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How to learn how to weld

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Ps3udonymous, Apr 7, 2020.

  1. Apr 9, 2020 at 3:28 PM
    #61
    2manytoys

    2manytoys New Member

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    I don't know if anybody mentioned a good welding cap especially if welding at or above your head. Keeps the blisters off your head.
     
  2. Apr 9, 2020 at 4:12 PM
    #62
    Ps3udonymous

    Ps3udonymous [OP] Who is the smart ass that changed the title?

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    I'll have to check it out then. Thanks
     
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  3. Apr 9, 2020 at 4:14 PM
    #63
    Ps3udonymous

    Ps3udonymous [OP] Who is the smart ass that changed the title?

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    I'll those vids out, thank you
     
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  4. Apr 9, 2020 at 5:42 PM
    #64
    glowblue

    glowblue From time to time

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    Truer words have been spoken not. I don’t know how to weld but I design nuclear power reactors! Nuclear grade welders are the shiznit...and get paid well for their skills.
     
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  5. Apr 9, 2020 at 5:52 PM
    #65
    smslavin

    smslavin Behind a lens...

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    what if i am building a nuclear sub in the backyard?
     
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  6. Apr 9, 2020 at 5:53 PM
    #66
    glowblue

    glowblue From time to time

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    The Department of Defense would be paying you a friendly visit for sure!
     
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  7. Apr 9, 2020 at 6:08 PM
    #67
    JMB

    JMB Not new, just a little old.

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    That would be cool, but this.
    I'd scale down and go with diesel electric.
     
  8. Apr 9, 2020 at 6:20 PM
    #68
    Dylan7194x4

    Dylan7194x4 New Member

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    I'm an electrician down in the springs. If you decide you want 220 in the garage let me know. All it'll cost is material, maybe some beers and to let me drool near your truck.
     
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  9. Apr 9, 2020 at 6:30 PM
    #69
    smslavin

    smslavin Behind a lens...

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    wow. thank you for the offer. beers and drooling i can handle.
     
  10. Apr 9, 2020 at 7:06 PM
    #70
    Tundra14Platinum

    Tundra14Platinum I love reading the CoC in my spare time

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    This.
     
  11. Apr 9, 2020 at 7:11 PM
    #71
    CourtJester

    CourtJester New Member

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    Just fucken jump in and start doing. Trial and error.

    I became a plant manager over a company that largely did welding a few years ago. They gave me shit because I didn’t know how to weld, so I jumped in and started welding. I really added to the p&l’s scrap factor that first month, but I can weld the shit out of stuff now... and it’s damn pretty.

    Go burn some stuff man.
     
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  12. Apr 10, 2020 at 6:41 AM
    #72
    Ps3udonymous

    Ps3udonymous [OP] Who is the smart ass that changed the title?

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    This is my plan. However, I want to jump in and not electrocute myself.
     
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  13. Apr 10, 2020 at 6:41 AM
    #73
    Ps3udonymous

    Ps3udonymous [OP] Who is the smart ass that changed the title?

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    Why is recommended to not to do mig with flux cored wire?
     
  14. Apr 10, 2020 at 7:13 AM
    #74
    smslavin

    smslavin Behind a lens...

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    :rofl: :thumbsup:
     
  15. Apr 10, 2020 at 7:47 AM
    #75
    Tundra14Platinum

    Tundra14Platinum I love reading the CoC in my spare time

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    You won't electrocute your self, You will Shock your self. You will see. Hahaha

     
  16. Apr 10, 2020 at 8:31 AM
    #76
    kevine0001

    kevine0001 New Member

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    Pics of the welding cart I made...copied off of Pinterest. Bottom pic shows my flux welder on the bottom, with the plasma cutter in the middle. Lotos D50 ($350 at HD).

    2017-03-15 20.04.45.jpg
    2017-03-19 16.41.12.jpg
    2017-10-07 13.14.26.jpg
     
  17. Apr 10, 2020 at 8:36 AM
    #77
    kevine0001

    kevine0001 New Member

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    Some recently cut up 1/4" plate steel I did for a friend with the plasma cutter. I'm using some of it now to fab mounting brackets for the sliders I've made.

    IMG_7099.jpg
    IMG_7115.jpg
     
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  18. Apr 10, 2020 at 9:23 AM
    #78
    Ps3udonymous

    Ps3udonymous [OP] Who is the smart ass that changed the title?

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    Sweet little set up there. I like the grinding wheel holder lol
     
  19. Apr 10, 2020 at 9:30 AM
    #79
    kevine0001

    kevine0001 New Member

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    Thanks. In the last pic of the cart you can see the 1/4” round bar I added as rails on each shelf. Keeps everything from sliding off the side. The grinder holder is just some 3/16” x 1” flat stock, entire length of the cart. Just slip the grinder over. Saw it also on Pinterest. For a hone garage welding cart, waaaaay better than the HF one for $35. That one was just too light weight for me
     
  20. Apr 10, 2020 at 9:35 AM
    #80
    snivilous

    snivilous snivspeedshop.com

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    All hail the harbor freight grinder! I have 3x of them too, one for grinding/cutting, one for flappy disc, and one for wire brush. For $10/ea you can't go wrong, and I have yet for one to outright break that wasn't a result of me hucking it across the shop to release anger hahaha
     
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  21. Apr 10, 2020 at 10:58 AM
    #81
    kevine0001

    kevine0001 New Member

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    Yeah, the HF welders come with an extra piece in the box. It's the part that wears on the brushes. Forgot what it's called. Save it, because when the grinder stops working, just replace it with the extra one. And you're back in business. Unfortunately, I do not know where to buy extras of these, but not worth it. Once you've replaced that brush/wear thing once, you should have a year on that grinder. For $10, go buy another. In fact, when all this virus crap ends, going to buy another...then put it in my car, download another 20 percent coupon, walk back in and buy another. I usually keep four on the cart, and one new one in the box in a cabinet...just in case.
     
