Learning to Weld

[tautech]

just get a $1k unit and mind the duty cycle.

I've never spent $1k on a tool before in my life, don't plan to for this.

Good luck with your pursuit then as your options of what you'll be able to weld will be somewhat limited but that may just suit your needs however if it was an electronic instrument we might instead of limiting our capabilities select an instrument to grow into as skill develops. Welding is no different.

[Ed.Kloonk]

just get a $1k unit and mind the duty cycle.

I've never spent $1k on a tool before in my life, don't plan to for this.

Never mind learning to weld. Learn to code instead!

Costs ya nothin'.

[Mechatrommer]

its funny i usually see that kind of negative comments in beginner section to a real beginner asking advice on equipments, now it happens to the forum admin even coding need a 1K PC, even worse people are willing to spend on 1K GPU just to get some ass kicking and jumping around here is my latest weld project with a $250 tool... if not because of it, it may have costed me many multiple times (more than 1K) the bare metals i bought to build this one. the green trailer one below holding the more than a tonne load up there...

[Ed.Kloonk]

its funny i usually see that kind of negative comments in beginner section to a real beginner asking advice on equipments, now it happens to the forum admin even coding need a 1K PC, even worse people are willing to spend on 1K GPU just to get some ass kicking and jumping around here is my latest weld project with a $250 tool... if not because of it, it may have costed me many multiple times (more than 1K) the bare metals i bought to build this one. the green trailer one below holding the more than a tonne load up there...

I always thought it was a piss take post, but played along anyhow. 'Learn to weld' is the twitter chant response levelled at those who told blue collar workers* who were mass fired to 'learn to code'. It's a thing.

The giveaway was the mention in the OP that a woman would want to weld. I mean, seriously, you'd let them have a little go, but we wouldn't let them near anything important or structural like a bridge.

 

*edit: I was not quite accurate, it originated from journalists. Anyway...

[Mechatrommer]

well like everybody said, dont limit ones creativity... or maybe.. gender equality? lets see how long she can stand the burn and heat...

[Ed.Kloonk]

Many things can be made with a welder. Sandwiches isn't one of them.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Here's where it started ( I think..)

https://twitter.com/Brooke__2000/status/1588519779026931712

[jonovid]

 my first time seeing a welder was my fathers on the family farm.
stay away, when the unit was up and running.
I got use it as a teen,  arc or stick welder was used for the fabrication of farm gates , sheep yards & all manner of farm type repairs.
most of the work was with steel tubing or angle iron - angle steel. grinding & chipping off the slag before the spray painting.
 the petrol powered arc welder was a dedicated DIY two wheel trailer design that can be towed anywhere.
the Lincoln PTO power take-off 200 Amp Welder & 220/240V Generator was powered by a Ford flathead V8 salvaged from something WW2 -a Dingo scout car.
all mounted on a two wheel trailer with a set of vee belts & pulley running off the back of the flywheel. gave it an r.p.m. step -up
as the old 85 hp flathead V8 was speed governed to just above fast idling. it would growl under load like a hotrod when welding.   
some yrs later we replaced the V8 with a MF701 massey ferguson 4 cylinder petrol baler engine.
as this was somewhat more fuel efficient & less likely to overheat on hot-days. those engines are now antiques.
welding flash was a problem as the starting of the arc on rusty metal.
back then welding helmets had no auto darkening, it was a flip up visor. also galvanised steel gave off very toxic fumes when hot. 
keeping the orange bead consistent , tricky then working with thin sheet steel. had to play with the Amp settings a bit.
those were the days!

[geggi1]

Probably the simplest way for getting started welding is with sticks.
Get a 160A inverter stick welder of a decent brand. Dont get the cheepest one avalable.
Get a selfdimming hat with ajustable dimming level.

