Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi all,

I am not a welder at all, at least so far. I have hold a stick welder in my father's shop for maybe some minutes very long ago (40 years +) but I can still feel the heat and smell the fumes.
Anyhow, since a couple of years now I have some projects in mind that would require welding and around the house opportunities piling up as well.
I am still in the process of buying a machine, not so easy, lot's of opportunities but also lot's of opportunities to screw it up right from the start.
So I hope I can get some information here to help me buy the right machine.

Thanks
Chris

What kind of welder? Stick, Mig, Tig or ?

Welcome!

MIG is use the most
TIG is most time light gage Aluminum
Stick great for feid work

Dave

tungstendipper wrote:What kind of welder? Stick, Mig, Tig or ?

Welcome!

Hi all,

Thanks for the welcome!

It will be TIG since most of the material will be aluminum stainless steel and 4130 round tubing with thin walls.
I hope my learning curve will not be too flat.

Thanks
Chris

pilotarix wrote:Hi all,

Thanks for the welcome!

It will be TIG since most of the material will be aluminum stainless steel and 4130 round tubing with thin walls.
I hope my learning curve will not be too flat.

Thanks
Chris

Hi Chris

No worries about a flat learning curve if you're jumping right into TIG. Maybe the curve will look like climbing a cliff but for sure it won't be flat. What kind of budget are you working with? You'll need a power source, torch, gas cylinder(s) and regulators (or better yet flowmeters) etc and the needed personal protective equipment, too.

If there are any adult learning welding programs near you they can be really helpful if the time and dollar budgets allow.....


Lance

Hi Lance,

I was very close to pull the trigger on an HTP Invertig 221 TIG welder and cancel my
Amazon order of a AHP AlphaTIG 200x since the shipping wasn't progressing, then all of a sudden the unit was shipped. So now I am waiting on this machine which appears to be a cheap Chinese welding machine and not without problems but somewhat improved and maybe OK for the start. I hope my chance of getting a functioning machine is somewhat better than 70%.
My absolute Favorite is the Miller Dynasty 210dx, certainly not a beginner machine but something a hobby welder will likely not outgrow, at least not for the next decade or so. Unfortunately the price is not insignificant and cannot be justified for a hobby welder.
I will get a welding table from weldtable.com and I am thinking about a metal cutting band saw or chop saw. I do have a lathe, mill and a CNC router as well as several grinder and a 12 inch DeWalt chop saw which cuts aluminum like butter.
I have been at the local airgas shop but couldn't make a decision on the size of the cylinder yet but it will likely be something like 80 or 120 since those sizes are still relatively easy to handle.
In my "shop" I do have 220 with 30 amps and dedicated 110 with 20 amps which is normally used by the table saw.
I am also still on the fence with the type of welding helmet, auto darkening or not that is still the question.
I don't know anything about adult learing welding programs, would that be something that is offered by a communitiy college or the like?

Thanks
Chris