i need to learn to weld. fiberglass work also.

[ohio_wookie]

any suggestions on how to learn to weld, without going to school. books, someone willing to teach. im embarking on a big project, and im going to need alot of welding done, and i want to be able to do it myself. plus im in portsmouth and i dont want to drag the car up there to have someone help, and i sure ass hell dont want to pay to have it done either. i hope you guys can help.

 

im also going to have to figure out how to make molds from metal parts to make fiberglass replacments. any help or direction would be apriciated.

[desperado]

I would advise against trying to learn to weld then doing car chassis work. I don't know what your project is, but if you are building a chassis or a cage, you better make damn sure that your welds are top notch, your life may very well depend on it.

[Akula]

Why don't you want to go to school? You can learn why/how welding works and more importantly how to recognize a cold bond versus a good weld. I think if you are going to be driving around in anything you have welded you would want it to be the best. Besides, it is a skill that once mastered can pay off in the long run.

[ohio_wookie]

I dont want to go to school, because i am already working on a double major. Unless there is some kind of couple of week class I can go to. i dont want to do a halfass job or anything like that, i think most schools are bullshit and i feel i could learn more on my own, or with someone that knows what theyre doing. and on top of that I dont have the money for classes.

[Tinman]

For the most part schools are useless. I took 4 years of welding classes along with my apprenticeship and learned more about playing cards than I did welding. I would advise picking up a couple of good welding books to read and keep for referance and finding someone to show you the ropes one on one. Then practice, alot of practice.

[RS69]

You learn from experience. Start off with a smaller project and work your way up.

[Guest mudbutt]

practice is key. A guy here couldnt really weld when he started here. Almost every night he practiced. In a few months his welds were acceptable, now his welds are Great structurly and really good cosmeticly. He did a LOT of reading when he satared and still does a lot of it. Everytime he sees a potential issue with a type of weld he reads up on it to correct his problem. More importantly he was always open to criticism. As wish most things, an open mind can surpass research.

[desperado]

I figured that I would throw this is. Cuz I did learn to weld the same way that you are figuring on learning, by reading and doing it. Get on Ebay and look for college welding text books. Modern Welding is the one that comes to mind that I have. Also, the welding book (paperback) that Lincoln publishes, you can buy it in Lowes and Home Depot are both good for a beginner. You have two choices really on how to start, either stick or MIG. Stick is still a useful type of welding and there are some things that it's simply better and easier to stick.

MIG is probably the easiest form of welding to learn, but it's also very easy to lay a good looking bead that has no weld penetration and has less holding power than a piece of duct tape. This is why I said what I did before, depending on what you are welding, your life or the life of another may very well depend on that weld never breaking.

 

I am going to figure that you don't have a welder at this point, so I will give you a few pointers on picking one out so that you will be able to lay down a good bead that has good penetration and looks like a pro did it. If your welder is a piece of shit, your welds will be shit too.

The sub $300 dollar stuff that Harbor freight sells should be left on the shelf for somebody else, the quality is too low, getting parts for that stuff will take an act of God too.

Lincoln sells a couple NICE MIG units, the 125 being a GOOD starting out welder that has the performance to lay a GOOD bead and will not break the bank. And stay away from the older industrial units that are over 200 AMP. Trying to weld sheet metal with one of these is about like trying to drive tacks with a sledge hammer. It just don't work, as far as 3-phase equipment that's newer, if you can get a good deal on it, building a phase convertor is not hard, nor is it expensive and it will run a 3 phase unit on regular 220 very nicely. Once you get your new welder, you will need a few other MANDITORY things, the first being a GOOD 4.5 inch grinder, get a dewalt or some other brand name grinder and spend a minimum of $60 on it..the $15 swap meet specials will run for about a week and most don't last a day. The second think to get is a Porta-Band (portable band saw). These are pricey so be prepaired to cough up 250 or more for it. Porter Cable, Milwaukee and dewalt here, again, no cheap shit, it will not last you, when you buy tools, figure that you are buying a tool that you will be using the rest of your life, not one that will break after a month of use.

 

Once you get the welder and a grinder, pick up ANY scrap steel that you can find and start welding ot together. Once you have welded it together, get a sledge hammer and try to beat the weld until it breaks, when the welds no longer break and teh metal only bends you have reached a point that you need to be at to weld critical joints.

 

A good welding test it to weld two pieces of steel together and then cut then apart at the weld with a band saw. Look at the faces of the weld to see if there are any bubbles or pockets in the weld. There should be none.

 

Like everyone said here, practice, alot. You really should practice wil a minimum of 2 full rolls of wire before even starting to consider welding critical joints.

[ohio_wookie]

thanks desperado, i really appriciate the help. I will keep you guys updated with my learning progress

[ohio_wookie]

Well, I sold my PC and I went out and bought myself a Lincoln Mig 140. Before I open it up, does anyone have any opinons on the 140?

[AJ]

don't use it to weld roll cage tube, i had one like it and i found out fast 2 things 1) not hot enough for good penatration 2) duty cycle, i couldn't do alot of welding at 1 time.

i got a new miller DVI, it was $1300 but weld quility went through the roof compaired to what i had. i always took stuff to work and used there welder if i had anything important to weld.

[XChris1632X]

i dont really like trying to weld structural metal with 110 because the amount of time you gotta be on the weld. i like to get in and get out with as little heat as possible. but for sheet metal and smaller metal it would be great. but i understand money is an issue and it can be done depending on how thick but i wouldnt recomend you welding anything structural in your car with little to no experience with a 110.

[Tractor]

I'm in the process of learning to weld now. I'm doing it on my own because thats how I learn best. I went way cheap on the welder by building one into my trail rig. Now I can do repairs on the trail if necessary. All I gotta do it learn to weld correctly. Theres good advice in this thread, I think I'll check out some of those books too since all my information so far comes from reading welding forums (yeah there are welding forums I just found that out.)

 

The welder I'm using is a modified 70AMP GM alternator running off my rigs 350 engine.

Of course its a stick welder and so far I've managed to learn how to strike and arc and keep it going good. I got good enough that I was able to put 4 large D rings on the rig and I can't rip them off. I also welded some 2000 LB jacks to the rear of my car hauler to assist in loading/unloading vehicles. I still weld a very ugly mess, but so far it seems strong which is more of what I'm looking for anyway. Also the welder will weld body panels all the way up to being able to cut 3/4" steel when I rev the engine to 2K RPM's. Another neat thing is since its an alternator it has a 100% duty cycle.

 

If anyone that knows what there doing with a stick welder wants to come over and show me some stuff that would be cool. I'd like to see a pro use it anyway.

Evan