• DCRC 2024

I need to learn how to weld

37sXJ

37sXJ

Registered User
I know, it's pathetic... an offroader who can't weld. I'm ready to put an end to this!

Is there someone out there willing to give me a few hour crash course? I'm willing to pay a reasonable price (but free is always nice!) I've never done it, but I've been around it and seen it done many times. I'm willing to go pretty much anywhere on the wasatch front, preferrably after normal work hours or a weekend. Any takers?
 
waynehartwig

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
37sXJ said:
I know, it's pathetic... an offroader who can't weld. I'm ready to put an end to this!

Is there someone out there willing to give me a few hour crash course? I'm willing to pay a reasonable price (but free is always nice!) I've never done it, but I've been around it and seen it done many times. I'm willing to go pretty much anywhere on the wasatch front, preferrably after normal work hours or a weekend. Any takers?
Click to expand...
IMO welding is a self taught thing, learn by doing. I would pick up some books on metal and learn about working with steel and all of it's specifications - sheer points, surface tension, etc. Then you can learn where the weld is supposed to be and how it's supposed to be done. If you attack it this way, you'll be a better welder than most, and you still haven't even touched a welder.

This is how my dad taught me 25 years ago, not that I remember everything. My welds won't come apart, the metal will give way before and I just use a little 110 welder. Flame on, but do this guy a favor, if you don't agree with me using a 110 welder, leave it my PM, not in his thread.
 
RockMonkey

RockMonkey

Suddenly Enthusiastic
There are lots of different types of welders. What you probably want is a mig welder. Get a 220 volt welder. You can save a couple bucks by getting a 110 but you will quickly outgrow it's capabilities and you will wish you got the 220. Here's a short list of good welders to start with. Pick your favorite color.

http://www.hobartwelders.com/products/handler180.html
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_175/
http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipmentdatasheet.asp?p=2519


Shop around. Start by calling Jake at Airgas. ;)
 
Caleb

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
IMO, the best thing to do to get a really good grasp of the concepts behind welding is to take a class at the community college. Even in the starter class you will learn several different processes and get exposed to just about any process you can think of...if you really want to learn to weld the classes there are invaluable.
 
ALF

ALF

SURE!?
Location
Taylorsville
I'm currently enrolled in Metal sculpting at SLCC as well as another guy on here. It's been a fun class once you get past the fact that it's not a fabrication class so it's gotta be artsy although the teacher allowed one guy to build a roof rack for his XJ. I highly recommend the class you will learn lots of tricks and the access to the CNC plasma alone make it worth it. Plus if any of you are working towards a degree it counts as your art credit;)
 
37sXJ

37sXJ

Registered User
OK, thanks for all the input. I'll look at the community college options. I had thought of this previously, but I was trying to avoid a class that would span several months. I find that the best way for me to learn things is to just start doing them, but welding is not something you just jump into without at least some kind of intro.
 
Rusted

Rusted

Let's Ride!
Supporting Member
Location
Sandy
You are getting good advice. What worked for me was having people around that I could ask questions too. I started out with the arc welder, and had several people that could show me how to start, then watch me weld. Then later I would show them my welds and they would tell me what to change. With the arc welder I also learned about how the different rods work, AC vs DC and why you use one over the other, what 6000 series rod did over 7000 series, etc.

All of that gave me a little more understanding on what was going on when I moved to a MIG welder. Alot of that you don't need to really know with a MIG, you kind of pull the trigger and weld, but you still need to know what to look for in a good weld, and what makes a strong weld.

I think that a good class that can teach some of the "book learnin" so you understand some of the science to it before you weld would be worth your time. I still would not mind taking a class like that. But if you are like me I do well with trial and error and learning as I go. The first few nights of welding were very frustrating, but you will pick it up soon enough.

Here is a pretty good online forum for welding. http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ a friendly place where you can ask questions, not get flamed, and get some good answers.
 
Caleb

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
well, what's good about the intro to welding class at the community college is 99% of the time (unless they have changed it) you are welding. I think the whole semester we were in the classroom a total of three nights, the rest of the tiem it was getting hands on experience. Listen to what rusted said about the arc welding. I have always said for peopel to learn arc first and go to mig. You learn a ton more about your puddle control, the angle your gun (or wand) needs to be at, etc. The basics that you can easily not learn if going straight to mig, mig is very forgving and can make it so you don't learn the very basics. Also, going from arc to Tig is a ton easier than going from mig to tig.
 
ZUKEYPR

ZUKEYPR

Registered User
Location
651.78 miles East of the Rubicon
Granite and Jordan School Districts amongst others offers evening audlt classes for welding. They run 4 hours a week, either Tuesday or Wednesday night. They are limited to 15 folks per class. It costs $50.00 That's $50.00 bucks for access to mulitple MIGS, multiple Arcs, one TIG, Plasma cutter, sheers, brakes, benders, etc. That also covers the cost of consumables. It runs for 27 hours total. Classees attendance is done via a lottery in which you have to be present to participate. Generally there are about 200 folks there to get the 30 slots. I've personally got in 5 times straight. Now I have my own Millermatic 210. There will be info on the lottery coming out probably within 30 days.
 
37sXJ

37sXJ

Registered User
Details Please...

ZUKEYPR said:
Granite and Jordan School Districts amongst others offers evening audlt classes for welding. They run 4 hours a week, either Tuesday or Wednesday night. They are limited to 15 folks per class. It costs $50.00 That's $50.00 bucks for access to mulitple MIGS, multiple Arcs, one TIG, Plasma cutter, sheers, brakes, benders, etc. That also covers the cost of consumables. It runs for 27 hours total. Classees attendance is done via a lottery in which you have to be present to participate. Generally there are about 200 folks there to get the 30 slots. I've personally got in 5 times straight. Now I have my own Millermatic 210. There will be info on the lottery coming out probably within 30 days.
Click to expand...

This sounds like something that would work. Where do they hold the lottery? Where can I get more info? Thanks everyone for advice!
 
420willys

420willys

Registered User
Location
holland mass yes its the east coast
why not pick a part time job welding or working in a matel shop, every shop i worked ( except union shops ) will hire guy to grind and clean parts. this will get your foot into the door and you can start picking up on simple fab techniques and maybe after a few weeks you can jump on a welder ( mig or stick ). this way insteed of paying somwon to learn they are paying you.

the other thing is to go down to a sand pit or a quarry and see if they need any body to build up and hard face buckets, agin just getting your feet wet. the bonus to bolth of the ideas is scrap matel, any place i worked the did'nt care if i took what feel in the dumpsteer ( little stuff ), just a thought, jason.
 
mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
Location
A.F.
I agree it is better to first learn to arc. I have a little arc welder you can borrow to get yourself started. It isn't much maybe 80 amps or so, but you can learn with it. It will build racks and stuff. mOstly you could use it to practice with. My welding teacher told us that the difference between a great welder and a biginner is a few miles of bead. I also have a mig you can practice with , but it stays at my house. Buy a 2lb spool of .35 flux core and come over I will give you a quick crash course and you can weld some scraps together.
 
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