How to Weld

[shiftpro]

OK that is my problem. I use flux core, because I only use it for body work. Maybe once in a while something a little heavier. I have a Hobart welder, and I always get splatter. I am looking into getting a bottle of gas. I was told I would get a better all around weld with it. How do you change the polarity?

Depending on the machine, open the door where the spool and feed mechanism is located. Most welders have instructions inside this door that shows basic heat and feed speed for material thickness. They often have a diagram to switch the cables. The ground cable and 'hot' lead need to be reversed.
Youtube search your model of machine and/or reverse polarity settings for mig... something like that if you need help.

You will get a cleaner weld using gas, and don't reverse polarity in this case. But it's very difficult to weld outdoors with gas because even a bird fart will blow away the gas shield and introduce oxygen to the weld and that will make you very sad...

 

[smoothandlow84]

Start with a mig wire feed. Easy to learn and welding comes in handy for all sorts of projects. Learning how to weld over 25 years ago (started with torch welding in the natural gas industry) was by far the most valuable lesson. I currently weld, stick, torch , mig and tig. Mig welding is my favorite.

these are great points but i recommend buying a stick welder first if you do misc. projects once you master stick you can weld almost anything for my case my dad threw me a box of 7013 and told me to try it then i got good with that then moved to 7018. now if all you want to do is body work get a mig you will hate your self if you start stick welding body panels or try tig for the first time welding panels plus stick is the cheapest to get into and has the least amount of consumables to buy (stick rods/electrodes) and if you suck lots of gloves now smooth has 20 years more experience than me and i know i have a mark on my chest from when i learned to oxy weld and i bet smooth does too lol[/QUOTE]



Lol although I don't have a burn on my chest...nothing comes close to having a bead of molten metal drop on your head...or worse roll into your ear.

 

[Derrick]

these are great points but i recommend buying a stick welder first if you do misc. projects once you master stick you can weld almost anything for my case my dad threw me a box of 7013 and told me to try it then i got good with that then moved to 7018. now if all you want to do is body work get a mig you will hate your self if you start stick welding body panels or try tig for the first time welding panels plus stick is the cheapest to get into and has the least amount of consumables to buy (stick rods/electrodes) and if you suck lots of gloves now smooth has 20 years more experience than me and i know i have a mark on my chest from when i learned to oxy weld and i bet smooth does too lol

Lol although I don't have a burn on my chest...nothing comes close to having a bead of molten metal drop on your head...or worse roll into your ear.[/QUOTE]
yeah i know that welding on a farm implement and was welding vertical with a 7018 and a big glob of puddle got me in the neck (i know what i did wrong i forgot to weave)

 

[hatzie]

I started with oxy/acetylene (GAS) under my grandfather's watchful eye. The control and two hand coordination I learned from GAS welding made learning TIG, later in life, a breeze. My TIG welders, that I actually used, have always had foot pedals and High Frequency arc start so heat control was really easy and starting the arc was not an issue either. Using a TIG torch with scratch start and fixed heat is not a skill I have or want to learn. Gas is not used in industry for anything other than cutting but it's cheap to get setup, extremely versatile, and easy to learn.
Once you master GAS the other welding methods come easier.

Get yourself a hardcover copy of The Oxyacetylene Handbook by The Linde Air Products Company with a publication date in the 1940's or early 1950's. I inherited my grandfather's 1943 copy.
The other book that's worth having and reading is the 1980's softcover "Welders Handbook" By Richard Finch

SMAW (Stick) is good for gluing bigger pieces of not super clean metal together. I learned this almost as soon as I could weld halfway decently with the gas. My stick welds aren't super pretty evenly spaced stacks of nickels like I can make with gas or TIG but I don't have over or under penetration and they look alright. Stick will teach you how to CONTROL the puddle of molten metal under unpleasant conditions. Not real good for sheet metal even at low amperage using small diameter sticks. I've seen it done but it''s nothing I want to try out or learn to do even for bragging rights.

