Tips For Learning Welding

[performancecentral]

Hey all,

I'm hoping to start fabricating certain components (eventually things like intake manifolds and sheet work) but I am not too sure what equipment to start off with. I have a basic understanding of welding but i'm not too sure if I should start off with a semi decent welder or start off with something cheap and then progress up over time.

I would be just using mild steel at first. Any suggestions for Tig or Mig welding?

[weapon_unknown]

+1

Im also interested in doing some stainless steel fabrication myself.

[75coupe]

start with Mig, stick and Oxy and progress to tig, dont buy a unit until you really have to and maybe wait until you have tig down to a good point and can afford to start doing it at home...

I did three courses or metal arc welding at Tafe, included stick, oxy and mig and finished off with some tig... it helps if you can progress through the different welding techniques, there is alot of info to learn as far as filler types, different heats and joint types...

Dont expect yourself to able to be a good tig welder by the end of some short courses though, it takes practice, even mig welding takes practice to get nice pro looking welds, and just because it looks good doesnt mean its strong... so practice practice and practice....

[hobo-phil]

Im a boilermaker by trade and +1 on doing a TAFE course, i could imagine self teaching welding would be VERY frustrating + the cost of the course you would almost use in consumables anyway.

A good TIG welder will cost over $2,000 but you can buy a 240v caddy welder for around the $200 mark which you can use on effectively on mild steal and Stainless Steal with the right electrodes.

[Robi33]

I'm a Sheetmetal Fabricator by Trade and I agree with Phil. Go for the TAFE course... I can't imagine what its like to self-teach yourself TIG welding. Whoever has done it, I take my hat off to you for your patience haha.

It is tricky to get a hang of, but it's a skill you never forget. And the perks of knowing how to do it help out a lot.

[scotty nm35]

Im self taught, like you guys say, its a very long process with hundreds of hours practice to become proficient at tig, even more for alloys. Luckily most fab work for cars isnt critical strength wise. I would buy a cheap 150A DC tig and start practising, its the best way to stick manifolds together.

[Muff]

Im self taught, would have cost alot if i didnt get heeps from work.

start with tig. stainless fusing for starters, then progress to using filler.

dont waste 700 on a cheap dc tig.

buy a quality one prob bout 1500 - 2000. will help with learning.

took me bout 3 weeks welding alot and now i do heeps of exhausts and cooler piping for friends, stainless and mild....

just started al welding but its a tad hard on a dc tig.

hope to get an ac/dc soon.....

there is a book that is called "introduction to tig " it will really help if you cant be f**ked going to tafe.

have fun.

[Risking]

Id agree with buying a decent machine to start with. AC/DC TIG's can be had cheap. Buy from Greys online, a kempi sold for 2k last week. 4.5K worth if welder.

I wouldnt buy a MIG if you intend on TIG welding prodominatly. I have several of both and my good TIG welders are about the only machines that ever get turned on.

Forget trying to weld any alloys untill you can grasp DC welding first. Ive recently taught someone to TIG the way I want it done ( I build cages so VERY fussy) it took them a few days to get the hang off but their alloy work is rubbish still.

[HYBRID VL]

Ok i have ARC welded before but i am a total noob to MIG/TIG welding i am looking at researching and learning/teachimg myself i have others in the fab business who have taught me how to spot weld and will also teach me how to TIG and MIG BUT... i am so confused about what is what.

ARC is the stick

MIG is that wire feed?

what is TIG maybe i getem mixed up.

Also isnt Oxy's in there somewhere.

i was also told i could weld alloy with a teflon tip on a MIG welder i sthis true.

is gasless better then gas?

[r33_racer]

manual metal arc welding is stick. (MMAW)

gas metal arc welding is mig though mig stands for metal inert gas(GMAW)

gas tungsten arc welding is tig though tig stands for tungsten inert gas (GTAW)

Oxy-acetylene welding is your oxy.

so they are the proper terms for the forms of welding you are talking about.

Ive never heard of welding alloy with a teflon tip. If the mig can switch to AC then it can weld alloy so long as its got argon gas setup. But teflon wouldnt conduct the power that goes through the wire to create the arc when it connects with the job, so I cant see how a teflon tip would work unless you are confused with something else. 90% of the time everyone just uses gas. Gasless i believe was created for similiar reasons to why stick welding is still around, onsite/outdoors welding.

[75coupe]

teflon sleeve perhaps for alloy welding on mig, for alloy welding on mig you need to change the wire type and the wire sleeve.

[r33_racer]

ah yes perhaps he means teflon liner?

Yeh correct, i left out the drive rollers need to be changed to u groove typically instead of the regular v for steel wire and a different liner and tips to suit wire size.

[Craved]

alloy MIG also doesnt need AC, though there are specialised rollers for the feeding mechanism to stop the rollers from attacking the wire - along with the above teflon liners for the gun lead and using argon

[ISL33P]

Funny that everyone says to start on steel on stainless first. I have done about 5 steels jobs in my life and the rest have been aluminium. In my eyes it is a lot easier but that I think is because of the practice and yes, I am self taught, no tafe here.

I got my welder by chance, it was on run out and cost me $1500 where usually it would be $4500. Tried a couple of others including ebay (which blew up when I turned it on) and never again will I buy a cheapie or second hand.....do it once and do it right I say...especially since the majority of people with their own tig would like to make a few $$$'s to repay their investment so in the end of it you will be on top

[GTR1993]

Lol yea i started on ally, all I wanted to do. I completed a entry level tafe course, picked up the steel in 2 lessons and teach said goto alloy. Picked up my self a 250 amp ac dc kemppi and never looked back.

[chuckie]

keep your HEAD IN BUCKET ,

with feeding wire ,Roll wire in between 3&4 fingers thumb,

keep wire in purging zone,

make sure its clean,

don`t use filler wire thats to big,

[Daleo]

  On 11/05/2011 at 3:19 AM, chuckie said:

keep your HEAD IN BUCKET ,

with feeding wire ,Roll wire in between 3&4 fingers thumb,

keep wire in purging zone,

make sure its clean,

don`t use filler wire thats to big,

+1 chuckie

So many people I see TIG welding stainless, have oxidation in the weld bead, and can't work out why; so push up argon flow rates. Then they find it gets worse, because the turbulence actually unshrouds the arc.

You watch them weld, and they continually pull the tip of the filler wire out of the out of the purging zone; oxidising the tip, then push all that crap into their welds...

[sucram]

Arc is basically useless- unless your looking to use the weld to build up. i.e train knuckle brakes

Mig is great for tacking. Exhausts etc or if you want to bird shit a bench together.

Tig, only time I hate it is when you need to tack something really quick so this is my choice

My vote would be self taught and seek advice when you get stuck. I find some people can easily pick up things and some need their hand held a lot so pick

which catagory your in and go from there.

[GTR1993]

  On 13/05/2011 at 1:29 AM, sucram said:

Arc is basically useless- unless your looking to use the weld to build up. i.e train knuckle brakes

Mig is great for tacking. Exhausts etc or if you want to bird shit a bench together.

Tig, only time I hate it is when you need to tack something really quick so this is my choice

My vote would be self taught and seek advice when you get stuck. I find some people can easily pick up things and some need their hand held a lot so pick

which catagory your in and go from there.

if you want to tack really fast with a tig set it to double the amps u would weld with, 0 ramp so it hits will full power and tack like that. Just hit the button or peddle for a split second. Check out welding tips and tricks.com on youtube for some videos on it.

[W0rp3D]

thoughts on this unit http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140443936630 ?

never welded before and dont want to spend a lot of money on something i may only use a few times a year or if i dont like welding may just throw it under the bench and never use it again.