OBTW: I'll be 61 years old this month. :D

Yeah Craig but do you think if fishon91 starts out with an OA set up he should wait almost as many years as he is old to move up to stick?:D:D

61? So you're almost in your 50's! Wait up, I'll be right there.:drinkup:

[Broccoli1]

I understand the O/A suggestion but I doubt that Fishon's Pop would be cool with that set up.

If he was, Ol' Fishin' probably would not be here askin' questions.:cool2:

[fishon91]

alright, sorry internet wasn't workin for a couple days. im in alexandria, LA. i dont know what to do. the o/a torch seems good, and i think my dad would like it more cause he wouldn't see it opn the electric bill. now with this i need tanks filled with o/a or something right. what about does the gas run? i like that i can cut and weld with it. is this the kind of set i'm lookin for:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_9049_9049

[Broccoli1]

O/A is not an ideal set up unless you have someone to show you how to use it.

The set-up is pretty straight forward and if you follow the instructions on how to set the gauges it is relatively safe :D

Actually using it to Weld & Cut is a nutter story.


You mentioned Huntin' Season- gotta be a Hunting dood with a welder- some one to show you the ropes.

Belong to a Hunting Group?

Heck, trek on down to the Local Welding Supply and ask around.

[fishon91]

one last question. if i was to buy a welder that plugs in to the wall, is there any chance of it shorting out and putting out our electricity? my dad's worried about this happening

[Broccoli1]

one last question. if i was to buy a welder that plugs in to the wall, is there any chance of it shorting out and putting out our electricity? my dad's worried about this happening

Highly unlikely.

The circuit is protected by a Circuit Breaker- designed to Break the Circuit:cool2: iffin there is a problemo.

An Electric welder is just as safe, Electrically, as any other device in your home.

Also- if yer Pop is worried 'bout the meter spinning- hair dryers probably use more watts per year in overall use so blame it on any goils in the house:drinkup:

[duaneb55]

alright, sorry internet wasn't workin for a couple days. im in alexandria, LA. i dont know what to do. the o/a torch seems good, and i think my dad would like it more cause he wouldn't see it opn the electric bill. now with this i need tanks filled with o/a or something right. what about does the gas run? i like that i can cut and weld with it. is this the kind of set i'm lookin for:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_9049_9049

fishon91,

I trust you and your family made it through Gustav OK. Another forum member lives over in your neck of the woods that was fortunate enough to only loose power for awhile. FYI, you're only about 1-1/2 to 2 hours from me here in Orange, TX.:)

[fishon91]

ya we made it through fine, we never even lost electric. we boiught 5 dollar dvd's and watched em the whole time since we lost cable. no flooding, but houses not far from us had flooded streets. never been to prt orange, but was born in port arthur, just moved here from, florida, my home state.

[duaneb55]

ya we made it through fine, we never even lost electric. we boiught 5 dollar dvd's and watched em the whole time since we lost cable. no flooding, but houses not far from us had flooded streets. never been to prt orange, but was born in port arthur, just moved here from, florida, my home state.

Yup - PA is just down the road and over the bridge.

Florida?! Too hot there for me!:laugh::laugh:

[fishon91]

ok i think i've settles with a licoln mig welder, cause lowes had it. now i think i should get a 140, but a 125 is $100 cheaper. i shouldn't be welding anything past 1/4 inch. what are the differences in both?

[Broccoli1]

ok i think i've settles with a licoln mig welder, cause lowes had it. now i think i should get a 140, but a 125 is $100 cheaper. i shouldn't be welding anything past 1/4 inch. what are the differences in both?

The Pro Core 125 is a little misleading with the "MIG/Flux-Corded Welder" description because you will need the K2526-1 MIG Conversion Kit to make it MIG as well as getting a gas regulator.

about 100.00 for the Kit
About 50-100 bux for reg-

so it really ends up costing more.

The Pro Mig 140 comes complete:drinkup:

[Oldiron2]

Fishon91;
You might want to check your mail. In case you don't know about it, look at the right top of the page under your name.

[weldbead]

for $189 you can buy a better-known brand..like smith or victor..and you must get some instruction....this stuff can blow up..

[fishon91]

i think im gonna get the 140 from lowes. that set came with an instructional dvd, a handheld helmet(you know what i mean, not sure what itr's called), and evrything else except the gas.
here's a link:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=256722-1703-K2480-1&lpage=none

[blue&gray]

We just got a Lincoln 140 at the shop as a third mig setup. It is a very sweet machine but I wouldn't want to carry it far, very easy to use and tune in for some good welding. I have been eyeing the 140 myself to add to my collection, not a bad price at all. Mig welding has grown on me, you'll like the Lincoln, it is a great machine in my opinion. I have been using it over the MM 212 and 252 we have in the shop. It handles the light stuff alot better it seems, the big Millers act a little funny set way down low sometimes.

[wb4rt]

Regarding the O/A - just learn, remember, and practice safety. Compressed Oxygen can dangerous if not handled properly. Keep your tanks upright and secured at all times. Good luck from another guy still learning.

[Alfred]

hey i am 16 also welding is a good thing to learn. i started at 12 thanks to my friend but i started on a stick and went to flux cored. now i am part time at my friends shop working with the best guy in the shop as an apprentice learning mig aluminum. that is some hard stuff to learn.:drinkup::blob4: