Learning Welding...

[cwhaley]

The first thing I thought about was eye safety, so I'll be making sure my mask is a good one. The work will be done outside on a paved area away from houses and anything combustible. Any work to the car in the future will be done with the petrol tank removed! (needs removing and cleaning anyway). Fair points and won't be overlooked!

 

[carmanmemoranda]

All my welding will be done outside. My shed has a workbench at it, but it's crammed with car spares and tools so not a lot of working space!

I'm not a good welder, only do basic stuff.

Gasless is untidy generally, produces a lot of spatter and is probably a bit harder to get used to. But gas can easily get blown away by even the lightest wind and be a nightmare outside.

If you have a friendly local garage just nip in and talk to them. They might give you a few tips and a bit of guided practice with some scrap

 

[carmanmemoranda]

The first thing I thought about was eye safety, so I'll be making sure my mask is a good one. The work will be done outside on a paved area away from houses and anything combustible. Any work to the car in the future will be done with the petrol tank removed! (needs removing and cleaning anyway). Fair points and won't be overlooked!

You can get welding screens to hide the work from others eyes (no risk to them).

Always have a bucket of water and fire extinguisher around.

 

[fillyboy]

The first thing I thought about was eye safety, so I'll be making sure my mask is a good one. The work will be done outside on a paved area away from houses and anything combustible. Any work to the car in the future will be done with the petrol tank removed! (needs removing and cleaning anyway). Fair points and won't be overlooked!

And stay clear of car batteries, they give off hydrogen. Admittedly the one I blew up with a stray spark had just been driven so was probably pushing out a little more gas than one that's been lying dormant.
It were a hell of a bang.

 

[jeds]

what is the advantage of gas over gas-less?

The gas shields the arc from the surrounding atmosphere, which makes a cleaner weld. Gasless mig wire has a flux core (it's usually called flux cored wire) running through the centre of the strand. The flux helps to clean the weld but it still leaves a fair bit of spatter. It's easy to clean off with a small grinder with a soft wheel but is still a pain in the arse. Problem with gas is that you use a lot and I mean a lot, and it's not cheap. If you were doing it professionally there is absolutely no doubt that you would be using gas, but then you won't be using a second hand cheapo welder off ebay. If you are practising on some scrap steel, to get your hand in, I see no issue using gasless. It's easier to set up, cheaper to run and if you can get reasonably good with gasless, when you do move to gas your welds will suddenly be a lot cleaner and you'll feel like you've cracked it.

 

[Munroast]

If you use flux core on a machine designed for gas - do you always have to reverse the polarity ? and will a normal torch work ?

 

[cwhaley]

The gas shields the arc from the surrounding atmosphere, which makes a cleaner weld. Gasless mig wire has a flux core (it's usually called flux cored wire) running through the centre of the strand. The flux helps to clean the weld but it still leaves a fair bit of spatter. It's easy to clean off with a small grinder with a soft wheel but is still a pain in the arse. Problem with gas is that you use a lot and I mean a lot, and it's not cheap. If you were doing it professionally there is absolutely no doubt that you would be using gas, but then you won't be using a second hand cheapo welder off ebay. If you are practising on some scrap steel, to get your hand in, I see no issue using gasless. It's easier to set up, cheaper to run and if you can get reasonably good with gasless, when you do move to gas your welds will suddenly be a lot cleaner and you'll feel like you've cracked it.

Makes sense to me!

At this stage, it's just about getting a feel for it and learning a technique, so that's why I'm settling for a second hand welder (seem to be a few being sold locally on FB Marketplace). I have a steady hand and I'm not bothered how long it takes me at this point -- just want to see if I can do it well.

I need to make a fire grate plate, a steel box section frame for a gate and anything I can have a go making with a few sheets of sheet steel.

 

[Mottie]

All my welding will be done outside.

It’ll be very hard to mig weld outside if the wind is blowing.

 

[cwhaley]

It’ll be very hard to mig weld outside if the wind is blowing.

Just have to do it on non-windy days seriously though I don't have any space at the moment, although the bottom of the garden is paved and quite sheltered. I'll gauge it on the days I want to do it. In time or if it turns out it's not possible, I'll either have to do a shed extension or work in my Dad's garage.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Outside welding is where gasless comes in

 

[Dork Lard]

The first thing I thought about was eye safety, so I'll be making sure my mask is a good one.

It's worth learning welding just to justify the opportunity of wearing some of the helmets available these days . . . . . !

I don't know anyone who's life wasn't made better when auto darken became cheaply available but I do know a few who have fallen victim to metal fume fever. You don't know what you don't know & there's more to learn in welding than just touching t'rod t'metal.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Reassuring to read!

I think I'll go for a second hand MIG welder at this stage, just so my initial 'money down' isn't too much. I keep seeing box section steel on Facebook Marketplace for reasonably cheap prices as it happens.

The only way, is to jump straight in, at least at first. The first chance I got to learn to weld, was on a contract in Italy, where there was lots of intermitant electric welding needing to be done, and I would need to be constantly waiting around for the Italian welder to show up - so I had a go myself. It was good enough for what was needed. Later, I bought myself a stick welding set, then a mig welder for the lighter work. Some things can only be welded.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

At this stage, it's just about getting a feel for it and learning a technique, so that's why I'm settling for a second hand welder (seem to be a few being sold locally on FB Marketplace). I have a steady hand and I'm not bothered how long it takes me at this point -- just want to see if I can do it well.

Get the feel, but also read the books. There is a specialist welding forum on the internet somewhere, full of pros and amateurs.

 

[cwhaley]

Get the feel, but also read the books. There is a specialist welding forum on the internet somewhere, full of pros and amateurs.

Yes somebody referenced it earlier in this thread and I've registered an account with them. Just reading at the moment -- reading and watching videos beforehand is helping me visualise things.

 

[crystal ball]

And stay clear of car batteries, they give off hydrogen. Admittedly the one I blew up with a stray spark had just been driven so was probably pushing out a little more gas than one that's been lying dormant.
It were a hell of a bang.

In my last proper job one of the sparks duty was to keep the batteries on the genny charged, I went to switch off the charger but nudged the croc clip with my knee , battery exploded and showered me with acid, I wear glasses so lucky escape