[NU_BLUE]

I have a question. Most of you on here are good welders. I was wondering where ya'll learned it? Do you just pick up over the yrs. or were you trained, etc?

I've played around with a stick welder more times than I remember and I've got the basic idea from welding on farm equipment, etc. However, I would like to get into MIG and TIG welding....I'm just curious where to start.

[00 Trans Ram]

Still learning!

I simply went and bought a good, but not expensive, Miller 110v mig machine. It came with all the stuff to weld - gas lines, helmet, etc. I simply had to pick up a gas cylinder from the local store.

I started by watching some videos. The best ones are the ones that show you what the weld is actually doing - not the ones with a bright spot of light and some guy talking. Simply put, you want to see some guy make a puddle, move a few mm, make another puddle, repeat. Then, I started sticking metal together.

It was bad at first. I'd set the wire speed too high, or the power too low, and it'd sputter all over the place and do weird things. I finally figured most of it out. But, a HUGE help is to find a print out a guide that tells you suggested settings for what you're welding. You may change a little, but it'll get you in the ballpark.

Honestly, and others (who are better than me at this) may disagree, it's MUCH more of an art than a science. Sure, the analyzation of it is all science. But, actually DOING it is pure art. You have to picture the finished product in your mind, then translate that to your hands.

Oh, another thing that helps me a LOT is to practice right before I weld something. I've found that, because I weld once every blue moon, I get out of practice. If I start welding what I want to weld, I get in the rhythm just about 1" from the finish, while most of the weld looks like bird poop. But, if I waste some time and wire running a few beads on a similar thickness of metal before working on the real piece, I get much better welds once I actually start.

Finally, if it's something important, I take it to a pro. On my car, I've welded my side mirror mounts, my camera mount, and a few other things that don't matter. But, when I needed custom front LCAs made, I didn't even try. I just brought them to my friend (pro welder) to TIG and make.

[NU_BLUE]

Yeah, thanks for the replies. I'm not real interested in getting to a "pro" level (though that would be cool...). I'm more interested in just doing it for myself. I figure its just another step with regards to working on cars. I've welded a few a simple parts on the Camaro, like the swaybar mounts, but I'd never do anything much beyond that, yet. It'd be cool to be able to weld up exhausts, etc. I'll have to start doing some reading and see if I can get my hands on a MIG.

[trackbird]

Yeah, thanks for the replies. I'm not real interested in getting to a "pro" level (though that would be cool...). I'm more interested in just doing it for myself. I figure its just another step with regards to working on cars. I've welded a few a simple parts on the Camaro, like the swaybar mounts, but I'd never do anything much beyond that, yet. It'd be cool to be able to weld up exhausts, etc. I'll have to start doing some reading and see if I can get my hands on a MIG.

Exhaust is "easy"...it's easy because it's not structural. If a muffler weld fails it's generally no big deal (assuming it doesn't fly off and go through someones window). A sway bar mount is far more critical.

As for Migs, go look at the Hobart line of Mig welders. Miller and Lincoln build machines to a higher standard and have some really nice stuff, but the Hobart line is filled with good to very good quality welders for fairly reasonable prices. I have a Hobart Handler 210 amp Mig and it's been outstanding. I also have a used Lincoln Squarewave Tig 175 that I found a good deal on and it's a great welder, but I'm still learning to make use of it's capabilities (I'm a Tig "owner" not a Tig "welder" right now).