Buying Pre-cut Coupons from the Local Steel Yard

Use vinegar instead of muriatic, it's slower but not as nasty. Even with the lid screwed on tight the fumes will rust everything in your shop, never store that stuff indoors!
 
Depending on the welding process I will remove scale in the area where the weld bead will be. For TIG, I have a wider de-scaled zone to avoid contamination. I would only remove ALL the scale for "cosmetic reasons". A piece of steel which was de-scaled one inch from the bead, has a weld which is no stronger or cleaner than one de-scaled a quarter inch from the bead.

For stick, I might de-scale my strike point where the rod makes initial contact to start the arc. The same is true for flux core wire. Flux does a good job of floating away contamination.

Your (long term) cheaper option is to buy a sheet of steel, and a plasma torch. Then use a right angle grinder to clean it up. You can get amazingly straight and clean lines with a plasma torch, and they aren't scary expensive (this is assuming you have a compressor to provide the required air for a plasma torch). You can use the rest of the steel to build useful projects once you are comfortable with your welds.

Good luck on your learning adventure. I started my step-son in welding; he is now attending a welding school to get his certifications. I am sure that for the basic stuff (like MIG welding), his instructors wonder why he is paying for that class.
 
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erikmannie said:
@General Zod

What thickness & dimensions would you choose for MIG, TIG, stick & gas welding practice?

I will be on 1F for awhile.
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Unless you're getting the sheet for 2017-pricing, I wouldn't be buying anything for practice unless it's scrap, but that's just me. I think the money would be better spent buying scrap like a combination of flat-bar, angle, square tube, C-channel, round tube/pipe and using that for practice. But hey, it's your money. :)

As for dimensions and thickness, I tend to buy scrap in similar size to my projects: 16ga, 14ga, 11ga, sch40. Thicker if I can find it at the time. If I don't have scrap in the same dimension as the project, then I'll use a few slivers from the length to dial in the amperage (if needed) and to get my bearings straight.

Firstram said:
Use vinegar instead of muriatic, it's slower but not as nasty. Even with the lid screwed on tight the fumes will rust everything in your shop, never store that stuff indoors!
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It's also a good method. I just prefer the muriatic acid since it's so much faster.
 
General Zod brings up a good point. For practice, a good source of FREE steel is bed frames. On places like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, there is an endless supply of people giving it away. Most are about 12 Gauge in thickness. I provided my step-son with about three entire bed frames to practice on, before he tried anything serious. Then I got him a half-sheet of steel to make stuff with. Below is a picture of him cutting a whole sheet in half. One half is his, the other is mine. Note the use of the bedframe as a guide for a straight cut. Also note the practice piece on the bottom left, where he practiced and set his airflow and current before he did the cut on the sheet.
 

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It would appear that I will never have room anywhere on my property for either an air compressor or a plasma torch. We have 7 people that live on the property; I was allotted all the space in the garage and side yard. Just over the last week, I have reached the point where have filled up my area. Having said this, I still plan to cram in 2 more wire feed machines & a spool gun.
 
erikmannie said:
It would appear that I will never have room anywhere on my property for either an air compressor or a plasma torch. We have 7 people that live on the property; I was allotted all the space in the garage and side yard. Just over the last week, I have reached the point where have filled up my area. Having said this, I still plan to cram in 2 more wire feed machines & a spool gun.
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I understand the space issue. I have a one car garage that all my machine shop, wood shop, and welding equipment is in. I have to roll stuff out of the way to clear the space to use some of the tools. Some of the equipment does not roll (lathe, mill), so the rest of the space is "negotiable".
 
erikmannie said:
It would appear that I will never have room anywhere on my property for either an air compressor or a plasma torch. We have 7 people that live on the property; I was allotted all the space in the garage and side yard. Just over the last week, I have reached the point where have filled up my area. Having said this, I still plan to cram in 2 more wire feed machines & a spool gun.
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That is horrible! plasma is the best, well almost! It sure is super handy to have. you just have to do it outside or have really good ventilation and filtration for the fumes/dust.

And no air compressor?!?!?? What kind of hell are you living in? I'll die before I give up air tools. :D


BUT, going by this picture you posted previously...


7770cb34-608f-49dd-b570-3d45803659d4-jpeg.398629







You have PLENTY of space to spare for more machines. :D
 
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I bought a 2HP Sears compressor in 1970, and just retired it a couple years ago…actually gave it to a friend. Now THAT was a good investment. I could not function in life without a compressor. :)
 
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