Welding info

125 rider · Mar 11, 2004

Im looking to get into welding as a hobby. I think an offroad go-kart would be a good project to start off with. I'm looking for sites with welding info. aimed at the hobbyist, and also wondering what type of equipment would match my needs?

490Dave · Mar 12, 2004

125 rider said:
I think an offroad go-kart would be a good project to start off with. What equipment would match my needs?

I too like welding as a hobby, but dont start with something too exaustive, start by welding any pieces of scrap metals you can get your hands on. I get metal from a large scrap bin here at work so i get a variety of shapes and lengths to work with. Welding is easy, doing it right and safely takes patience and practice, but i'd start with one of those 110V gasless migs and you'll need a good 4 1/2" grinder, cut off wheels, a chop saw, cutting torch, clamps, along with a variety of misc. tools and a place to do it all. I recommend ebay for getting a lot of the goods to start with.

Good luck, you'll love it!

Dennis Meyers · Mar 13, 2004

http://lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/

joey26 · Apr 4, 2004

Welding is a big hobby of mine next to dirt biking and i recently bought a lincoln electric 135-plus mig welder and a small CO2 tank for about $600 brand new. It will weld up to 3/8 inch metal which is the best for the other welders in its catagory. I think when buying a welder it is best to go with a new setup because you know it works and you can worry about welding instead of the machine. I took a welding class last year in high school and learned alot. My suggestion would be to weld scrap metal for practice and then once you get fairly good weld up a cart to put your welder on to move it around with. This is a good project because it doesn't have to be perfect. Another tool to get is a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder. When working with metal it is your best friend. You can use it to grind and use a 1/8 inch disc on it to cut metal. I have built a few things with my welder including a cart for it, a lift stand for my dirt bike and am now working on building a mini chopper.
The best place for more info is Lincoln Electrics website. Just explore the site and learn as much as you can. Hope you have fun with your new hobby and contact me if you have any questions.
hbrosracing_26@hotmail.com

snb73 · Apr 7, 2004

I agree with what Joey and Dave have said. I also have the Lincoln 135 plus. I paid around $580 for it. I use it in the gas-less (flux cored wire) mode most of the time. It's great for around the house and the best part is, it only needs 110vac. So it's portable, you can use it anywhere their's an outlet. I suggest buying whatever welder you choose from a welding supply house. The ones sold at the Lowes (weldpack 100/110) or Home Depot (2000/3000 series) aren't as sturdy internally.

Definately start out by welding scraps. It's better to learn on junk than on a project. Don't buy your metal from the Home Depot or Lowes. I was able to locate a supply house that sells anything you want, ie...angle iron, bar stock, square tube and round tube in lots of sizes and thicknesses. They sell it in 20 foot lenths. I just bought 20 ft of 2inX2in angle iron for $23. A four foot lenth at the Depot was $11.

As stated above:
For tools you will need a welders helmet and gloves. A wire brush to clean off the splatter. And high speed angle grinder. It can do double duty as a cut-off tool with an 1/8 inch wheel and as a grinder with a 4 1/2 wheel. A face sheild is a must when grinding/cutting. The first time a peice of the wheelbreaks off and hits your cheek, you'll wish you had one. Some quick clamps help as a third hand. Just get the metal ones. The plastic ones have a tendency to catch on fire, ask me how I know.

There are many welding forums online. Great places to get feedback on what machine to buy or what gas blends to use. I like this one, although it is a hobart site

http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/index.php?s=

Hope this helps, Steve.

sfc crash · Apr 11, 2004

safety first, safety always. time for moma hen to chime in. always wear leather shoes when welding. a good pair of steel toes at walmart can ussually be had for about 35$. good leather welding gloves and a good helmet. make sure your helmet has a good lense in it. the welding supply store sell plenty of "dark" glass googles that won't protect your eyes when arc welding. don't know why. check with some one/clerk at a welding supply store to make sure you buy glass dark enough to protect your eyes. wear long sleeves and button up your collar when welding or you just might get a heck of a sunburn. yeh, once you start welding, you'll never though away or walk away from another piece of scrap iron again.

ob1quixote · Apr 11, 2004

Get one of the auto-darkening electronic welding helmets. They can be found for as little as $40. It will improve your welding instantly, just by being able to see what and where you are getting ready to weld. Mine has an adjustable darkness control, allows me to set up for welding, oxy/acetylene burning etc.

