Welder's beginers course

Can you Braze, Age, Braze and Age again?

Hi all, This is my first post. I've played around with a lot material over the years, and have done a little bit of blacksmithing, but no welding. I've got a bunch of sitting projects that are stalled at the point where welding is necessary, and now that I want to get back into blacksmithing, the list of things that I could use some sort of welding rig for is growing. So I'm looking for a bit of guidance on which kind of basic welding gear to invest in for building various stands, jigs, and a couple forges. Thanks, Woody

Hey guys. Hope all have been well. Several times ive had it suggested to buy a mig to zap the ends of steel cable. I thought i remembered them talking about cheapest hf, but im scared to buy something useless. Is there a figure or number i can check for to make sure its strong enough to zap 1.5-2" normal cable? I have no intention on ever using this for any other reason, so nice is a luxury. Piĝsticker Im trying to hammer cable on the ends so it wont just wear away and i can twist when it gets hot

Am I just not using enough lighting? Do I need to upgrade from the cheapest harbor freight visor to something better? I can’t see anything until the arc and I have no idea if that’s normal or not.

Hey everybody, I've got a question. I was taught to never light a blowtorch with an open flame, always use a striker or sparker. It made sense to me at the time and I never questioned it. I just told my assistant not to use a lighter and he asked me why, and I had nothing to tell him other then I was taught not to. So I didn't tell him that, I just rolled my eyes and sent him to go tidy up the scrap pile until he figured it out. Now I'm asking you folk, is there any reason not to use an open flame? Or was the fella who taught me crazy? Something I'm more than willing to believe. Thanks a lot, Adam

I took a continuing Ed course at the local community college about 20 years ago but haven’t stick welded much since. After years of wanting it, I finally got 220 installed in my garage and fired up my old Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 and tried welding a couple of projects. While they stuck together, the welds were pretty ugly and I had fits trying to get the arc started without sticking like crazy. I have had my eye on an Everlast stick/TIG machine for years and finally ordered one off Amazon ($414 shipped for a 160STH). I decided to start doing some practicing on a coupon, trying to lay a straight bead. All I have at home is some old ESAB 6011 rod (and some hard facing rod…

Hi everyone, I made my first attempt at brazing some cast steel today. It's a blade guide off a horizontal bandsaw made in Taiwan, so I'm not really sure what type of metal it is. The part was broken in three places and I think the brazing was reasonably successful, but it was a bit sloppy with too much bronze puddled in some spots and not enough in others. In the pic below you can still see part of the crack at the top of the part and a partially filled hole drilled by the previous owner as part of a xxxx poor repair with a corner bracket. I'm not too worried about this piece, but if I wanted a better looking job would it be ok to reheat the part and add some more …

have about 6 or 7 old blow torches, have never seen one in use. would like to. figure you pump them up then light. but don t know. what do you look for in restoring them?

My name's aaron I'm 20 years I've been welding since I was 14 around the farm and alot of frame work and fab work with my grandpa in his shop in not a certified welder but have quite a bit of experience on mig,tig and arc I've been wanting to build like a welding wagon to do jobs for people we have A LOT of farmers in my area who would probably need some work done wanting some knowledge from wise and experienced welders on how to run a welding business and equipment I should get

Hi there, As of now, I am working as a sales executive (marketing field) representing Canon. It was fascinating at the outset, however, turns into somewhat troublesome at this point. I am tired off with this work. It is not easy to get the clients as before and I have to hear the scolding from the manager if the sales go down. These continuous scoldings and pressure making me down, and it is reflecting in my works as well. I require a change. I have plans to change my profession to welding. I have a welder with me, one that had been utilized by my dad quite a while sometime recently. Also, I know little basic about welding since I had gone to a workshop on it.…

I have a request to repair a BBQ grill part that is torn on the edge flange in a curve that supports the curve. The metal is thin. Will braising stainless hold? Will my Hobart wire welder weld the stainless? I don't want to make a bigger gap experimenting. It's a very expensive grill . Thanks in advance. Jerry

Welding Fundamentals and Welding 101-01 WARNING Never look at the welding arc without protection. Looking at the arc with the naked eye could result in permanent eye damage. If you receive flash burns, medical personnel should treat them. What is Welding? Welding is the fusion of two like or dissimilar metals. Before we discuss the different types of welding machines, you must first have a basic knowledge of the electrical terms used with welding. Electrical Terms Many terms are associated with arc welding. The following basic terms are especially important. ALTERNATING CURRENT. — Alternating current is an electrical current that has alternating negative…

Interested in blacksmithing, but want to get some basic welding skills first. All of the welding classes in my area seem to be 2-year or 900-hour welding programs. This includes technical schools, adult education facilities, etc. How do you go about getting some basic instruction? I am not interested in 900 hours of instruction.