For rods you shuld get some that are simple to use ask for a rod similar to ESAB 48.08 because they ar simple to get started with. Use thin rods 1,6mm or 2mm is simpler.
 NB! dont start welding stainless steel its expensive and harder to weld and it will also require other rods (316 rods).
Start welding on mild steel 5mm /6mm 1/4" because the heat will be better arbsorbend with some mass. Go to a scrapyard and get some steel but keep away form galvanized because it will require a lot of grinding and the fumes a dangorus when you weld.
Usualy there are some reccomandation of current on the package with rods. set the current 10-20 Amps abow the lowest reccomended current for a 1,6 or 2mm rod onthicker rods you might go higher.

Start welding worms on a pice of plate or flatbar until you got bot of controll on the rod movement and current. In the beginning you will most likely have many rods fused to the test piece until you get better controll. Rebare is normaly also simple to weld tin the beginneing use at least 10mm
Dont give up! 

When you fell you got some control you can start to weld pieces of steel totether.

Other reccomended euipment:
Anglegrinder 4" or 5" with cutting, gringing and flap discs.
Welding pick.
Wirebrush.

I started with at the worst end.
2mm stainless steel.
Combination of  black and stainless and in many cases stainless on galvanized steel.

If you manage this mild steel on mild steel is simple.

A final word.
Dont start on cast iron because it got a very high carbon content and is normally hard to weld.
After welding it will often be brittle.

[tautech]

jonovid
I had a hankering for one of them welder/genset Lincoln's too for the farm repair/maintenance/fabrication we did too.
For some years we borrowed neighbor uncles Youngs B but when he moved away brought a new 180A thyristor controlled 230VAC single phase unit. Served us well for a few years until one of its Unijunction oscillators died but with the help of an EE mate learnt how to set it up again tuning the thyristor gating for the perfect phase control match. 
Being a high OC voltage welder it struck a weld just nice but OTOH wasn't too happy driving Low Hydrogen high tensile rods. Still, properly phase match adjusted it ran really smooth and was a nice little welder to use and one of a very few non-inverter types you could pick up with one hand.
It's been recycled now after getting annealed in a fire. 

After which we urgently needed another welder for the workshop (there's always stuff breaking and needing fixing) I scored a 400A 3ph (uses only 2 actually) with long heavy leads for just $200 barely 10km away which is my main welder now. I've pushed it to 250A with deep penetration rods welding heavy 200UC beams together for a 9m shed rafter.
Mainly I leave it on low power output config for the bit higher OC voltage for easy arc striking and even that setting provides 300A max albeit with lower duty cycle spec.

[james_s]

When I learned, they had us start with stick welding and then later we got to try MIG and TIG. Stick welding is arguably the most difficult and fiddly, you have to use the right kind of rod and technique is very important. The fact that your electrode is constantly getting shorter adds a significant challenge. Once you've gotten the hang of that, MIG feels really easy. TIG is a lot more like oxy-acetylene welding than other arc welding techniques.

[tautech]

Once you've gotten the hang of that, MIG feels really easy. TIG is a lot more like oxy-acetylene welding than other arc welding techniques.

100% but both require observance of what's happening at weld pool level and correct supply settings to be successful.
Arguably these are harder to learn than plain arc.

Welding is quite easy in the flat (horizontal) position where the preference is to position all/any welding to be horizontal and so not to have to deal with all the crazy stuff a weld pool does when not on the flat.
Different weld directions are required for vertical for example and some arc rods are better for this than others.

Then add specialist rods and or metals and everything starts to become quite complex.
My verticals look very ugly but focus is not on looks but ensuring best penetration and fusion which mostly results in looking like birds have poo'ed everywhere but I know it won't break. That's what little ginders are for, cleaning up the mess. 

[nctnico]

its funny i usually see that kind of negative comments in beginner section to a real beginner asking advice on equipments, now it happens to the forum admin even coding need a 1K PC, even worse people are willing to spend on 1K GPU just to get some ass kicking and jumping around here is my latest weld project with a $250 tool... if not because of it, it may have costed me many multiple times (more than 1K) the bare metals i bought to build this one. the green trailer one below holding the more than a tonne load up there...

We'll talk further once your trailer has travelled 100k km over bumpy roads...  Ofcourse there is always the tradeoff between getting the best tool for the job and money to be spend. OTOH just setting an arbitrary limit at 1k (or another amount) is rather useless though.

