How to learn how to weld

I feel like if you have the tools to make one you are almost obligated to do so...and you get some extra practice.

 

Pretty much. And we all do it for our own reasons, so better to tailor your cart to your needs...and what will fit in "that corner" of your garage! Just picked up a new full tank of gas for my mig. Was down to about 200. I'll have enough to keep me busy for a while.

 

what size tank and how much do they usually go for? I've seen some smaller tanks, I think 20 or 40 cubic ft? How long does one of those last?

 

Tank is 29” tall. Sticker on it says “Q 95 CUFT” and “C25”. About the size of a very tall scuba tank. About $60 per full replacement tank at Praxair which I think is nationwide supplier of welding gas.

Getting some 1/4” plate cut with plasma cutter for slider mounting brackets. All done

 

Where do you live ?

 

I’m sure there are plenty of us out here that took it for granted when we were younger that we had fathers or uncle or grandfathers that past down there craft to us . I am now 45 and I’m so glad I was a pest and always in the way when my dad was in the shop , I learned a lot by watching, more than I ever realized at the time and the skills I have now cause someone took the time to show me a few things are absolutely priceless, this goes out to all the fathers , mothers, aunts , uncles that have taught or shared there knowledge and trade skills to the next generation. Thank you so much .

 

“The only stupid question is the one that you don’t ask” The man I automotive mechanic apprenticed under told me that and it’s always stuck with me .

 

66$ isn't bad. How long does that size last you?

 

This is true for almost everything

 

Actually, I'm the one responsible for all of those terms mentioned in jest, except "gorilla welds". I don't recognize "Gorilla welds" as official welding terminology. All the others, I'm pretty sure are "real" welding terminology observed in my engineering career, either from basic welding seminars, or on welder certification reports. And, as reported, I've also identified those same defects in my own "welds".

I didn't have to be a welder in my job. Experienced inspectors tested the welders, bent the specimen, and told me if they met our requirements. Sometimes it's very hard to find enough certified, or even qualified, welders for a project in the outback. Real welders are highly skilled, and as such, are less amenable to an itinerant life in the construction trades. It takes premium pay to lure good welders to the barren prairie. Can't blame them for wanting to make good money and go home to family every night.

I have to confess: Welding is not my religion. I am not now, nor have I never been, a welder. I'm a dauber. Having priced out professional welding and fabrication jobs, I was forced to learn enough welding to meet my basic needs.

 

I don’t weld that much so it lasts me a long time. Like a year or more. Just depends if I have any projects I’m working on. Like the m@¥#% effing slider build right now. Can’t get fingers between tank and frame to bolt on. Ugh. May end up welding these bitches on....

 

As close to welding porn as I can get. Not bad for a six year old HF 220 mig welder

 

Looks to me your pushing that bead. You ev

Looks to me your pulling your weld. Traveling in the opposite direction your wire is depositing. Have you tried pushing your weld ? Just curious

 

All pull. Just more comfortable. I’ll push next one

 

Yeah try it, I think you'll find it's a better bead. Please post a pic if you do. Thanks

 

Will do. In the middle of prepping plates for passenger side brackets. All cut and drilled. Need to grind off all the surface rust. Cost of free plate steel! May not get to dry fitting and tacking until tomorrow.

 

I thought if you could turn the machine on and make sparks you are a weldEr...? Lol, that's all it takes to be one where I work.

 

x2. I push 90% of my beads.

 

Also Trucky, I know you've heard the phrase.....welders are a dime a dozen. Thats what an old superintendent use to say to us when I worked for NCDOT.

 

What does this mean? I've heard it a lot pushing vs pulling....

 

It's about rod angle. Let's say you're travel direction is right to left. Pulling would mean your rod is leaning to the left. Pushing would have it leaning right.

 

Is one better than the other? Or is it more what feels best

 

Pushing results in a flatter bead, which usually looks much nicer. I find it's less prone to cold lap as well. Other than that, I feel it's mostly what each welder prefers. Travel direction is the same. I know some right handed guys who like to travel left to right so they can more easily see their puddle. I prefer right to left so I can more easily see my joint and trust that my puddle is doing what it should.

The various journeymen who mentored me all had their own style and the consensus was basically "I'll show you how I do it, but as you gain experience you'll end up doing it your way."

 

That makes sense. I do the same thing as a plumber training guys to use tools and equipment.

So basically the way that's better is however you produce a better weld.

So you mention cold lap, what does that mean?

 

It's when part of your weld slumps over to one side, also known as overlap:

 

Oh ok. Thank you for breaking down something simple lol

 

3 months later, and I'm Ballz deep in a new obsession. Got to play around with a buddy's mig. Pretty straightforward now. I am amazed at how easy it is to weld. Now, I do mean use a welder....not make quality product lol. But, I am hooked to the so called 'hot glue guns'.

 

I guess specifically speaking, I'm running .035 flux core. I'm just running beads on some scrap that I have. My first project will be making a miniature welding table...I'm calling it my welding stool. But, more to come on that when i get there. Getting back to work sucks

 

Let's see them welds, and pics of your project stool. Try taking some of that scrap, and make a t-joint. Practice a 1 in 2 over bead layer. What I mean by that is run your first bead on your t- joint, follow with a second bead at bottom of first weld splitting your first bead down the center. Deposit last bead on top splitting second bead, this is tying all beads in.

In this pic, this is a 1 in 2 over. If you look close there's spatter on the joint. This more than likely is wire speed to fast or dirty metal. Also if your gonna be doing a lot of mig welding, get you some anti- spatter for your mig gun. It comes in a spray or gel.

 

Adjusting wire feed speed and voltage is giving me some problems. However, I did recently learn two things. First, manufacturers have recommendations on the settings. If I would have known this it would have saved me a lot of time. Second, welding tips and tricks on YouTube has a guide for wire feed speed to get close.
I do need to get some anti-spatter. The first bead I ran, I destroyed the contact tip.

Side question, wouldn't I be able to file off the wire that welded to the contact tip? Seems like I would be able to...

I do have a lot of hard spatter, would that be low voltage or too high wire speed?

Also, in many videos I've seen, there is a chunk of slag that covers the whole bead. When I'm doing it, there usually a small piece on the side of the weld away from me. Is this an issue?

There's many more questions, however, I'm going to go easy on y'all.