Learning to weld

[varova87]

Friend of mine called this morning, said he knows a local welder/engineer that will likely be willing to teach me. His home garage is full service with a lift and multiple welding machines.

If that doesn't pan out, I actually might sign up for a local class. Good advice there.

 

[wheelen disco]

Your on the right track, like tom said don't fool with joints yet just practice controlling the pool. Even 3/16" mild on a gaped butt weld is pushing the limit of what a 90 amp flux core welder can do, without extra effort. Watch your duty cycle, I've seen a few of those little ones with duty cycles as low as %15. Have fun

 

[jim-00-4.6]

just picked up a 90-amp welder...
autodimming helmet....

shouldn't this be attached to the harbor freight thread?

cuz, honestly, if I ever get around to buying a welder and learning to weld, that's what I'm buying.
at least to start.

 

[p m]

I won't tell where my never-used 90-amp MIG welder came from... 'cause it's pretty damn obvious by now.

 

[varova87]

just picked up a 90-amp welder...
autodimming helmet....

shouldn't this be attached to the harbor freight thread?

cuz, honestly, if I ever get around to buying a welder and learning to weld, that's what I'm buying.
at least to start.

Ha, that's exactly where it came from. It has done everything I need. Hell, I've already blazed through 3/4 of the role of flux core it came with. I've put a weld on every piece of scrap metal I can get my hands on.

When I move in January, I'll throw it on Craigslist for 50 bucks and apply what I saved to a good one in Uganda. Easy peasy.

 

[Devildog01]

Lincoln Buzz box and 7018 or 6011 rod.You can't beat penetration.Just ask Wideners cellmate.

 

[apg]

Good thread. It motivated me to look into welding classes at the local community college.

Took a two semester course at the adjacent university that was designed for engineering students. Started out with gas, moved on to arc, then MIG and TIG. At each level, one had to do an overhead or vertical weld on 1/2" plate, then cut across it into a 1" strip and bend that backwards in a press to see if it would fail before moving on.

Best college course ever....

 

[antichrist]

Gas welding is pretty cool, but more for the novelty than any particular usefulness unless you think you might be needing to weld something where there's no power. It imparts way too much heat to anything that isn't really thin, but even with thin stuff you're usually better off with TIG or MIG. Unless it's a course requirement, I wouldn't spend money on an oxy-acetelyne welding class.

 

[apg]

The really cool welding skill is trail-side repairs. One of the chaps in the club repaired his 109 ambulance using three batteries, several jumper cables and some 6011 rod he happened to have with him.