It is interesting that people have different opinions on what is the easiest technique to start. If you have had no exposure to welding I think it is a good idea to get some kind of hands on experience either through a course or friends/family who have a various welding equipment to try.

[Smokey]

just get a $1k unit and mind the duty cycle.

I've never spent $1k on a tool before in my life, don't plan to for this.

Think about it from this standpoint.  How much would a 220V 200A bench power supply cost?  That power supply isn't just variable voltage and constant current, but it's also AC modulated with variable frequency and duty cycle and offset.  That's what a good AC/DC TIG welder is. 

If I were you, I would contact Everlast and see if they would give you a unit since you already have a big Youtube presence. 

Also as some people mentioned, check out the local community colleges (or whatever that looks like un Australia).  They typically have really good programs.  If you are just learning, you can use all the instruction and practice you can get.  Plus you can use their real machines before you get one so you can see first hand how much cheap welders suck before you waste your money on one 

[Mechatrommer]

its funny i usually see that kind of negative comments in beginner section to a real beginner asking advice on equipments, now it happens to the forum admin even coding need a 1K PC, even worse people are willing to spend on 1K GPU just to get some ass kicking and jumping around here is my latest weld project with a $250 tool... if not because of it, it may have costed me many multiple times (more than 1K) the bare metals i bought to build this one. the green trailer one below holding the more than a tonne load up there...

We'll talk further once your trailer has travelled 100k km over bumpy roads...  Ofcourse there is always the tradeoff between getting the best tool for the job and money to be spend. OTOH just setting an arbitrary limit at 1k (or another amount) is rather useless though.

i need it just to lift the load off the water nearby. we dont drag the load like 100km away, we use big truck for that. dealing with bumpy road will need more than welding skill to assemble suspension system, towing rig connection, safety compliance etc. the point is if i dont have the tool to diy what is "just enough" for me at cheaper cost, i will have to spend hefty money for something that cannot survive 100k km anyway and no proper suspension system, just a little bit more metal than what i did and that i wont use everyday.

[james_s]

I've never spent $1k on a tool before in my life, don't plan to for this.

Not even a piece of test equipment?

You can certainly get a usable welder for less, especially if you buy used, but just beware of going too cheap, someone told me once "buy good tools and only cry once" and that has worked out well for me. You don't have to buy a top of the line professional machine with all the bells & whistles, but to some degree you get what you pay for. Buying a welder is a lot like buying a scope, you can sometimes get a deal on an old analog machine that is big and clunky, or you can buy a cheap modern thing that has lofty claims it may or may not live up to, or you can look a pro gear. The difference is that a top notch professional welder costs about the same as the entry level product from one of the A-list brands. Also as with a scope, you can look at the resale value of used stuff before you decide to buy something. A good quality machine that is well taken care of should hold its value.

Another route is to find a broken one, repairing a modern-ish inverter welder could make for an interesting video.

[tautech]

Another route is to find a broken one, repairing a modern-ish inverter welder could make for an interesting video.

That would certainly be a challenge and we have a few of these modern things as projects in the Repair board.

Still if Dave and Mrs Dave wanna dip their toes in the water they might as well buy some cheap POS from Bunnings or wherever local and then flick it if they find it's not their cup of tea.
If they are careful to get something with a transferable warranty the entry and exit costs will be low.

Then with a teeny bit of experience behind them a further purchase might have all the bells and whistles of what makes a good welding power source.

[nctnico]

Isn't taking a course cheaper? Also, wouldn't it be possible to rent good welding equipment?

For example: earlier this year I endeavoured into wavesurfing. Not knowing I would actually enjoy or even be able to do it, I took a couple of courses (being the oldest participant by far every time  ) using rented equipment instead of going full in buying my own gear (with the risk of getting stuck with stuff I never use again).

[Gareth79]

Definitely recommend welding to anybody who likes to tinker with stuff. Even just for the fun of it, and then every project is one that can be solved with welding

My first welder was a "Wolf 200" or something. It did the job, but the wire feed was very temperamental and it took a lot of messing around each time to get a decent weld. Also it was HEAVY.

