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View Full Version : So How'd Everyone Learn To Weld?



ILikeMud
04-01-2006, 11:12 PM
I mess around with the welder at school (soon my own) but I need to get better.
I just tack random things together and then lay a bead down but sometimes I can't get right into the corner with the bead.

I guess I'm just looking for some tips on getting better at welding.

Deltron
04-02-2006, 02:29 AM
go slow, my biggest problem when starting was not getting the puddle hot enough before I started boogeying down the metal. maintain good distance between your tip and the metal and try to keep your hand as steady as possible. its really not that hard unless your working with thin material. beyond those things and getting your settings right I believe the rest to be a black art that only takes practice to master. im no master by any means but I can safely stick metal to metal and Ive only been doing it off and on for 2 years. another bit of advice is don't just use your eyes but listen to the welder and try and maintain that bug zapper buzz.

nate
04-02-2006, 03:18 AM
My Dad taught me on his Lincoln AC/DC buzzbox when I was 7 or 8 years old. And by taught, I mean he gave me some rods and a helmet and said stick this together.

DJJordache
04-02-2006, 11:36 AM
I took a community education class with 42 hours of instruction and FREE metal to practice on! it was funny there were only about 15 people in the class and some that hardly showed up. Most people wanted to learn for thier work, or to get into the welding field, I was like "I wanna build Jeep parts:D"
We did stick, mig, some tig, plasa, oxyacetylene, and a cool water miter saw.

I hated stick..... it took me a while how to figure out a way to start it without it sticking to what I'm working on.

ILikeMud
04-02-2006, 12:06 PM
I tried stick welding at school. Didn't work out too well.

I should look into some classes.

nate
04-02-2006, 12:07 PM
I'm decent with stick. I tried MIG a couple years ago and I realized how PITA stick was!

OverkillZJ
04-02-2006, 12:24 PM
Like anything else - practice, as long as you're practicing the right way! I have a friend who's a certified welder that put me in the right direction, I still want to take some classes if I find time anyway. He does most of the structural welds on my stuff, though I wouldn't have any problem with running my own welds unless it's some crazy thick to thin or strange material...

violatedppl
04-02-2006, 11:59 PM
yup go to a CC for me it cost about $100, for the arc theory and lab. Unlimited amout of metal to practice on. my theory teacher is 71 and has been a professional welder since he was 14. for being hella old he is in great shape.

rubicondave33
04-03-2006, 03:50 AM
I took a community education class with 42 hours of instruction and FREE metal to practice on! it was funny there were only about 15 people in the class and some that hardly showed up. Most people wanted to learn for thier work, or to get into the welding field, I was like "I wanna build Jeep parts:D"
We did stick, mig, some tig, plasa, oxyacetylene, and a cool water miter saw.


I did the same thing.

fr3db3ar
04-04-2006, 11:35 AM
classes are the way to go......not only does the teacher let you know it's not right.......they let you know how to make it right.

Mtn WJ
04-04-2006, 08:29 PM
I learned arc welding on the farm from my Dad. I took a metal class in high school and can use a oxy/acetylene welder pretty decent as a result. As for mig it has all been learn as I go. Mig or Flux Core is a lot easier to learn than either of the other two. One big tip with all welding is to keep an eye on the puddle and not the wire or the rod. If you just watch the wire you will probably go too fast and not lay a good bead or get enough penetration. I guess it was easy for me to that because that is all you look at with a gas set up.

ILikeMud
04-12-2006, 03:48 PM
I think I've made progress over the last few months of dicking around with the mig at school.
Here's a few pics of some stuff I welded up today, bracket to mount to the body for my tube doors.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/G2Rac/Tube%20Doors/tubedoorbracket.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/G2Rac/Tube%20Doors/weld05.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/G2Rac/Tube%20Doors/weld04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/G2Rac/Tube%20Doors/weld03.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/G2Rac/Tube%20Doors/weld02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/G2Rac/Tube%20Doors/weld01.jpg

Was done with my school's Licoln mig. The 5th pic is the first bracket I welded, forgot to turn the gas on...oops. Wire speed was set at 3 and half or 4, can't remember exactly.

