Welding class

[JakeTheHuman]

Well, I've got Intro to Metals (welding) and have had it for the past 9 weeks, and will continue to have it for another 9 weeks. I've Oxyacetylene cut 20 4x6 rectangles called "coupons", Brazed, and have been currently Stick-welding with a 6010 electrode, putting beads on the coupons and then welding a few together.

 

I'm pretty good at that, but I was wondering if anyone had any pointers on MIG and TIG welding, Lost Foam Casting, brazing, or cutting with a Plasma cutter? Such as someone who welds professionally or has?

 

Thanks.

[sivispacem]

If you're going to concentrate on anything, concentrate on TIG, sheerly because it's by far the most versitile style of welding, and produces the best and cleanest bonds. As for techniques- it's been a looooong time since I've even attempted to weld anything (and only ever MIG) but from what I remember, the best piece of advice I can offer is don't fret about the cleanliness of welds. Much better to develop a good technique for producing bonds, which then enables you to refine and make it tidier, than to worry too much about tidyness and end up not getting a complete join.

[3niX]

Well...

 

Semi-automatic MIG/MAG is probably the easiest and youll have no problem picking it up. TIG requires some good practice because a) its rather expensive to mess up compared to other welding methods and b) its not as easy as it looks. Stick welding can be considered the hardest but its also more versatile than TIG and MIG/MAG (for starters you can weld more materials). Id definitely focus on proper pacing and proper movement with TIG and stick. Its better if you have an instructor who can help on making proper welds. Its not really something you can learn via internet or by advice... you just have to practice... a lot.

 

Plasma cutting is extremely easy, its pretty much point and cut. All you really have to pay attention to is the thickness of the material, your cutting speed (you can cut quite fast) and the start of the cut.

[Xo4]

A good tip for any welding is that your usually going too fast when you start. When you start MIG remember to take your time.

[Waste]

Be VERY careful if you ever weld aluminium.

I have scars to prove that you should.

[Finn 7 five 11]

Okay, i strongly recommend getting auto tinting welding glasses, and make sure you are covered in all areas to prevent getting burnt, you don't wanna develop skin cancer im sure you already know this.

 

The MIG i found is very easy you will pick it up like that *snaps fingers*, you just need go slow and keep the wire close to the metal, if you don't have a steady hand i recommend finding something to rest your arm on while welding being unsteady with the MIG pretty well means a sh*t weld.

Also make sure the settings are right so you don't get splatter burning holes in your clothes, or singeing hairs, don't have the voltage too high always know what your welding, like waste said you don't wanna get burnt welding stuff that doesn't go so well with extreme heat, and make sure you remember to turn the gas on (its sad i know but i have had a few moments where i wonder why the f*ck its welding so badly, then i realize that the gas is not on *facepalm*) also remember to turn on a ventilation fan so you don't end up breathing ozone, don't forget the earth.

 

Basically those are safety precautions you should already know, but make sure you always remember them every time you weld.

Edited March 23, 2011 by finn4life

[Xtreme921]

Use plenty of Flux. That's pretty much all I have taken away from my 8 weeks of Metals at school before getting kicked out of it.

[sofa_king]

I was just researching welding classes online. I think I'm going to take this class at the local community college

in my spare time. I can get certified in under a year and its only 3k or so + books. Useful skill to have... first

thing I would do is buy an old pickup and weld plates over the windows ultimately fabricating some sort of apocalyptic

vehicle that will really piss my neighbors off, /excited]

 

[Lurch]

X2 on the auto-tinting mask. I always lost my place with the old sh*tty flip down style. Miles better with the auto tint. And a good deal of weld quality is surface prep, so don't be afraid to wire brush the f*ck out of things.

 

MIG (at least steel MIG) is fairly easy to master. Arc (stick) and TIG, and aluminum MIG, not so much. Never really did much with aluminum mig, and could never get TIG down, but I always liked to try stick. Always through the big coil of sh*t over my shoulder since I thought that made my hand a little steadier. I turned out some decent welds doing that. Other times I turned out absolute sh*t and got my rod stuck. Fun all the same.

 

One tip: never wear Jeans with frayed ends or any clothes with frayed ends for that matter. They will catch fire. About once a week, we would see a kid with his leg on fire.

[JakeTheHuman]

X2 on the auto-tinting mask. I always lost my place with the old sh*tty flip down style. Miles better with the auto tint. And a good deal of weld quality is surface prep, so don't be afraid to wire brush the f*ck out of things.

 

MIG (at least steel MIG) is fairly easy to master. Arc (stick) and TIG, and aluminum MIG, not so much. Never really did much with aluminum mig, and could never get TIG down, but I always liked to try stick. Always through the big coil of sh*t over my shoulder since I thought that made my hand a little steadier. I turned out some decent welds doing that. Other times I turned out absolute sh*t and got my rod stuck. Fun all the same.

 

One tip: never wear Jeans with frayed ends or any clothes with frayed ends for that matter. They will catch fire. About once a week, we would see a kid with his leg on fire.

Thanks for all the responses, guys. I'm going to see about picking up some auto-tinting glasses, but It's only a high-school class. Never-the-less, I'm going to try to go to Tulsa after I graduate, before joining up.

 

When we weld, it's in a 4x4 booth, with a table that we attach the ground to. We have a large hose that vacuums out all the smoke and bad stuff so we don't breathe it in. We do use the large, flip down masks though, it gets really annoying how you cant see anything until you start to make the arc. Really sucked today esp. when we were welding two T-joints together to make an I-beam, and I couldn't see where the seam was. I just have problems getting comfortable in the small booth, since we stand when we weld, and you start dripping sweat before too long.

 

Oh, and about wearing frayed jeans, I experienced that first hand. My drier decided to stop working that morning, and my only pair of jeans were frayed.... this was the end result....

 

 

Had to red-neck it, and tie a welding jacket around the hole, to keep it from lighting up again.

[Jake]

I used to weld rebar for half a year. Wire feed. 10-12 hour days. All I can say after those months of hell is make sure you learn to make a weld that holds and learn not to bubble any welds. I used to get burnt literally every day man. Little beads would always roll off and it'd be like dancing but sometimes I didn't notice them. Got a few scars on the knees still.