Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello everybody!

I'm a complete and utter greenhorn when it comes to welding. I've only picked it up within the last couple months and as embarrassed as I am to say it, I've only Stick and MIG welded about 5 times combined. That said, the experiences were amazing and I think I've found something I'd really like to make a career out of. I'm currently saving up money for welding school, but in the mean time would like to purchase a welder for practice. Any suggestions would be helpful. I look forward to getting to know everyone and soaking in as much advice as I can!

Welcome from New Mexico. This is a great place for input and advice. How soon until you can start school?

Welcome from Texas. Before anyone can suggest anything, we need to know:

When do you plan on buying a welder?
What will your budget be then? (Remember you have to factor in helmet, respirator, gloves, jacket, goggles, shielding gas for MIG, consumables, scrap steel, angle grinder, etc)
Do you need new with warranty?
Or are you ok with used and no warranty?
Do you already have a suitable 240V grounded outlet available?

buy a stick welder.
learn with that and everything else will be easier.

Welcome. To the gang.

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Thanks everybody!

Ironshepherdforge: Visited your webpage and really love it. There are a lot of bits and pieces on your site that speak to me. Firstly, I’ve always wanted to venture into blacksmithing and I’ve always thought a well crafted knife is absolutely beautiful. Really enjoyed your pieces. Next, lovely tribute to your father. Fun fact, before welding I was really considering giving barbering a go, but the fact that I’ve never picked up a pair of clippers and actually cut someone’s hair coupled with the teacher at the local barber academy basically saying he didn’t think it would be for me scared me off. Lastly, I hope that someday when I’m finally pulling ina decent salary I can start my own homestead, so seeing your pops was a Shepherd was really neat. Envious you live in New Mexico as well. I’ve always loved the desert, and am a huge fan I’d Pueblo architecture. Picked up a copy of Su Casa magazine just to view the beautiful homes. Great MMA training in Albuquerque as well and I’ve always wanted to go to the annual hot air balloon festival hosted there. As for school, I am still looking around. There is a guy who lives out in the western part of VA who I”m really considering who can get me certified in the works and offers an apprenticeship making wrought iron fences. Teaches blacksmithing as well. Of course there’s community colleges but I’d have to wait for the fall. The union in the DMV area is accepting applications for steamfitters and I’ve heard it’s a great gig if you get accepted. VA also has a huge shipbuilding market and as long as I can get a stick certification they general take anyone on.

Oscar: Yes, I plan on buying a welder. I’m not against buying new, but a reliable old one would do well too. I have some of the gear I need like the helmet, gloves, safety glasses, The biggest investment is definitely the 240V grounded outlet, constant supply of scrap to practice on, and the gas.

Tweake: Yes, I had heard to start with stick from others before and it’s something I definitely subscribe to. Noticed after the first time I practiced with stick my MIG got better.

VaKavkaz01 wrote:s, I had heard to start with stick from others before and it’s something I definitely subscribe to. Noticed after the first time I practiced with stick my MIG got better.

sounds like your on the right track, get into it !

Thanks so much for the visit to the site and for the kind words. I miss my dad all the time.

It definitely sounds like you've done some research on Abq. You are correct about MMA training. Drove past the Jackson Wink and Shockwave Defense gyms just yesterday. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a worldwide event of amazing magnitude. Living here has made it rather normal, but coming from elsewhere, you'll see some amazing sights.

If you ever head out this way, reach out and let me know you're coming and we can get some forging done or just shoot the bull and eat some great food--NM green chile is awesome!

Good luck on the path of welding.

ironshepherdforge wrote:Thanks so much for the visit to the site and for the kind words. I miss my dad all the time.

It definitely sounds like you've done some research on Abq. You are correct about MMA training. Drove past the Jackson Wink and Shockwave Defense gyms just yesterday. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a worldwide event of amazing magnitude. Living here has made it rather normal, but coming from elsewhere, you'll see some amazing sights.

If you ever head out this way, reach out and let me know you're coming and we can get some forging done or just shoot the bull and eat some great food--NM green chile is awesome!

Good luck on the path of welding.

Sounds great, thanks so much!

VaKavkaz01 wrote:Thanks everybody!

Ironshepherdforge: Visited your webpage and really love it. There are a lot of bits and pieces on your site that speak to me. Firstly, I’ve always wanted to venture into blacksmithing and I’ve always thought a well crafted knife is absolutely beautiful. Really enjoyed your pieces. Next, lovely tribute to your father. Fun fact, before welding I was really considering giving barbering a go, but the fact that I’ve never picked up a pair of clippers and actually cut someone’s hair coupled with the teacher at the local barber academy basically saying he didn’t think it would be for me scared me off. Lastly, I hope that someday when I’m finally pulling ina decent salary I can start my own homestead, so seeing your pops was a Shepherd was really neat. Envious you live in New Mexico as well. I’ve always loved the desert, and am a huge fan I’d Pueblo architecture. Picked up a copy of Su Casa magazine just to view the beautiful homes. Great MMA training in Albuquerque as well and I’ve always wanted to go to the annual hot air balloon festival hosted there. As for school, I am still looking around. There is a guy who lives out in the western part of VA who I”m really considering who can get me certified in the works and offers an apprenticeship making wrought iron fences. Teaches blacksmithing as well. Of course there’s community colleges but I’d have to wait for the fall. The union in the DMV area is accepting applications for steamfitters and I’ve heard it’s a great gig if you get accepted. VA also has a huge shipbuilding market and as long as I can get a stick certification they general take anyone on.

Oscar: Yes, I plan on buying a welder. I’m not against buying new, but a reliable old one would do well too. I have some of the gear I need like the helmet, gloves, safety glasses, The biggest investment is definitely the 240V grounded outlet, constant supply of scrap to practice on, and the gas.

