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09-28-2021, 12:45 PM | Topic Starter |
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Beginner welder?
Wanting to pick up a starter welder in order to learn welding.
Any recommendations for a good welder to start with? |
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09-28-2021, 12:55 PM | #2 |
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A light duty flux welder should be sufficient for beginning purposes.
I mean ultimately a Cadillac makes learning easier - I've mostly messed around with a pretty nice MIG welder my buddy's dad bought to build a bridge. The ones that use shielding gas make things pretty simple for you but they're expensive as hell. And there - now you know literally everything I know about welding. I've used a cheap little $150 flux welder and got some workable booger welds and a much nicer MIG welder that I could make beads that look nice with just a little grinder work. If you're good at it, you can make art with a stick welder if you want to, but ultimately it kinda comes down to what you wanna do and how much you wanna spend.
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09-28-2021, 12:57 PM | #3 |
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A career change or looking to make metal lawn ornaments for fun?
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09-28-2021, 01:03 PM | #4 |
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Just to do some work on the Jeep and future vehicles.
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09-28-2021, 12:58 PM | #5 |
Bono & Grbac wasn't enough
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I'd just have DJ do it for ya
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09-28-2021, 01:32 PM | #6 |
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"Make stacks of dimes. Push the puddle."
Thus endeth my lesson as it's really all I know. Little circles in a fairly steady pattern, as soon as you get a puddle start moving it along or you'll blow out the metal. Welding isn't about knowing how to do it - it's about being able to do it. It's such a feel thing. Someone can explain it to you all day and it sounds like the easiest thing in the world. It...uh...ain't. I truly suck at it. There's sticking piece of metal A to piece of metal B, and then there's welding. The former gets you those sorts of booger welds I've done that are sometimes no more than flux acting as superglue. Those are bad. Don't do those on a car because you'll die. The latter is when you use the flux to act as a binder between the puddles of melted metal and now two pieces aren't stuck together - they've simply become a single piece. Remember that flux isn't glue - it's a binding compound of sort. The idea is to get the two pieces of metal to almost literally join into a single piece.
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09-28-2021, 01:05 PM | #7 |
Bono & Grbac wasn't enough
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Was wondering if you wrecked something
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09-28-2021, 01:06 PM | #8 |
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I need to do some body repair and also some modifications that I would prefer to weld in vs bolt in.
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09-28-2021, 01:53 PM | #9 |
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I took a welding class many years ago...got pretty good toward the end. Never did master not catching my sleeve on fire though.
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09-28-2021, 02:01 PM | #10 |
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Depends what you want to spend and how much versatility you want the welder to have. Pretty sure we ended up going with a Miller 141 because of the ease of use and had no problems.
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09-28-2021, 02:07 PM | #11 |
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If you're needing to weld over 3/16ths inch thickness go up to the Miller 211.
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09-28-2021, 02:37 PM | #12 |
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https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lincoln-Ele...Welder/1072945
For auto and autobody this is the best cheap option. You can go up from here but this is 120v and you can go Flux core or use gas |
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09-28-2021, 02:36 PM | #13 |
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I have a little Hobart I use when I need to weld up something. On the 2nd setting I'm burning thru 3/16", I will have to look at the model. I got it in clearance from Grainger awhile back for under 250.
Welding is one of those things someone can teach you basics but you have to learn you and the machine. |
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09-28-2021, 02:40 PM | #14 |
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Lincoln Electric is a great brand, as is Miller. Can't go wrong with either as both brands are pretty much industry standards.
We have a Lincoln Electric Plasma Cutter and Plasma Cutting Table in the shop. All of our MIG welders are Miller.
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09-28-2021, 02:52 PM | #15 | |
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Quote:
Evidently those things can be converted to a plasma cutter? That's what my friend told me anyway. I've never seen it before but man it would be fun to give one of those a shot.
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