And the ultimate safety hints......NO BUTANE LIGHTERS!! A lighter in the shirt pocket is almost as smart as a stick of dynamite! Keep flammables away from the work area, you concentrate on the work, with a limited viewing area, and a fire can crop up quickly!

Robert

Jaybird · Apr 12, 2004

Aaa.....
I would suggest you NOT get an auto lens.

Unless you plan on shelling out over $100 bucks for it, you can seriously damage your eyes with them.
You get what you pay for, and in this instance you get lots more. Eye damage.

Cheapo auto lens can fail real easy. Light travels at what....86,000 miles per second?
A fraction of a millicecond can let enough harmful light in to eat your eyes up fast.

If you already have one of these cheap lens' throw it away and don't suggest others use them. Trust me on this....or don't...talk to a weldshop about it. (Not one that sells cheapo lens, they only care about sales and not your eyes)

The best hood you can get will be the lightest hood you can get. It will also have a large lens. Buy a package of clear lens convers and use them. Don't weld with the lens exposed...use the covers.
And don't get a fancy gold colored lens. They are plastic instead of glass, and the eye protecting coating on the lens can scratch very easily. One little tiny scratch on the coating and it's flash city.
After you recieve you first welding flash you will heed my advise with much more seriousness, I garantee it.

Also, don't weld in a flannel shirt. It is a fire hazzard waiting to happen. Get a denim snap down. And make sure you don't have frayed bluejeans when welding. The frays will catch fire while you are welding and will have you burnt before you notice it.

I am giving advise after probably hundreds of thousands of rods burnt, and many reels of wire.

WWR · Apr 12, 2004

Get a good self-darkening helmet. They are a godsend to welders. Get one with a solar-backup, as the battery operated ones run out of juice fast.

I own/recommend a Hobart Handler 135 110-volt MIG welder for the light work you are suggesting. I got mine brand new off Ebay for $400. Comes with the needed gas attachments (hose, regulator, etc.). This welder is very good, and the price cant be beat. I have used alot of different welders, and this thing welds just as good as any top-of-the-line welder out there. Has very good adjustability, and can be used for aluminum, stainless, and carbon steel. Effectively welds up to about 1/4" steel thickness. If you use the optional 20 thous. wire and turn the heat down, this thing will weld some very thin sheet-metal (I have effectively used this on thin 2-stroke expansion chambers).

If you have alot of cash, get a TIG welder. Pure dream machine for welding... wish I had one.

And here is a tip on clothing: go to your nearest Army Surplus store and pick up one of thier Nomex flight suits and gloves. These things are light weight, cool, and flame-retardant. I am lucky as I had a few issued to me. :)

Jaybird · Apr 12, 2004

Actually, if all you are going to do is weld on a bench, then by all means a top quality auto lens can be a big help. Especially if first learning how to run a bead. Just do not buy a cheap one and hope you get lucky...you won't.

I hate them, but then most of the welding I've done is hanging by my ass bout 40 ft from the concrete. One drop and it's b,bye to 150 bucks.

ob1quixote · Apr 12, 2004

I got my auto darkening helmet from a traveling tool sale {Homier}. I tested it before I bought it, it shut down when I sparked my Bic lighter in front of it. It has an auto shutoff timer after 5 minutes of no use. The only flash I experienced is when I was adjusting the darkness level. All for $40! Hasnt failed me yet, still has the original batteries after about a year.

Maybe I got lucky.....

But I do believe in buying the best tool you can afford at the time. At that time, that was all, since I had a standard helmet and limited cash. The only thing about it I dont like is the small size window, I wish it were larger.

Robert

Jaybird · Apr 12, 2004

Ohhh the Bic lighter test...why didn't you say so earlier? :)

Remember, ob1....86,000 miles per second.
I'm just telling you what I know from my experience and others.