Tweake: Yes, I had heard to start with stick from others before and it’s something I definitely subscribe to. Noticed after the first time I practiced with stick my MIG got better.

Are u in the richmond area by chance?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

VaKavkaz01 wrote:Thanks everybody!

Ironshepherdforge: Visited your webpage and really love it. There are a lot of bits and pieces on your site that speak to me. Firstly, I’ve always wanted to venture into blacksmithing and I’ve always thought a well crafted knife is absolutely beautiful. Really enjoyed your pieces. Next, lovely tribute to your father. Fun fact, before welding I was really considering giving barbering a go, but the fact that I’ve never picked up a pair of clippers and actually cut someone’s hair coupled with the teacher at the local barber academy basically saying he didn’t think it would be for me scared me off. Lastly, I hope that someday when I’m finally pulling ina decent salary I can start my own homestead, so seeing your pops was a Shepherd was really neat. Envious you live in New Mexico as well. I’ve always loved the desert, and am a huge fan I’d Pueblo architecture. Picked up a copy of Su Casa magazine just to view the beautiful homes. Great MMA training in Albuquerque as well and I’ve always wanted to go to the annual hot air balloon festival hosted there. As for school, I am still looking around. There is a guy who lives out in the western part of VA who I”m really considering who can get me certified in the works and offers an apprenticeship making wrought iron fences. Teaches blacksmithing as well. Of course there’s community colleges but I’d have to wait for the fall. The union in the DMV area is accepting applications for steamfitters and I’ve heard it’s a great gig if you get accepted. VA also has a huge shipbuilding market and as long as I can get a stick certification they general take anyone on.

Oscar: Yes, I plan on buying a welder. I’m not against buying new, but a reliable old one would do well too. I have some of the gear I need like the helmet, gloves, safety glasses, The biggest investment is definitely the 240V grounded outlet, constant supply of scrap to practice on, and the gas.

Tweake: Yes, I had heard to start with stick from others before and it’s something I definitely subscribe to. Noticed after the first time I practiced with stick my MIG got better.

Are u in the richmond area by chance?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

vaguy101 wrote:

VaKavkaz01 wrote:Thanks everybody!

Ironshepherdforge: Visited your webpage and really love it. There are a lot of bits and pieces on your site that speak to me. Firstly, I’ve always wanted to venture into blacksmithing and I’ve always thought a well crafted knife is absolutely beautiful. Really enjoyed your pieces. Next, lovely tribute to your father. Fun fact, before welding I was really considering giving barbering a go, but the fact that I’ve never picked up a pair of clippers and actually cut someone’s hair coupled with the teacher at the local barber academy basically saying he didn’t think it would be for me scared me off. Lastly, I hope that someday when I’m finally pulling ina decent salary I can start my own homestead, so seeing your pops was a Shepherd was really neat. Envious you live in New Mexico as well. I’ve always loved the desert, and am a huge fan I’d Pueblo architecture. Picked up a copy of Su Casa magazine just to view the beautiful homes. Great MMA training in Albuquerque as well and I’ve always wanted to go to the annual hot air balloon festival hosted there. As for school, I am still looking around. There is a guy who lives out in the western part of VA who I”m really considering who can get me certified in the works and offers an apprenticeship making wrought iron fences. Teaches blacksmithing as well. Of course there’s community colleges but I’d have to wait for the fall. The union in the DMV area is accepting applications for steamfitters and I’ve heard it’s a great gig if you get accepted. VA also has a huge shipbuilding market and as long as I can get a stick certification they general take anyone on.

Oscar: Yes, I plan on buying a welder. I’m not against buying new, but a reliable old one would do well too. I have some of the gear I need like the helmet, gloves, safety glasses, The biggest investment is definitely the 240V grounded outlet, constant supply of scrap to practice on, and the gas.

Tweake: Yes, I had heard to start with stick from others before and it’s something I definitely subscribe to. Noticed after the first time I practiced with stick my MIG got better.

Are u in the richmond area by chance?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Close by. I'm from Fredericksburg which I'm sure you know is a straight shot up 95 North from you. Are you a welding vet or green like me?

I have a question for all the veterans here with years under the hood. What jobs can one expect coming right out of a solid Community College welding program? When people speak of welding jobs, I really don't see anything that I would think, "hey I wouldn't do that" but I know that a lot of people tend to land in Fab shops fresh out of college right? I'm a little scared as I took a fitting class, and was absolutely hopeless at it.

The avenues that I find most appealing, although anything that is welding I'm down to try, are pipe welding and being in the ship building or maintenance industry. I have a dream of sailing and thought it would be cool to score a job with the merchant marines or any of these cruise lines maintaining the ships while there out on water. Does anyone have any experience in these fields?

Pipe work and ship building are both going to require an apprenticeship. Tech school (no mater how good) will give you a leg up but not a bump out of the starting gate. Welding prospects will depend specifically on the work availability in your area. What part of the world you in?

I'm not sure what you're looking to get into for a specialty. A friend's son got into welding college up here in bill town PA and the instructor took him under his wing. Realizing he was very interested in the welding processes and now machine work, he is doing well on side jobs and summer hire in a local quarry. I will suggest that you show a LOT of interest and determination. The sky is the limit....Best of luck to you.

Poland308 wrote:Pipe work and ship building are both going to require an apprenticeship. Tech school (no mater how good) will give you a leg up but not a bump out of the starting gate. Welding prospects will depend specifically on the work availability in your area. What part of the world you in?

To this, Newport News Shipbuilding has a 5 Year Apprentice program before you ever weld one inch on a production vessel. If you can't learn the science, math, and processes in the classroom, you'll never touch a Navy ship.

Most of the Yacht builders are similar in their requirements. They sell their boats for lots of money, and quality matters.