I use both MIG and TIG for sheet metal. Anything heavier and I put the MIG away and usually pull out the Forney C5. The Forney was my first welder. The Inverter TIG power supply and the Miller 330A/BP would be just fine for SMAW but I like my old buddy.

I'd learn MIG dead last.

 

[f6john]

I’m jealous. I bought a Hobart mig years ago but I hav never learned how to use it. I doubt it’s even set up properly. I need a teacher/mentor but I’m getting pretty old to just be starting to learn.

 

[smurfasaur]

I’m jealous. I bought a Hobart mig years ago but I hav never learned how to use it. I doubt it’s even set up properly. I need a teacher/mentor but I’m getting pretty old to just be starting to learn.

Never too old to learn! I learned almost exclusively from watching YouTube videos and then going and trying it out on scrap. I’m not an amazing welder but I can stick **** together pretty damn good, and if I can do it anyone can [emoji1360]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mr Clean]

I’m jealous. I bought a Hobart mig years ago but I hav never learned how to use it. I doubt it’s even set up properly. I need a teacher/mentor but I’m getting pretty old to just be starting to learn.

Your never too old to learn anything. I work with some guys that say they know everything there is to know about rail roading. I say BS, I learn something every day.

 

[3504boltmain]

I've always liked sub arc welding (S.A.W.) the most. The only problem I had with it was that the base material had to be preheated, and I would melt through a pair of boots by the time I finished one of the larger jobs... That and stepping on a chunk of slag from that process... Like touching your boots to the exhaust pipes on a Harley. I used 1/8" 100S and dual 1/16" 100S wire setups. from there it's Tig then Pulse Mig, Mig, Stick, Dual Shield Flux, and lastly... I frigin hate Single Shield Flux Core. I haven't done Pulse Tig, but I know I'll love it.

If you're a hobbyist, Stick is fine for anything thicker than 1/16" and you might get lucky "popping" with flux core for anything thinner. If you only plan to weld once a year or less, take it to a pro. It will cost the same or less as with a cheap starter rig. And you wont burn yourself... Just your wallet.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I've always liked sub arc welding (S.A.W.) the most. The only problem I had with it was that the base material had to be preheated, and I would melt through a pair of boots by the time I finished one of the larger jobs... That and stepping on a chunk of slag from that process... Like touching your boots to the exhaust pipes on a Harley. I used 1/8" 100S and dual 1/16" 100S wire setups. from there it's Tig then Pulse Mig, Mig, Stick, Dual Shield Flux, and lastly... I frigin hate Single Shield Flux Core. I haven't done Pulse Tig, but I know I'll love it.

If you're a hobbyist, Stick is fine for anything thicker than 1/16" and you might get lucky "popping" with flux core for anything thinner. If you only plan to weld once a year or less, take it to a pro. It will cost the same or less as with a cheap starter rig. And you wont burn yourself... Just your wallet.

Lol how about Submerged Arc Welding. And if you run a track system it can preheat and weld. That’s generally how roadway bridges are done. Then they are Xrayed

 

[4WDKC]

I think everyone should learn how to braze, it may be the only thing you can find if broke down some where. Not everyone has a portable mig/tig and inverter or generator to run them but there are alot more people that have a cutting torch that can be used if you know what you are doing.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I think everyone should learn how to braze, it may be the only thing you can find if broke down some where. Not everyone has a portable mig/tig and inverter or generator to run them but there are alot more people that have a cutting torch that can be used if you know what you are doing.

Nuh uh....if you have a battery you have a crude DC welder.

 

[4WDKC]

Nuh uh....if you have a battery you have a crude DC welder.

Do you carry welding sticks with you?...wait knowing you probably yes.....most people wont have them.

 

[Derrick]

Do you carry welding sticks with you?...wait knowing you probably yes.....most people wont have them.

I have a small engine drive stick welder and about 1000 7018 in my truck. come on isnt that the norm lol

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Like they say “ a grinder and paint makes you the welder you ain’t”

 

[Mr Clean]

Like they say “ a grinder and paint makes you the welder you ain’t”

Who's they?