Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello everyone
I am new to welding,my trade is a carpenter.My reason for joining is I need some help with a old welder project I have been doing.
I have had a very old floor model welder,very very heavy,i think it is a miller.A while back I mentioned to some people I was going to get rid of it and buy a small arc welder,but welders told me I would be hard pressed to find one that works like the old ones do.So,I decided to rebuild this unit.First I took the cover off,scraped it down to bare metal,put original paint on it,I removerd all dust and grim from inside using air and electrical cleaner in cans,switch looks fine,I cleaned the contacts,all wires were in perfect shape,no cracks at all,I am replacing the plug in cord ..this unit has a top crank,it raises and lowers a coil inside.front of machine has a slot and a indicator rises and lowers as you crank.
I have not opened up any thing electrically on this unit,only cleaned very very carefully and not in a rush.
Now much question,I know the basics to welding,ie gloves,eyes,no dampness ect,good grounds.What I don,t know is this.Is it dangerous to use a old unit like this,nothing appears burnt or damaged,it looks like it just sat for 40 years maybe more.I can take pictures to help in any safty advice you can give me,unit is 220/550,I also have new 6 gauge wiring installed up to garage for this unit .My fear is how to not get electrocuted!so I figured A forum is the best place to get advice and proper guidance.
I look forward to any help you folks can offer me.
Thanks Matt

Welcome to the forum Matt. I'm sorry that I can't help with your unit. I'm new to welding but I'm sure we have people on here that can help.

Welcome, I say as long as your electrode holder is insulated, meaning you are not touching bare wires, you have a good ground and start out light, then it should be fine. I wouldn't run high amps right off the bat, I would probably get some 3/32" rods to start with, and start by turning it on, if it hums then at least it is getting juice. I AM NOT A MASTER ELECTRICIAN, OR AN EXPERT ON THIS SUBJECT, THAT ADVICE IS JUST WHAT I WOULD DO! If you don't feel comfortable about it, you might want to have someone look at it. Again welcome to the group and hopefully someone else can give you some more advice.

Matt,
Welcome to the forum!
Sounds like you have one of the old "tanks" that will never die. The others are correct in that this machine will put out the power but that is also the down fall, the power consumption will be huge compared to newer inverter machines. I would not get rid of this machine until you are ready to upgrade though, as there is less that can go wrong and it sounds like you have prepared it well.
As far as the electricity goes, unless you have wired something backwards or wrong, the worst thing that can happen is you pop the breaker in the panel. You "should" never get electrocuted from a welder unless you are in the panels themselves. The exception to this is if you are wet or damp and enter the path between your positive and negative, then you can get a jolt, but it will not kill you. Unless you want to discuss theory and laws anyway
Since you are replacing your power cord, make sure you hook it up for your desired voltage input.
If you are really concerned about the working condition of your machine, take it to you local welding supplier and for less than $100 they will go through it.
Get some pictures up for us to see because technically this is a welder restoration.
-Jonathan

Welcome to the forum Matt.