never welded before in my life.
i borrowed a welder from a friend, Lincoln Electric MIG and gas setup
i also bought a book for some insight...its a good read...but i would like too hear some 1st hand accounts from welders

i'm pretty much going too start out lap welding plate steel 16G too 1/8" thick for practice and move on from there (main goal is too weld my own exhaust and help out friends when needed)

anyone care too share some dos and donts/tips and tactics?

is flux core easier too use for someone just starting out compared too gas shielded? because i have a spool of that i can try out too

 

Personally gas shielded is easier. Clean your tip alot. get a good pair of mig pliars. and dont weld drunk
greg

 

Excellent advice! Some of it applies to more than welding.

 

Flux core does not make a nice weld. It gets a bit messy.

 

Stay away from flux core wire. Its more of a headache then its worth. The way I learned years and years ago was from my own trial and error. Make sure you always try to weld a scrap piece of metal the same thickness you are gonna weld to get the heat setting and wire speed set. You want a constant buzz. Not a weld, spit, weld, spit. Usually the weld spit scenario is from to cold of heat or to fast of wire speed. You also dont want the weld to burn so hot that it melts the mig wire into the gun. Usually thats a sign of wire speed to slow or heat set to high. Try it out on a scrap piece like I said, Being you are starting out on a 1/8 thickness is a good starting point. You can sink a good amount of heat into that thickness and not have to worry about burning it through. I weld sheet metal everyday so it takes a little time to get the hang of welding thinner metals without burning through or warping them. Patience and practice is the most important. Good luck.

 

^ great advice couldent of said it anybetter. O and be safe!

 

Under the be safe category, wear the proper clothing, eye protection. Always disconnect the battery when welding on a car. Watch out for fuel lines and other flammable objects.

When welding preparation is key. The cleaner the metals, the better the weld. I wire brush or grind and then wipe the materials w/ brake clean to remove any residual grime. I always try to get the clamp (working cable) as close to wear I'm welding as possible.

When mig welding I don't wear heavy welder's gloves anymore. I have a pair of heavy leather gloves, but they are much more flexible and my welding ability has increased as a result.

Here's the biggest tip when you get your welder: Don't tell anyone you can weld and own a welder. You'll have more friends and people crawling out of the woodwork asking you to weld "stuff" for them.

Later,


Steve.

 

I took a welding course at my local vo-tech. Wasn't very expensive and it was well worth it. Also check out the link below. These are some great instructional videos. No way would I call myself a weldor, but I do know how to weld. These videos were great in helping me understand what the weld puddle is supposed to look like and why. As well as what it is not supposed to look like and why. The welding course was good because it let me get lots of hands-on practice in a controlled atmosphere, however the videos actually let me see what a real weldor sees when he is welding which is something that a live instructor just can't do very well.

http://www.weldingvideos.com/index.html