  22. Apr 10, 2020 at 11:11 AM
    #82
    Warreng

    Warreng New Member

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    Get a decent grinder and it will last for a long time, with way less vibration, and not self destruct half way through a project.
    A 4 1/2” makita with a paddle trigger is economical and durable. They often sell them 2 in a box.
    A $10 grinder is about as good as a $10 hammer, the only bonus is you can use the $10 grinder as a hammer.
     
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  23. Apr 10, 2020 at 11:31 AM
    #83
    kevine0001

    kevine0001 New Member

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    That’s why I have a Dewalt cordless. Would love another one with a couple more 6A batteries
     
  24. Apr 10, 2020 at 1:30 PM
    #84
    rons23

    rons23 Get The Led Out!!!

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    Oh my...:eek2: all this talk of gorilla welds, undercut, porosity, slag inclusion ,which by the way is a welding term. Hat's off to whoever said that.

    If you are constantly grinding your welds, then you are a grinder not a weldor.
    Most important thing to do prior to any welding, whether it's for practice or production is clean your metal good of mil scale, rust, paint, etc. Dirty metal is the main cause of porosity, especially in the smaw process, lack of gas in gmaw/gtaw.

    Someone mentioned stick welding is the easiest process, well to some it may be, but truthfully mig is essentially point&shoot, set up is the main thing, once dialed in you can develop your own technique rather quickly. Stick takes time and effort.

    GTAW is where it's at. While it's not the most practical process for the wknd warriors, it is the cleanest, best weld producing process. It's also the most expensive, especially if your looking at aluminum and water cooling features.

    I wish I had the money to open up a small school to teach guy's like yall that want to learn to weld. It's music to my ears. I taught welding @ my local college for 5 years, and miss it terribly. It was the most gratifying job I ever had.

    I will leave you with a few tips for stick- 3 main techniques 1- Arc Gap, keep that rod as close to the puddle as possible 2- Rod angle, depending on position 5/10%, slightly. the more straight up and down, flatter the weld. 3- Travel Speed, slower you go the more weld deposit, faster you go , less weld, and they will look like hammered dog shit.

    I will suggest for anyone looking to purchase a welder, go ahead and spend some extra money. Get a set-up with at least a 60% duty cycle. If your not doing a lot then you could go with a cheaper unit. Typically any welder your plugging in to 110v is a waste of time, just my .02. Good luck out there!!!!!

    :welder:
     
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  25. Apr 10, 2020 at 1:37 PM
    #85
    JMB

    JMB Not new, just a little old.

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    Quite true. At my last company we had a bunch of eye injuries. Investigation found that most of them were from grinding particles in the eye, mostly welders. My response was "get better welders". But that's easier said than done in this area.
     
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  26. Apr 10, 2020 at 1:47 PM
    #86
    rons23

    rons23 Get The Led Out!!!

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    Yes it is. Welding is a Art of your technique. You either have it or you don't. No in-between
     
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  27. Apr 10, 2020 at 2:02 PM
    #87
    JMB

    JMB Not new, just a little old.

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    Agree.

    One thing with GTAW, probably not applicable to the home welder, is it's not for large welds. It took me quite a while to get our shop welders to stop TIG welding everything and go to flux core. It mostly happened because we replaced them with other welders from a more production oriented environment. We built a lot of medium to large foundations and 3/8 or 1/2 fillets and 1/2 plus butt welds aren't uncommon. The guys that only wanted to TIG weld took forever and distortion control was next to impossible.

    For me, I never got into GTAW. I'm extremely right handed and my left hand is mostly retarded.
     
  28. Apr 10, 2020 at 2:13 PM
    #88
    rons23

    rons23 Get The Led Out!!!

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    lol, yeah in the field it's all about production, tig is more on the pipe side of things. It's a great process to learn, and will make you the most money out in the field. I wish I learned it a lot earlier in my career. I would definitely be in the aerospace side of things :D
     
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  29. Apr 10, 2020 at 2:24 PM
    #89
    JMB

    JMB Not new, just a little old.

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    I got hot with one guy and said you just want to wear a white shirt to work like some kind of f'ing executive. Apparently he was offended, he went to HR. That's how I got treated when I first started in 1980, didn't bother me:notsure:

    Didn't you tell me you welded Omega seals?
     
  30. Apr 10, 2020 at 2:34 PM
    #90
    rons23

    rons23 Get The Led Out!!!

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    Yes Omega Seals and CDM Tubes. 1 of 16 welders in the USA that can say that at that time. Pretty awesome and very technical work. I'll leave it at that as you already know :thumbsup:
     
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