New To Welding

The basics is what are you welding
My self when I had shop we weld steel ever day
There was no need to a Torch, Stick or TIG welder on ever day use.
The MIG welders on had 0.045 wire E71T-1 with CO2. Stick was the back up only
Even the the torch where cutting type (Victor ST1900). Most time if some need to brazed we use a cutting torch with MAPP gas
I did buy a TIG welder and no one used it just played with it was waste of money for my shop
FYI when had shop I did find a lot of money wasters very few paid off.

So what do you plan to weld ???

Dave

mzvarner said:
As the title says, i am new to welding. It is a skill i want to become profficient at as one day i want to own property and i also like to be some what self sufficient. My first welder was a lincoln buzz box. It works, but i am learning that stick welding is not necissarily the greates "do it all" process. It puts a lot of heat into the work and can easily blow through small gage material (however, it works very well for building a pistol dueling tree!)

I am thinking I would like to buy a multi-process machine, because my wife and i just moved and I want to do some DIY furniture builds as i work towards profficient status. I am leaning towards a lincoln powermig 210. This machine seems to be well liked by those that use it. I am aware that most feel that the multi process units dont do anything great, but does them all good enough. But am i overlooking other machines?

I want to stay with a big name brand that has a support base and easily aquired replacement and add on parts. I do not see a need to weld aluminum (yet) as long as I can learn to tig thin gauge steel (to keep furniture weight down).

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
New to welding, best tip I can provide for technique. Puddle control. When you strike an arc, you are melting the base material and applying new metal to it. Your welding helmet lens needs to be appropriate
for not only your eyes, but for the type of welding you are doing. You NEED to be able to see the puddle of liquid metal you are creating/depositing. Too much heat, you will burn a hole in your material. Not enough
heat, you will experience inadequate penetration for a good bond. Seeing the puddle is probably the most important part of this picture. With a good image of the puddle and understanding of what it represents, it will tell
you if your travel speed is right, if the material you are laying down is sufficient, and if you are going to burn a hole rather than fuse pieces together. Thicker material is easier to learn on as you reduce the chance of burn
through. But inadequate heat with the thicker materials will result in poor welds just as fast. Thinner rods take less heat to burn so are better matched to thinner material. Same applies for Mig. Thicker rods are for higher heat
settings and laying down more material. All of this is visible and evident by learning about puddle control. The puddle being a mix of the molten rod you are laying down and the melt depth/rate of the material you are welding
together. I find Mig easier to learn, but stick more versatile for the money. Example... hardfacing is cheaper to do with fat hardfacing rods. Thin steel cheaper and easier with Mig. All depends on what you are wanting to weld.
More detail about your planned application in welding will lend to better, more detailed answers.

BTW, the Lincoln "buzz box" is likely the worlds most common welder, is known to be a good performer with outstanding reliability. I have two Migs. I Miller 180 (220V) and a Century 110A 120V which is what I
use the most. Used to sell gases and welders but it's been a long time ago. Don't know what Century is doing today or if they are even still around.

As for Mig specifically, another thing to look for is Tweco Mig guns as standard on your machine. Some Mig guns are proprietary, but Tweco parts should be available at ANY welding store. Just my 2 cents.
 
ex_isp said:
BTW, the Lincoln "buzz box" is likely the worlds most common welder, is known to be a good performer with outstanding reliability. I have two Migs. I Miller 180 (220V) and a Century 110A 120V which is what I
use the most. Used to sell gases and welders but it's been a long time ago. Don't know what Century is doing today or if they are even still around.
Click to expand...

I think Lincoln swallowed up Century. I believe Century has become the bottom end of Lincoln's consumer line, available in big box stores.
 
I thought I remembered something about a takeover/merger/buyout, but was out of the business before it happened and didn't pay much attention.
Well, Lincoln has traditionally made pretty good equipment (with the exception of a combo machine -- a stick and mig in one -- that I used at the Abana Damascus class I
took in SLC, Ut this last July. After very short time of use (maybe 2 hrs, light usage), the voltage started wandering all over the place. Stick and mig both failed so we brought
in a Miller that ran like a champ.

My old Century mig is now about 30 yrs old and keeps on doing what it's supposed to. Sounds like I bought it at the right time!
 
aluminum...if it is shiny, it is melted
 
I had a lady totally go off because i had a small scissors in my shirt pocket. I was like calm the bleep down lady.
 
ex_isp said:
Your welding helmet lens needs to be appropriate
for not only your eyes, but for the type of welding you are doing
Click to expand...
ex_isp, could you please elaborate on this lens choice. I was told years ago that when people complain they can't see the puddle, so they switch to a lighter lense, that is the wrong approach, because with a lighter lens, your eyes close up more. If they go to a darker lens, there iris opens larger and they can see the puddle better. Now I have no idea if this is true, which is why I'm asking you, or anyone with the knowledge to help. Thanks, JR49
 
Great question JR! Years ago (when I was a young man), I welded with a #12 gold lens. Worked great for my eyes inside, outside, stick or mig. Then 25 years passed with me in the computer industry, not doing any welding.
Eight years ago, was the next time I fired up the mig. Burnt holes in dang near everything!?!? Never dawned on me that (even though I have to use glasses to read now) I now need glasses to weld also. It's fairly closeup work!
Put my reading glasses on inside my welding helmet and could almost see! Detail was clearer, but it was just too dark. I took the #12 lens out of one of my helmets and put in a #10 lens. BINGO! I can see the puddle now!
Again, it's back to puddle control, though for a new reason. Hmmm... I can't see as well driving at night anymore either.

Bottom line, there can be many things that affect puddle control... I know how to weld very well. I just have to be able to SEE the darn thing with my no longer young eyes.

Does this answer your question? Had I not given so much time off to welding, I likely would have recognized my particular issue sooner, but I had to ponder it for a while just because the last time I'd done any welding, I could see fine.
A few years earlier, maybe just stepping from a #12 to a #11 lens would have solved my issue (not according to my wife - HA), but with a little test here and there, it became obvious that the issue was multi-faceted.
 
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