i know nothing of welding but wish to be able to weld some gaurds, bolsters, and pommels , etc.... what is the best direction to go in (mig,tig,arc) i dont really even know what the difference is but im looking for the safest, simplist, and cheapist(most important) sorry dont know where to ask this here or welding but figure its strictly for hobby bladesmithing (although id like to be able to weld up a forge stang or something simple like that..) thanks for anyhelp.

for knife makeing you dont need a welder... bolsters pomels ect are usually atached another way ... welders are rarely used by knifemakers makeing knives... used for makeing tools all the time but not for knives.

Forge.
Finnr

yes you are right i dont need one as i could learn to forge shape the steel to the thickness and shape i need , i was just wondering about cheating by welding pieces together to achieve thickness and desired shape then grinding out the weld. also i though that maybe thats a good way to attatch stuff because heat wouldnt interfear with the bond. i assume i could only weld steel (not brass or other) but coulndt i braze with a welder ??

I have a 330amp tig a 250 mig and a 180 mig I would advise at least a 175-180 amp
230volt set up you can weld about anything around the shop. NO you cant braze with a welder. Unless you buy a high end tig welder. I can do brass, copper or aluminum with mine.
Ken

.....i was just wondering about cheating by welding pieces together to achieve thickness and desired shape then grinding out the weld.....

I think you're looking at this from the wrong direction - if you're going to cheat anyway, just get a blank piece of steel and start grinding - it'll go faster than you would think. If you're talking about welding thin pieces together face to face I don't think you're going to have much luck unless you're forge welding like Finnr suggested

Oxygen/acetalyn gas welding outfit would be most versatle IMO you can braze with it.

But at your skill level maybe not the most practical.

I,d say mig is easiest to learn, and I use mine to attach a 2' handle for forging my knives, then cut it off after forging.

Most here would like to help you learn, what tools do you have now?

Mark

Edited May 30, 200917 yr by markb

welding a knife with a welder (as opposed to forge welding ) inparts a filler material (rod ) and can cause stress problems.. i would NOT do it.. you can get away with it in a non critical area (some people weld on a tang ) but i dont reccomend it as it leaves a weak spot if you dont do it right..and it really dosnt save you much (usually done on damascus to save some metal). mig (wirefeed ) is considered the easyest to use for the beginner ... have fun!

I don't make many knives but as a general rule. However, in my opinion, Developing skill with a gas torch will go a longer way in Knife smith work than learning any particuliar electric welding method.
General construction is usually done with stick welders. For work with carbon and stainless steels they are often more of a brute force solution. Really experienced and highly skilled stick welders can do things that mere mortals like me are in awe of. However, if knives are your game there is not a lot of help there.
Decorative and fine construction is often done with light mig welders while 230 volt mig units can substitute for much stick work and be dialed down to decorative and fine construction; They only really shine when used with solid wire and shielding gas selected for the application. Great tool but not really adapted to knife work

Tig welders are often an add on to heavy duty stick welders and really shine when you want to fusion weld carbon steels or aluminum. They require special gas mixtures to work at their best performance. Again, wonderful tool and one which I personally enjoy. I don't see the expense of set up being worth as much as a modest heat treat oven to a knife maker.

Oxy/acetylene can copper braze, silver solder, mild steel fusion weld, with real skill and experience fusion weld high carbon steels, and most significantly cut steel in a wide range of thickness.
Silver soldering one thing that knife makers do more than any other smiths.
For that alone you will probably want an Oxy/fuel torch.

The ability to apply pinpoint heat to a limited area is desirable. My choice for this is to have acetylene welding tips for the most demanding applications and a small acetylene cylinder and use my propane cylinder for cutting and general heating.

Edited May 30, 200917 yr by Charlotte
typo