Then I had a bit of money spare and got a Kemppi machine (MiniarcMig Evo) and WOW it produced perfect welds immediately with zero messing around. Ok it was £1k, but if I bought it first the cumulative time/stress saved would have been well worth it..

[wilfred]

For Aussies buying at Bunnings, don't forget spare lens packs for your helmet. Try searching on Ozito welding lens. I don't know if an alternative lens is available but you will eventually need to replace the lenses. I'd buy a pack straight away just in case they aren't still available easily (and cheaply) later on.

I found Bunnings are clearing the Bossweld X-sight range and they don't appear on a website search. I don't feel qualified to recommend them but I saw them for $50 and I asked for $30 and got it. Your local store might have some left. https://dynaweld.com.au/product/bossweld-xsight-series-electronic-welding-helmets/

This may be one of the problems with buying at Bunnings if they delete a range of products. You might be left high and dry looking for spares in a few years.

I hope that is useful to someone.

[Psi]

The really cheap welders have a tendency to explode their IGBT/FETs.

If you have to go cheap,  like maybe under AUD$600, I wouldn't run it above 50% it's amp ratings.
Even AUS$600-1000 I would still under rate the amps a bit.

I got my WSE-200P JASIC AC/DC TIG welder 7 years ago. It cost around NZD$950 inc shipping and I don't run it over 150A even though it's rate 200A.

However 150A is plenty useful for most things, especially learning to weld.

I wouldn't recommend a cheap china 100A welder.

[tautech]

Just stumbled on this helpful basic overview from Edd China.

[coppercone2]

the cheapest way to weld is coal and hammer

might actually be fun that way too 

[CatalinaWOW]

Or car batteries and jumper cables.

[AlfBaz]

Hi Dave
I'm going through a similar process right now. The only difference is I already know how to stick 2 bits of metal together with mig, tig and stick

I say "stick bits of metal together" because I haven't done any courses so I wouldn't be trusting my welds in anything where structural integrity is important.
Having said that if you get decent penetration and the thing looks solid, I would personally trust it.

Which machine you buy is predicated on what you would like to weld.

For me I want to be able to weld up mild steel and thin aluminium (1 to 3mm)

I was going to go for a unimig viper 185 which seems to be the pick of the litter as far as multiprocess welding machines go for hobby use but as I found out recently from some of my boilermaker mates is that to do tig on aluminium you need AC tig. Something to do with on one polarity it does the welding and on the other it cleans the oxide. There are youtube vids out there showing DC tig and you can see the pool of molten material forming an outer layer of oxide that prevents the pool from flowing into the work properly

The viper is DC only so tigging Al is out of the question. They say you can mig Al but you will need a spool gun because the aluminium reel is too soft to push up the entire distance from the inverter to the hand piece so they mount the spool on the hand piece itself.

Problem with the handspool/mig solution is that it's only good for aluminium at least 1/4" thick.
The other downside with mig and Al is that tig, once you get good at it, looks better because it's more controllable

With that in mind I started searching for a multiprocess welder that had AC tig and found a good lincoln unit but the price jumps to 2 grand from the viper's 1 grand.
The missus is all for it but she said I'll have to save the extra grand outa my pocket money

You also need to look at gas bottles for tig and mig. both processes need different gasses

I learnt mainly using stick as at the time mig and tig where only just coming out and the machines where prohibitively expensive and huge.
Stick these days is good for outside work on windy days as the gas shield gets blown away with even small breezes. One problem with stick at the moment is the rods are nearly as expensive as a head of lettuce

Here are links to both the unimig and the lincoln
Oh and pay the extra couple of hundred buck to make sure you get the bundle with all the attachments for all the processes including a welding mask

Unimig https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/k0181d
Lincoln https://toolkitdepot.com.au/lincoln-electric-powercraft-reg-200m-4in1-multi-purpose-welder-k69074-1/

PS If you have any questions feel free to ask, I have been casually researching this stuff for a couple of weeks