I want to learn how to weld

[JettaKnight]

This part requires vision and TALENT in the artistic sense. Sure I can weld but where the talent and vision comes in is in seeing a really cool widget in that pile of junk out behind the barn. The real talent is convincing some "art patron" that your newly minted widget, which is worth about $40 in scrap is now worth $40k because it's "art"!

Well, there's a lot of metal work I do that I have to think about, "where do I drill and bolt, and how do I secure these pieces at an angle, and ..." For instance, my brewery rig is all bolted instead of being welded like it should be.

 

[femurphy77]

Well, there's a lot of metal work I do that I have to think about, "where do I drill and bolt, and how do I secure these pieces at an angle, and ..." For instance, my brewery rig is all bolted instead of being welded like it should be.

I'm not talking about functionality, most of us do this type of thing every day. I'm talking about the artsy fartsy stuff that idiots pay for that would otherwise be considered as scrap metal or raw materials for the rest of us. We were kind of focused on welding also.

I fab up stuff every day that's every bit as functional but not nearly as pretty as something else that would do the same thing but mine's a helluva lot cheaper.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

This part requires vision and TALENT in the artistic sense. Sure I can weld but where the talent and vision comes in is in seeing a really cool widget in that pile of junk out behind the barn. The real talent is convincing some "art patron" that your newly minted widget, which is worth about $40 in scrap is now worth $40k because it's "art"!

Brainard's been shelling out hundreds of thousands for welded-together and sometimes painted scrap metal to block the views in the roundabouts, maybe some locals can belly up to the trough, but you'd probably have to go through an "insider".

 

[Alpo]

Just to put this out there, I worked my way through most of my undergrad years welding. It wasn't until recently that I found out that a lot of that TIG welding of stainless steel can be hazardous. Apparently hexavalent chromium is a byproduct. Anyone remember the Erin Brokovich film? Hexavalent Chromium and PG&E. Bad stuff.

Be careful. When in doubt, use a respirator or well ventilated work bench.

 

[thunderchicken]

Clean and well fit up work. Proper gas in the bottle and wire in the unit. Gas flow rate and wire speed/heat. Once all these things are in place you can roll through some wire.

Very true. Once you get the machine set up you can burn through some wire. On that note, depending on what a person plans to be welding can effect wire size. For sheetmetal and most anything 1/8" or thinner, I typically use .030 wire. If I am going to be welding something 1/8" & up, I use .035 wire.

I would have to look to get the actual model #. But, I have a 220v Millermatic MIG welder. When I first got it, the chart inside the door where the wire goes was very handy. The chart gives a good starting point for where to set the heat and wire speed based on what wire size and material thickness you are working with.
At work they have a 110v version that does a good job on thinner stuff but I think it's maxed out @ 3/16". They have some serious welding equipment for the heavy duty stuff. It's impressive when you jab a stick into a 1/2" thick slab of steel with 440 volts.

 

[bacon#1]

You could always just glue the body panels on. Adhesives have come a long way in the automotive industry.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-08115-Panel-Bonding-Adhesive/dp/B000PEW4MI

I do get the learning to weld thing though, it's a good skill to have.

 

[foszoe]

I hear the use of force reporting with a welder is a lot less paperwork....

Not looking for a new job, just a new skill. I'll check it out anyway.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I hear the use of force reporting with a welder is a lot less paperwork....

Lol.

 

[thunderchicken]

I hear the use of force reporting with a welder is a lot less paperwork....

Idk have you ever had to explain how sparks popped off and went into your ear and burnt the ear canal?

 

[churchmouse]

Idk have you ever had to explain how sparks popped off and went into your ear and burnt the ear canal?

Yes......

 

[freekforge]

If you decide to take a class ask around about the instructor and how the students left. At one of my jobs we have kids come in who went to ivy tech or the local voc. school who have all these fancy certifications but still cant weld and since im our trainer i get stuck with them. I learned fairly quickly by welding during lunch and sitting in my garage welding a 1f joint over and over until i got it right then i went to 2f and so on. Youtube was a big help as were a couple guys at work. I started out welding 3/16" scrap to welding 3" for locomotive stuff. Its fun and for some reason relaxing. Come home from a 12 hour shift of people yelling at you all day and you can turn on some music and flip down your hood and all that matters is whats inside a 4"x5" window and you control all of it.

look into the everlast chinese welders i have 2 and absolutely love them. They are inexpensive and run great. I would personally stay away from the pre-set stuff, trust me what setting works in a chimps oops i mean engineers head doesn't work in the real world. just use the door chart as a ROUGH guide and learn your own settings i have a like a dope card for machines i don't run often. For starters an auto hood helps, buy a good one though like a miller, lincoln, jackson and i heard the HTPs are nice too. Harbor freight hoods like to burst into flames seen it happen twice now and it was hilarious both times. Its frustrating using a passive hood when you are learning.

you can kind of test yourself by cutting a weld joint, polishing the cross section and etching it in muratic acid (concrete etchant from the hardware store) you will be able to see the penetration you are getting. Short circuit mig can fool you, a weld can look great but be complete crap underneath.

And if you ever weld anything substantial i go by my buddies rule "no vertical down, its a make believe weld"

 

[freekforge]

If you lay down a weld and it looks like this you are wrong lol this is why i have trust issues the guy that did this weld has aws certifications.

 

[Rookie]

LMAO, he must be a millwright at my plant! We had one of them weld some hinges on a door frame. Six hours later, the door fell off.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

View attachment 63811

If you lay down a weld and it looks like this you are wrong lol this is why i have trust issues the guy that did this weld has aws certifications.

I know squat about welding and that doesn't look right to me.

 

[freekforge]

I couldn't believe anyone would think thats okay. His argument which is a common one is with a whip and pause motion he gets more penetration. But the fact that his parts break all the time proves that he doesn't know diddly squat. Because he has cards he wont listen to me when i try to help him.

 

[churchmouse]

I couldn't believe anyone would think thats okay. His argument which is a common one is with a whip and pause motion he gets more penetration. But the fact that his parts break all the time proves that he doesn't know diddly squat. Because he has cards he wont listen to me when i try to help him.

Credentials are OK but experience rules.

 

[Rookie]

I couldn't believe anyone would think thats okay. His argument which is a common one is with a whip and pause motion he gets more penetration. But the fact that his parts break all the time proves that he doesn't know diddly squat. Because he has cards he wont listen to me when i try to help him.

I learned that you don't need to clean grease and oil off of steel before you weld it because the flux cleans it while you're welding.

 

[Jkwrangler70]

Has anyone here taken the welding courses at Ivy Tech? Are they worth it? I would like to learn to possibly get into building things or making minor repairs on my jeep.

 

[churchmouse]

Has anyone here taken the welding courses at Ivy Tech? Are they worth it? I would like to learn to possibly get into building things or making minor repairs on my jeep.

Sutton Garten. A very good basic course and the cost is not a killer.
Oh...I see you are in Laff. Do they have a branch there...???

 

[freekforge]

Credentials are OK but experience rules.

I learned that you don't need to clean grease and oil off of steel before you weld it because the flux cleans it while you're welding.

The engineers told me the same thing. They say im just wasting time when i clean the parts before welding.

Has anyone here taken the welding courses at Ivy Tech? Are they worth it? I would like to learn to possibly get into building things or making minor repairs on my jeep.

see my first post some classes are good, some absolutely suck. You can be taught weld or be taught how to pass cert. those are two very different things and unfortunately alot of guys are taught to pass cert.. And then think they are ready to hit the floor and then they realize they wasted time and money.