I didn't see much here on learning basic tig, so I thought I'd post up some material I've done before when asked these sorts of questions. I'll add threads on mig and stick later. If you want specific help with your welds, I'd suggest starting a new thread rather than cluttering this one. A bit 1st about myself. I help teach basic welding in the evening program at one of the local votech schools for the last few years. I'm not an "expert" by any means, but I've been told by several instructors at a couple of schools that I have a real knack for getting across the basics to students. What I'll cover is the way we teach new tig students at the tech school. 1st go on …

Ok now the one on basic stick welding. Again if you want specific help with your welds, I'd suggest starting a new thread rather than cluttering this one. A bit 1st about myself. I help teach basic welding in the evening program at one of the local votech schools for the last few years. I'm not an "expert" by any means, but I've been told by several instructors at a couple of schools that I have a real knack for getting across the basics to students. What I'll cover is the way we teach new stick students at the tech school with the variation of using angle iron for practice to save material. Best way to learn is to take a class so that someone can watch as you weld and…

If you are looking for the how too do it I am going to start it here in just a few days with the basics come one , come all and add your input to the class and lets have fun and learn together and pass the torch to the younger geneation . Sam

Welcome to welding 101-03 Whether you're a do-it-yourself welder who uses shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) only a few times a year or a professional welder who welds every day, one thing is certain: SMAW requires a lot of skill and electrode knowledge. Because variables such as storage techniques, electrode diameter, and flux composition all contribute to SMAW electrode selection and performance, arming yourself with basic knowledge can help you minimize confusion and ensure SMAW success. What are the most common SMAW electrodes? Hundreds, if not thousands, of SMAW electrodes exist, but the most popular are mild steel electrodes that fall into the American Welding Soc…

The other day I had to attach 1/4 rod to a 1/4 plate at 90 deg. The cleaner the job the better so I tried what I thought would be a Brilliant (for me) solution. I drilled a 1/4 hole and passed the rod partly through the plate . I hoped to then mig weld in the hole and be able to grind the plate flat . But there was no way I could get it to work the hole would fill up but the rod was not getting welded at all. Is this a viable technique ? How do I do it?

Welcome to Welding 101-02 Types of Welding Process, their respective description and uses in the welding industry. In this lesson we will cover the types of welding process used in the welding industry by many welders today. In addition we will cover starting with Arc Welding (the Main types of welding rods utilized in the field and a few shops in the welding industry) this includes What the numbers ,colors and uses of commonly used welding rods Classed by the AWS (American Welding Society) classification A5.1. I will give you my nontechnical version of a few rods and how they are used my expert opinion comes from being trained in high school, the military , field…

Had the chance to acquire an o/a rig. I've got the torch, lines and bottles, but I can't get the torch to light. I crack open the acetylene and get a greasy yellow/orange flame that I would expect. But, when I open the oxygen valve on the handle all I get is a loud pop and the whole thing goes away. The valves on the tanks are just barely cracked open. The acetylene valve on the hand piece can be opened all the way and all you get is a greasy, smoky flame. Try to add in the oxygen to get a cutting flame and it's "pop" and then it's all gone. It blows out the acetylene flame, too. Any idea what the problem is? What issues am I looking for? It doesn't matter h…

Hi folk's. I finally had a try at welding. This is my fourth attempt. The first try we could not break the weld. Luck of course. The next two broke and Gary should me alot of my error's. This one was a solid weld, although ugly I wanted to keep it so I could show my wife. Gary is a fellow member, the guy is really something. Any way I will be looking to buy a welder. First I want to get a buddy over who is a electrician over to see what I can do as far as power. Also I will be getting a Victor oxy/acet outfit, once I figure out which one I want. Right now I am leaning to a Performer outfit. If any of you have a opion on this model please share with me. Finally I wil…

I've bought these no-name torches a while ago in a pawnshop, not really having an idea what they could be used for . A lot of googling has led me to believe it is air/propane torches, but information on this is very scarce, or I just cannot find the right words to use. Do anyone know how these work, and what they are used for? And what should I use for an air source? They are 220mm ( 9 inches) long. Thanks

Ok, I have never brazed before. I got a small forge that has a cast iron gear wheel cracked in two places. I figure its time to learn how to braze. So, I've attached a picture so you know the task at hand. I figure for the outside ring crack, I'll grind from the top down almost to the bottom edge, fill it, then grind to shape. For the spoke, I was thinking of grinding towards the middle from both sides, then filling and grinding to shape. However, I don't know if I should preheat, and if so, how much, and most importantly, what brazing rod to use (and where to get it). Do I fill it with brazing material all at once or do I layer it? I appreciate any and all help…

Hi, I'm starting to set up a hobby smith workshop and I'm wondering what I should start with for welding. I eventually want to get into stainless and aluminum welding with the capability to so sanitary welds. I have no formal training at all, but I've welded with stick, mig, and tig, including stainless and titanium. I was a crappy stick welder, but I did all right with mig and tig through practice, as I was always basically just shown the equipment and told to go at it. I haven't done any welding for years, but I have grad level courses in welding theory, metallurgy, and microstructual elements in metals, though I need to re-read the texts. I'm on a limited budge…

Weld Fusion/Penetration: When I first started welding using MIG welders I had troubles with failed welds. I quickly learned that you cannot depend on your MIG welding machine to cut through mill scale on the surface of the work piece, and provide penetration into and fusion with the metal below. Over time, experience and research revealed the preparation procedures that I now use whenever I weld. They are as follow: GRIND OR BRUSH THE WELD AREA CLEAN: Dependable welds cannot be consistently achieved without good cleaning preparation of weld areas. IF A GOOD STRUCTURAL WELD IS REQUIRED GRIND BEVELS TO PROVIDE GOOD PENETRATION INTO THE WORK PIECES. I…