O.K. Imma welder now. Tell me what to buy.
2Alrighty then I bought the $58 one day welder program from the https://1daywelder.com/welding-tips/author/69e5774c0f39c0ab0a8fcfcf
“They” of course have “recommended” items, but of course, I trust a random meh mob more than that sillyness.
So tell me what beginner setup I need.
- 4 comments, 12 replies
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Cruise some of the YooToob vids. Opinions vary about a lot of stuff. I’ve got a Titanium wirefeed unit from Hazard Fraught, and it has worked well with flux core for the few things I’ve needed so far. It will also do MIG, but I haven’t bought a bottle of argon for that yet. I also have a 1960s-vintage Lincoln rebranded as Craftsman stick welder that hasn’t been plugged in for more than a decade. I like the wirefeed better.
Sorry, can’t really help you, much as I would like to. Welding is one of those things I’ve always been tempted to pick up. Not sure whether I would go gas or electric though?
@chienfou why not both? /shrug
@therealjrn
Always figured I’d start with one to see how it worked out…
@chienfou I can only talk big at this point, but realistically, I’ll be looking at electric to start. The only welding I’ve ever done was when I was in Junior Achievement and we made holiday centerpieces which were spot welded together.
@therealjrn
That’s way more than me. The only time I ever “welded” was a product I bought through a JC Whitney’s catalog (remember those ?) to weld the stickshift rod on an old Subaru 45+ years ago. I don’t remember exactly how it worked but I do remember it was non-electric and required an ignition source(?). It then was able to generate high enough heat to spot weld. I don’t remember containing gases. Seems like it was one or maybe two solids and it was sort of like a super high heat propane torch when it was going…
@chienfou @therealjrn
I have both an oxygen/acetylene torch and basic 220V arc welder in my barn/workshop. I’ve used both on occasion, but I’m just an amateur DIY’er (I got the basics from a metal shop class back in high school). The biggest project I’ve tackled was turning the back half of an old compact pickup into a utility trailer I tow behind my tractor. (So far, so good…)
@chienfou @therealjrn
OK, that sparked a memory that I have to share: the metal shop teacher was a guy named Harry Pickle. (No, really!) But he was an excellent teacher and actually a really nice guy.
@chienfou I use gas for brazing, arc for welding most of the time. YMMV. I can’t seen to get the hang of getting the flame just right to keep the weld puddle from spitting with gas.
@chienfou Two solids? One that generated oxygen and one that generated acetylene, each in a screw-top tank, requiring some water? The one that generated acetylene was calcium carbide, which was also used to generate flammable gas for lantern light (including early vehicle headlights and even bike headlights) in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
@werehatrack
Sounds right…
@chienfou @werehatrack tried one of these once to repair a bicycle frame when i didn’t have access to a “real” welder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolidOx
@walarney @werehatrack
Yes! That’s the stuff… Thanks.
BTW… Did you get it to work?
Another vote for any of the Titanium units at HF. If you don’t plan on doing anything beyond steel, just go with the 125 flux core wire welder. It’s currently $150, but it’ll be on sale for $115 during the parking lot sale next week.
At an even lower price, the $50-class inverter based stick welders are usable too, albeit not for sheet metal.
And don’t forget proper PPE, of course.
@narfcake
I would offer my many years of selling equipment if you have any specific questions…My former employer of over 25 years was a distributor of welding supplies & related equipment, and for most of those years, I was a route salesman. Tell me what you’re doing, or maybe better yet, what you’d like to do (I’ve helped all-types of people from pipefitters to those that create nail sculptures!) and I can definitely steer you down the course. One thing I’ll tell you is that when it comes to equipment, you get what you pay for. If your thought is to fix a garden shovel once a year or similar, there’s really not too much wrong with some of the bargain store (Harbor Freight, et al) offerings. If you’re hoping to get into the field as an honest to goodness career, or just want stuff that’ll be with you deep into the future, you’ll definitely want to invest in some good stuff! DO NOT SKIMP ON SAFETY THOUGH!! Too many things hold potential for bad things to happen…personal protective equipment is KEY! But also be prepared–fire extinguishers, fire blankets in your work area are just a few of the things to really pay attention to. Hit me up with questions any time!