A good Jackson hood will be the lightest, easiest to flip down with a nod of the head, with the best lasting headgear. It's gonna cost 35-40 bucks as well, but it by far the choice of welders who weld alot. You can even get them with pre-painted graphics like eagles, US flags, Harleys and such if it's bling you want.

Get the large glass and you can always mount up an auto lens in the future. They will hold them.

ob1quixote · Apr 12, 2004

Well, I figured if the lens would darken from a weak light source, the spark of the lighter, it would have no problem "seeing" the welding arc.

I am not a welder by trade, just a backyard repair guy, trailers, tractor implements and such. I mostly weld in the evenings, and would definitely know if I had been flash burned, walking across the dark yard.

My cheap helmet has worked for me, and someday I will upgrade to a better auto-helmet when the cash and need coincide.

I do take care of my eyes, my business of polishing degraded clear plastics to clarity requires good vision.

I understand your misgivings of a cheap auto-helmet, I had them too initially. But as I said, in all seriousness, "Maybe I got lucky". At the time I bought it, I had $40 to throw away, but not $150 to spend.

No bling bling needed here, but you are dead on about the headgear! If I were welding all day, I would definitely want the best I could find!

Robert

showtime586 · Apr 12, 2004

125 rider said:
Im looking to get into welding as a hobby. I think an offroad go-kart would be a good project to start off with. I'm looking for sites with welding info. aimed at the hobbyist, and also wondering what type of equipment would match my needs?

I used to be a certified instructor so let me ask you a few questions. What type of welding are you interested in doing? Gas (Oxy-acetylene) Metal Inert Gas (Mig) Tungsten Inert Gas (Tig) Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Smaw)? Plasma -arc? Plate, pipe, thin gage ? Chrome-Moly? Aluminum? Plastic?

As you can see, there are a ton of options. A lot of folks start out with a Lincoln 225 AC shop welder (commonly called a buzz box). These units are okay, but are not the best to learn on. The AC current is not as easy to run a good bead with as is a DC rectified unit. The small mig units seem to do okay for shop use, I prefer the fluxcore wire myself. A dedicated tig unit is a nice luxury if your wallet will allow it. I prefer the square wave rectification myself. It produces a more cosmetic bead than do the older types. An old Airco bullet (dc) welder, or a Lincoln pipeliner is about as indestructible as you will get in a machine. The Airco is a base unit, and the pipeliner is on wheels.

Good protective clothing is a must. I don't trust the auto lenses so I still use a flip down model. Once you have had your eyes taped shut for a week because of flashburn, you really become particular about your gear. Get a good hood, a gold lens (most folks use a 10 shade or higher) welding gloves, welding sleeves, spats or a good pair of workboots. Slag burns hurt, so wear the proper type of gear.

Here is a little info about welding rods. The flux that comes on rods are affected by moisture. Keep them dry. If you don't know what the number codes mean, here is an example:

6010 rod= This is a mild steel rod. The first two numbers are tensile strength in pounds per square inch (p.s.i.) The third number means it is an all position (flat, horizontal, vertical) rod and the fourth number is a code for the composition of the flux.

7018 rod= This is a low Hydrogen rod. 70,000 pounds psi tensile strength. All positon rod. The coating is a "8" which is different from the one above.

I know I probably posted way too much info, but hopefully this will get you started. Remember, welding is not only a trade skill, but an art form as well. Good luck.

ob1quixote · Apr 12, 2004

Cool info Showtime! I like the 6013 3/32 rod, mostly because it works well with my Century 100amp welder. Can you decode that stick?

Also, does anyone have any tips on Miller Sidekick MIG welder wirefeed speed controls? That PC board is awful expensive. I am wondering if there is a simple fix, mine feeds at 100% regardless of the knob setting.

Robert

Jaybird · Apr 13, 2004

showtime586 said:
...Once you have had your eyes taped shut for a week because of flashburn, you really become particular about your gear...

LOL...tell it like it is, showtime!

Ob,
The 6013 is very similar to the 6010. Both mild steel rods.
The 6010 may be a little bit easier to use in the hands of a novice, due to the flux compostition. Rusty/not well prepared surfaces can be welded with 60 series rods fairly easily.
The size of that rod is good for things probably 1/4" thick or so.

