learning to weld?

[Darrell]

repetition is a fundamental of [strike]pedagogy[/strike] welding classes.

Fixed it for ya. When I started my stick class, I had a bare steel plate 1/4" thick. Run a bead, chip and brush, repeat. Repeat, repeat. Turn the plate over and repeat, repeat repeat. Turn it again and 90 degrees, repeat repeat repeat. When done I had a welded up plate 1" thick, made of layer upon layer of beads I'd run, chipped and brushed. Teacher sawed it in two, found no inclusions, put my plate on the bulletin board for show and gave me an A.

[Netpackrat]

Haven't we already had this thread a time or three ?

Search sucks. *shrug*

[slowpoke]

This is where I make my usual spiel for a beginning welder to first learn the oxy-acetylene process before doing anything with electric arc welding. O/A skills are the foundation for all manual welding technologies; it will take a little longer to learn O/A, but once you do, you will be able to pick up the electric methods faster, and you'll be a better welder overall, because you will have a good understanding of the fundamentals of what makes a weld sound.

Additionally, the equipment needed is not expensive, and will still be extremely useful to have around even after you take up the electric methods. It gives you a lot of extra capabilities beyond welding, such as brazing, cutting steel, and general heating of metal for all kinds of purposes (bending, annealing, hardening, soldering, etc. I have MIG, TIG, and stick capability, and I still would not want to be without a gas torch.

I think we've had at least 2 or 3 different welding threads since the move to this server, but I could only find this one. It's mostly focused on MIG welding, but there's plenty of useful info there.

I would like to learn to weld, and deciding to take the advice to learn O/A first, what is a decent starter setup for hobby use? I don't want to end up with the equivalent of a harbor freight mig setup in OA, yet I am still a cheep bastard. So what's the best deal/value to start with?

[free_me]

Great thread, despite the repetition. Thank you!

[evan price]

Im sure somebody will jump in and tell me I am wrong BUT surf the penny saver or craigslist, grab a cheap lincoln tombstone, get a couple different electrodes and start buzzing.
They will say (correctly) for a bit more than a new tombstone you can get a gas shielded mig setup and they are so much nicer and easier to use.
All true.
But the tombstone is as simple and reliable as a rock. You can get them used for $100 or less...if beauty is not a worry. They are simple ndc hazlfv of zamerica has one in the shop.
If you can weld with one the rest is easy and you can move up and get back about all you paid.

[Netpackrat]

I would like to learn to weld, and deciding to take the advice to learn O/A first, what is a decent starter setup for hobby use? I don't want to end up with the equivalent of a harbor freight mig setup in OA, yet I am still a cheep bastard. So what's the best deal/value to start with?

Most of my stuff is old, and if you score an old torch and regulator set for cheap they can be rebuilt and be as good as new, but if I was just wanting to get set up with the minimum fuss, I would buy a set like this:

http://weldwarehouse.com/cgi-bin/einste ... =0384-2550

That's a combo set which will allow you to cut, weld, and braze. If you wanted a "rosebud" tip just for heating, you'd have to get that separately. You would need to add oxygen and acetylene tanks, and some method of securing them. Ideally that would be a cart, but could be as simple as chaining them to the wall.

There are better torches for "pure" welding, but the one in the kit should serve fine as an all around and learning tool.

This is the book that I learned with, and there are others. This is a good one too; it is aircraft specific but it covers all the fundamentals in a way that is probably more interesting to read than the first book. There are also various videos out there and I would get one so you could see what it is supposed to look like.

The following is the best web article on the subject:

http://www.airbum.com/articles/ArticleZenWelding.html

The guy who wrote it traveled to Mexico a few years ago, and starting from scratch, trained a group of indigenous workers to produce aircraft quality welds for a popular kit plane. I've seen their work and it was outstanding.

[Cobar]

That's what happens when you treat welding as an art and a craft, rather than just a "production process".

When anything is a production process you get "good enough". If "good enough" is sufficiently well defined, then it really is "good enough", and may be "good" or even "excellent"... but it will never be GREAT.

But when something is more than just a process... when it's a craft... pride is involved. Joy. Satisfaction...

"Good enough" might be "it's strong enough, and who cares how it looks because no-one will see it". When a mans pride is involved... it doesn't matter if no-one will see it, HE will know that it's there, and he will make it better.

And when a process is a craft, and an art... it's more than just pride, it's grace... beauty...

THAT, is when truly elegant, truly great things are made.

If it makes anyone feel any better, there a lot of semi axles out there with some "extra care".

[free_me]

Looks like Horror Freight has a reasonable starter oxy kit for $280 -- here.

[free_me]

Looks like Horror Freight has a reasonable starter oxy kit for $280 -- here.

You can get a Victor medium duty kit for not much more: http://www.amazon.com/Thermadyne-0384-2 ... elding+kit

Or a heavy duty even for less if you don't mind third party: http://www.amazon.com/Victor-0384-2646- ... elding+kit

Or a "clamshell" kit for far less: http://www.amazon.com/Thermadyne-0384-2 ... elding+kit

Including cylinders?

[Netpackrat]

I think in most cases you're ultimately better off buying your cylinders outright, even though the up front cost is higher.