Thread: learning how to weld

Find an adult education class at TAFE if your state's TAFE still does this. They will start you off on gas welding and progress to electric. You will probably find it boring because they will have you doing lots of practice pieces (coupons) in the basic procedures. Practice and technique are the keys to good welding. No subsitute.

I attempted to teach myself with just a bit of reading a few books, and trial and error.

Needless to say anything I've welded looks like someone has sneezed metallic snot all over the place. I must try and get some formal tuition at some point, as it is nowhere near as easy as the pros make it look.

Im guessing mig welding the hard thing is setting it up getting the right volt and amps. u need to get that crackling noise once u got that pull the trigger and steady as she goes, dont try and weld too fast. If it burns though the metal turn both volts and ur wire speed down equally.

If ur still having problems and live north of Perth i would be happy to show u for a carton of ****

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Find an adult education class at TAFE if your state's TAFE still does this. They will start you off on gas welding and progress to electric. You will probably find it boring because they will have you doing lots of practice pieces (coupons) in the basic procedures. Practice and technique are the keys to good welding. No subsitute.

I did the intro welding course offered by Polytechnic West - look here Polytechnic West - Welding Intro^

Read a bit and then buy a little welder and have a go. Pay a lot of attention to the safety stuff.

That's what I did, my welding is crappy and hit and miss, but I have made a few things, fixed a few things and had some fun.

I have also wrecked a few things, start with reasonably thick mild steel, the thinner the steel. The more likely you are to blow holes in things.

If you want to be a good welder, then do the TAFE course.

Get a mig and a bottle of gas. So much easier to learn that way. Everything is so much cleaner and easier to look at.

Then just practice. If you find a table with some rough settings to use then play with those settings til you get some good results.

And if your doing a repair, the difference between a good repair and a bad one will be in how good the replacement panel is.

An other vote for TAFE. I've been doing welding courses at CIT (canberra's TAFE) for a while now, intro (MIG+TIG), then TIG, and now Advanced TIG. It doesn't cost much to attend, and you will save HUNDREDS in materials when you can walk over a teacher and say "this isn't right" or "why is this happening". You will also meet lots of good people.

Attend the coures before you buy a welder. You will be able to try lots of different types and brands when you are there and people will have recommendations. Lots of Welding shops have specials for TAFE students as well - the discounts can be significant.

Go down to Bunnings or similar. Buy a MIG that can be used as gassless. Grab a few pieces of scrap steel. Away you go.
If, after quite a bit of practice, your welds still resemble cockey kack, do a welding course.

Oh, don't look at the bright light.