I would like to learn to weld, what do I need?

BigTone · Nov 20, 2012

I have been wanting to learn how to weld for a while but I am unsure what type of welder. I guess what im looking to do is weld steel, fix my antique hay wagon and manure spreader, maybe fabricate some splitting stands and fix cracks on various equipment. Full disclosure, I know very little about welding, i was going to take a couple classes but they want about $1,000 and I cant swing it right now. Thanks for the advice, ~Anthony

Jerry/MT · Nov 20, 2012

Go to a local voc tech school and take a basic welding course. THEN buy your welder.

Fawteen · Nov 20, 2012

If a vo-tech school course is out of reach financially, check out the Adult Education program at your local High School.

That's what I did, worked out great for me.

And Jerry's right: Take a class first, THEN buy a welder. Fewer bad habits to un-learn that way, and you may find out it's not something you'll enjoy doing. I doubt it, but it's possible...

Anonymous-0 · Nov 20, 2012

Maybe find someone who does welding and ask if you help out round the shop would they help you?? maybe give you a little tuition and or get a welder and just practice, there is a lot on you tube from people like Miller , Kemppi, esab how to do it and what you need, if you buy a welder from a good supplyer they will demo it and should give help...

Welding man · Nov 20, 2012

I've been welding for 40 years. If you are not going to learn to do do it the right way, leave it alone. 25% of the jobs that come into my shop are crap that somebody that thinks they can weld, have screwed up and they want me to straighten it up for them. Ends up costing them at least twice as much to get it fixed right. Welding is not something you learn overnight, in a week a, month or a year. 40 years later and I'm still learning. Go to a vocational school,welding school or apprentice school and then you can decide if you want to weld.Old habits are hard to break. If you learn the wrong way to start with,you will never learn the right way.

Walt Davies · Nov 20, 2012

Most Jr. colleges have welding courses for a small fee. The quality all depends on the teacher. Ask if you can get certification if not go elsewhere.
Walt

gtractorfan · Nov 20, 2012

I've seen old Lincoln stick welders sell at auctions cheap, like $50. If you just want to play around one of those would work. If you want to get serious you need a good wire welder- in my opinion. You get what you pay for. In my opinion you can learn by practice without spending a lot.

Royse · Nov 20, 2012

I'd recommend a class when/if possible.
Barring that, an apprenticeship type of arrangement with a certified welder.
Prep work is key, you will need to learn how to do that too.
I'm a dabbler.
My uncle was a certified welder on oil tanks and nuclear reactors.
I took high school metal shop class years ago, but I learned most of what little I know from him.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 20, 2012

Having a qualified welder to help you will cut years off the learning curve and also help you avoid buying a machine that will do more to discourage you than give you any confidence. The best advice anyone wanting to learn to weld can get is to take a course or get a compentant licensed welder to help you. Welding man is right, bad habits are hard to break.

Rick Kr · Nov 20, 2012

Tone,
An AC stick welder is a very good place to start.

I disagree with Gtractorfan below and so would a lot of certified welders I think. Arc welding is still very common in pipe and other construction.

A DC welder would be better, but an AC box would be plenty to get started. You get going for next to nothing and develop the feel. Trial and error is cheap.

A local vo-tech class would really help the learning curve. I've welded for 28 years now, and I still pick up tips from a few pros on this board and other places.

As you get better, a good quality MIG is worth every penny. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Rick

Brad Buchanan · Nov 20, 2012

Hey Anthony,

I would suggest buying a stick welder. Lots of the Lincoln 'tombstone' welders available and affordable but most any brand will do.

Take some classes or purchase some excellent books available from Hobart, Lincoln and Miller to name a few.

Personally I would suggest not using a wire-feed setup until you have gotten a good feel for stick welding. The lessons you learn there you will use in all the other variations of welding.

Good luck,

Brad

Mike (WA) · Nov 20, 2012

Check for classes through your local community college. Ours here has classes in virtually all types of welding, in the evening, for around 200 bucks.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 20, 2012

What do you mean by arc welding? Any type of welding that use an arc is arc welding. SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, SAW, FCAW, etc., etc. As for a machine, buy the best machine you can afford. This is assuming you don't have a couple thousand dollars to spend. A better machine will make learning a whole lot easier.

casecollectorsc · Nov 20, 2012

I don't know if you need the big money stuff to learn to weld. 45 years ago my father in law gave me an old Lincoln and I played with it and asked questions until I got pretty good. Have done my own welding, stick and wire for a lot of years, and I don't do the chicken shut weld either.

Geo-TH,In · Nov 20, 2012

Get a good book on welding and spend the weekend at the Holiday Inn. You always feel smarter when you stay at the Holiday Inn.

Then get some 6011 rods, a buzz box, some metal and weld, weld and weld some more. May check out U tube. Many good e-how videos there.