ATL ZJ
04-12-2006, 03:56 PM
Keep practicing. My first welding project was my set of tube doors too. That's nowhere near the worst I've seen, but remember that with MIG you it's hard to get great penetration from a series of short tacks- the weld's strength results from heat dispersion along the full length of a continuous bead. Make sure you're in a comfortable position when you start and it'll make all the difference. Watch that puddle.

ILikeMud
04-12-2006, 04:13 PM
Yea, I'm making tube doors.
We had most the metal sitting around my shop class so all I'll end up having to buy is some tubing for the actual doors.

Doing this project will let me practice my welding skills and hopefully get better plus have some tube doors for my ZJ.

ILikeMud
04-12-2006, 04:41 PM
I'm not in a welding class. I'm taking tool and die/cnc machining at school. I'm teaching myself to weld basically.

My college does have a welding class though, at the other campus. Cenntenial College, location in Scarbrough, ON Canada.

ILikeMud
04-13-2006, 12:26 AM
My teachers won't make it for me so it's up to me.

Some of the teachers can't even weld lol.

ILikeMud
04-13-2006, 11:56 AM
Ah I see.
Well the actual welding class is at another campus, I don't know anyone there.

rockhardmj
04-13-2006, 11:28 PM
Watched my dad since I was a little kid, now I'm taking a course at school for it, next semester, I'm following it up with the advanced course.
I'm not too bad, but my welds arent anything to brag about, they sometimes look really pretty...

jclaudii
04-14-2006, 09:28 AM
I have not welded in years, when I was in high school(i'm only 23 now) I took shop, we had some decent lincoln arch welders. Every day for an entire semester we basically came in class, put on our leathers, grabbed some scrap steel and practiced laying beads in a straight line. Then we beat the hell out of it with flak hammers and wire brushed it and our teacher would rate our welds and then grade us. My SR year we had more flexibility in our class. Some people brought in rigs and welded on them, others built stuff. My Sr year we finally got our lincoln mig and our plasma. I had to say the mig was a hell alot easier, but took some getting used to.

okzj
05-25-2006, 09:03 AM
Well, I started out like most of the rest of these guys did, in high school. We did stick mostly, but we built trailers with MIG. Never did too much TIG, but I don't look like a total retard when I try it now. Soak up that free welding time in school. I got good enough that I was able to go to the state welding competition through FFA. It just takes practice and anyone can be good at it.

xtremzj
05-26-2006, 04:53 PM
had a crash course when in boston and rear trackbar bracket ripped loose of the axle (on superbowl sunday too, so know one was open). found a guy and he said he couldnt do cause of his pacemaker but i could. held up fine but looked like crap.

xtremzj
05-26-2006, 05:48 PM
arc

MUDDTRACKS
05-26-2006, 10:28 PM
I just went and got a mig welder then went and got some info from the library and made some rock rail's then made bumper's.

Still not the best welder. But the rock rails are still holding strong.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
05-26-2006, 11:54 PM
Still not the best welder. But the rock rails are still holding strong.

X2. My welds are decent but I would trust them to make any structural or suspension component.

Mr.BoJankels
09-16-2006, 11:53 PM
startd with a stick, then got with the slow kids and bought a gun

NAFTEL
09-18-2006, 01:34 PM
grade 11 scupture class- half the semester was sculpting in metal, so we got to learn how to weld. that was with stick mostly- there was only 1 mig until in the class - i think i used it like once there. then last year bought a mig unit and just sort of taught myself.

ProjectZJOM617T
09-19-2006, 05:17 AM
I have learned from friends. One does alot of aerospace TIG...

I really dont do much arc.. I think I read once that only about 60% of the filler metal actually sticks to the parts...

I am starting to really like TIG.. As dexterity with the torch hand and filler improves it gets easier. Its still not the choice for many long and not super critical welds.. MIG is still good for alot of things... However some things are best TIG'd

PassRunnerZJ
09-28-2006, 12:51 AM
I really dont do much arc.. I think I read once that only about 60% of the filler metal actually sticks to the parts...

TIG is arc and your filler better be melting in with the other metal parts, not sticking to them.