As I'm sure showtime will agree, stick with the 60 series rods till you learn to run a good pass, then learn to run a 7018 (or commanly called a low/hy). It is a different animal and needs further instruction.

There is no certification given for 60 series rods. You will need to advance to a 7018 if you want to gain certification on a stick. However, whenever I have had to certify, I will run my root pass with a 6011.

ob1quixote · Apr 13, 2004

Well that explains why I like the 6013!

Another good tool for the budding "gorilla welder" is a 4 1/2in angle grinder. With a cut-off wheel, you can cut like Pauly Jr., a grinding wheel to prepare the surfaces and dress out the finished weld, and a 120 grit flap disc to make it look like you really know what you're doing!

You can build some pretty impressive trail maintenance tools from scrap too. I have made a ATV trail dressing sledge from steel grating, 4X4X3/8 angle iron and 4X3X3/8 I beam. It works great for dressing trails after heavy equipment rolls through.

Another clubmember and I have made what we call a "Whooper Scooper" out of the axles and steering gear from a junk riding lawnmower, an old boat trailer tongue, 4X3X3/g I beam, a trailer tongue jack, and a scraper blade from a '50s garden tractor. Its pretty cool, about 12ft long on an 7ft wheelbase. The blade is mounted just aft of the center of the wheelbase, and is adjustable for angle and depth using the trailer jack to swing the blade on its pivot. It can either cut or smooth trail, depending on the angle setting. As you pull it down whooped trail, the blade chops the top off the whoop and deposits the soil in the next depression. It has articulated steering, and pulls like a wagon instead of a trailer. It does take a 350cc+ ATV to pull it!

Here's one that will make ya laugh! I bought my arc welder from a pawn shop, price was marked $50. Paid $30. The sticker also said "Broken, Sold As Is, won't feed wire"
LOL!

Robert

Offroadr · Apr 13, 2004

my dream tool is a plasma cutter!!

showtime586 · Apr 13, 2004

After posting, I decided to stop by the welding supplies area of my local Lowes Hardware store today. I weld very little these days ( I have been a systems control technician for the last 15 years) and I wanted to seee what was new. I came across a 6011 with an "A" designation. This is apparantly a special coating on the rod for the ac buzzbox welders. might have to burn one these days to see how it flows.
The advice about learning with the 6010/6011 before venturing on to the 7016/7018 was a good piece of info. It will take a while to get past sticking the 60 series upon initital arc without having to learn to work the low-hy flux at the same time.

showtime586 · Apr 13, 2004

Offroadr said:
my dream tool is a plasma cutter!!

I saw one demo'd at a trade show back in the late seventies. The vendor cut a piece of steel with it, took off his gloves, and proceeded to pick up the metal bare handed. I freaked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, but it was super cool.:)

Jaybird · Apr 14, 2004

I've used a plasma cutter lots. Don't know if I would ever grab a piece after cutting it though.
You must keep the compressed air clean or the tips will foul fast. The little filters that come on them are junk and don' do it.

darringer · Apr 14, 2004

I agree with Jaybird, never trust the auto darkening lens. I prefer the old-style flip down models. They are cheaper, and never fail. Also, practice, practice, practice. It's very easy to find scraps to practice on. That way it's cheap and you can try different angles and joint types without it costing an arm or a leg.

490Dave · Apr 14, 2004

showtime586 said:
The advice about learning with the 6010/6011 before venturing on to the 7016/7018 was a good piece of info. It will take a while to get past sticking the 60 series upon initital arc without having to learn to work the low-hy flux at the same time.

I was getting frustrated to the point that welding wasn't any fun with the 60 series rods. A friend gave me a handful of 1/8" 7014's and.....Voila!! i could finally start making some pretty descent welds that didn't need to be ground off and redone.

darringer · Apr 15, 2004

I have used the 7024 with good success. It can be literally dragged across the work for decent, grind-free results. I try never to grind anyway, as it can weaken a weld.

Jaybird · Apr 15, 2004

Gotta learn to run 'em uphill. :)

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