Red1 · Nov 20, 2012

I learned it on the job...which is ok to a point..That point is when the boss needs some footage cranked out with no mistakes...

Started with Minneapolis Brown Tank..mig..stick..I just bugged the hell out of everyone to either let me try what they were doing or just let me watch. Got my card as a Boilermaker Mechanic and thought I knew everything there was to know..Then I went out on a job with Chicago Bridge and Iron..75'..

Those ole boys not only know how to weld but how to weld lots of footage..Back then, working tanks, the bottom ring..not quite 1"..dbble beveled was an 8 hour job, on the piecework book..Which means that you welded up the whole thing in 8 hours just to be kept around on the job...if you did it in 8 hours but the xrays showed bad and it took you 2 hours to fix...They might send you home..or just make you a tacker..

Bottom line,,the best way is to take it slow and easy..develop yourself..and take advice from the pros...

Royse · Nov 20, 2012

Do any of the local colleges let people "audit" classes anymore?
Back in the day, at the local community college here you could audit a class.
Basically you sat through the class, got the lesson but no credit or certification.
You weren't allowed to ask questions during class or participate in hands on.
But it was free. Just a thought.

JayinNY · Nov 20, 2012

Get yourself a AC/DC lincoln arc welder, bought mine from a friend maybe 10 years ago, was like new he never used it, he had a gas welder. I think I gave him
$325 for it, it's been great for me.

old · Nov 20, 2012

I learned to weld like I learned 99% of what I know. I did it buy buying a welder back then at the age of 16 got a Lincoln welder that cost $19.95 ya not a true Lincoln but hey popular mechanics had them listed in there ads. Got me started but that was it since it was a piece of junk but did weld sort of. Buy the college book for that class and read it. Also if your local Vo-tec has a welding class check into it. As for a welder to buy get a good old Lincoln buzz box and play with it. I did welding for a living off and on and have NEVER taken one single class to do it but can weld Mig/tig/stick and gas

uncle henry · Nov 20, 2012

i use a miller 250 use it to weld and run the whole house if the power goes out

Rick Kr · Nov 20, 2012

You are correct I should have been more specific, SMAW. But figured since he said he was new to welding I would call it arc welding, as that is what everyone I have known has called it.
Rick

Anonymous-0 · Nov 21, 2012

How do you know what's a good book? I say this because I was looking through the "Welding for Dummies" book about a week ago. It was written by a welder who worked in the Navy on ships at one time. Didn't talk at all about electrode selection and instead of actual pictures, used drawings. Not worth the paper it was printed on. Must have been done on real low budget. Even with a good book, it's hard to learn welding by reading about it. You have to have some understanding of what you're trying to do first.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 21, 2012

You don't need the big dollar stuff but spending a little more will be well worth it. A lot of people don't like to spend much on a welding machine but a good machine will last a lifetime or more.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 21, 2012

Totally agree! Some jobs that someone else attempted are better left for scrap because it's a lot less work to build a new one from scratch.

36 Coupe · Nov 21, 2012

Lincoln Electric published many books on welding.Farm Arc Welding and Welding helps for Farmers are good books that can still be found used.

Geo-TH,In · Nov 21, 2012

I'm a self taught welder. Still not very good either. Sure my welds won't come close to yours. I weld on rusty metal. Yet to have too many welds fail. Bought a good book at Lowes, where I bought my Lincoln 225 buzz box. Never stayed at the Holiday Inn, thought that might be a good touch

I've seen some good U-tube videos and some bad U-tube videos too. From what I've seen and read, the more you weld, the better you get. I need to weld more. Only started welding 8 years ago, after I retired. Still learning, but it's fun.

showcrop · Nov 21, 2012

I'm with the Lincoln 225 crowd. Just get one, watch some you tube videos, and play with it. I started about 20 years ago, after the guy who was doing my welding for me told me I needed to get my own. And I WAS paying him. Farm equipment always need welding. I keep telling myself that I'm going to get a book or take a class but never have. After about 10 years with the 225 I had need to do thinner stuff so I got a Lincoln MIG. I can fix my own stuff, fab stuff up and help out a friend here and there. I may yet do some reading on it. One piece of advice is be sure to use plenty of heat. After you play with it some you can decide better if you want to sink serious money into it.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 21, 2012

Half an hour, or even better, an hour with an experienced welder will teach you more than reading 100 books! Welding takes practice but you need to know what to practice and what to look for. Like Welding man said, bad habits are hard to break. There's a lot more to welding that just striking an arc.

Winchester1 · Nov 22, 2012

Check with your local High School. Most offer adult classes at night at minimal cost IF they still teach Vocational Education.
Many states that eliminated Vocational Education 10 or so years ago are now putting (or trying to get funding) to put it back in.
Lack of Vocational Education is one reason is one reason unemployment is so high among young people.

I would like to learn to weld, what do I need?

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