Practiced with a home hobby stick welder, used my brother's work TIG, purchased my own flux core wire feed when I got tired of borrowing. Now to save the dimes for gas and going to MIG. But the wire core does a better job with penetration on my welder, so for now, practicing with the wire core on safe projects like bumpers and slider add-ons.

polaris junki
10-13-2006, 10:19 AM
My Dad was an Automated Welder Repair, retired now), Had a huge lincoln stick welder that I learned on as a little kid (8 or 9 years old) When I got older he bought an elcheapo 110 volt Mig welder (all flux core didn't have provisions for gas) and learned on it until I wore it out. Mostly repaired farm implements and made repairs here and there. Picked up a Millermatic 210 using flux core and I use every chance I get. I have never had a chance to TIG... I would really like to learn too, One of the welders at work offered to show me but neither one of us have any free time.

I got my Associates in mechanicale drafting a few years ago, Been doing that for almost 3 years and got my Deans certificate in Pricision Machining and CNC tech last spring. I would like to go back and get a certificate in welding but.... Between work, wheeling, and building my Duster I dont really have time any more...

Skyline
10-13-2006, 02:17 PM
Just picked up an excellent book. It is in the "Monster Garage" series, and it's called: "How To Weld Damn Near Anything". Actually the text seems to have little to do with the TV series other than a few pictures, but it's very well written by a guy who makes his own airplanes and race cars. There's a lot of focus on "aircraft quality" welding. One thing for sure, reading it really makes me want to get a TIG, and get 240v to my garage.

To date, all I've used are 120v MIG machines, both with and without gas. But there seem to be a lot of advantages to the TIG process, and I think that's the way I'll go when I finally buy my first welder.

canadian_driver
10-22-2006, 07:05 PM
also lernt how to weld on the farm, normally do stick because its what we had, mig is fun and easy by compairison, and done some tig, i can weld a fair amount of things always had trouble with aluminium tho, i wish i was better at it, id make my own bike frames i kinda wanna see if my school has some classes.

JDirt
10-23-2006, 12:25 AM
My old man always said there's only so much you can learn about welding from someone else. It's mostly an experince thing. He was right, I think. He taught me the basics years ago and I learned the rest through practice. I still ask him questions some times (he can weld like a machine). I would say just keep welding untill you get good. Worked for me.:D

violatedppl
10-25-2006, 01:00 PM
found out one imortant thing on monday night. flash burn sucks. I have a little sunburnt triangle between my neck and my chest. looks fuckin stupid and everytime I move my kneck it hurts.

also learned auto darkening hoods rule ass. the good old flip down is staying at home now.

PassRunnerZJ
10-25-2006, 01:27 PM
A hard learned lesson for me too and I was just watching some TIG work. I understand now and learned quickly why Jesse James in Monster Garage wears the button up shirt with just the top part buttoned. I picked up a heavy cotton long sleeve button up shirt from the Rescue Mission Thrift Store to wear over my other shirts when welding and cutting anymore. One size larger too. I imaging that it keeps the cherries from going down the neck opening too when working with flux core or stick. I've only had one in my sock once when I was way out of possition. Yea, I know boots...

redzj
10-25-2006, 06:02 PM
I started out in highschool vocational school. Went on to get an associates in Welding Tech and worked as metal fabricator until I turned 21. Went back to college got a BS and now I only weld for "fun". I sure don't miss the burns.

AprilzWarrior
10-27-2006, 01:37 AM
I learned from my grandpa... still around too.

He was certified welder for the Plutonium Tanks at the Livermore Lab. I trained by using his old training books for the welding tests.

:D

polaris junki
10-27-2006, 01:21 PM
I've only had one in my sock once when I was way out of possition.

One thing that I learned about welding is that you should always wear boots, and as much protective gear as possible.

When converting my duster from Column shift to floor shift I had to modify the steering column mounting bracket.

I took a brass hammer, stood it up in the vice and locked the vice shut. I clamped the mounting bracket to the brass hammer to fill in a couple of bolt holes. Flipped the switch on the stick welder, connected my ground, stuck an 1/8th general purpose rod in and started to fill the holes. I started around the edges building it up, got to the center and built up a puddle. The first on worked perfectly, the second one of the other hand, when I created the puddle, as soon as I took the rod away I saw it drip off of there straight down. The red hot puddle bulls eyed the top of my foot between the tongue of my shoe and my pants leg... I dropped everything and started stomping backwards, kicked my shoe off and ripped my sock off. The puddle burnt through my sock (obvisously!) and got me in three places in side my shoe.

The whole point of this ;) is not to get impatient when fabricating or modifying something, always think safety! and for shits sake wear Boots!