Make:

Read the usenet group: sci.engr.joining.welding Most good questions have already been asked and answered, so search before you post. And take anything that Ernie Leimkuhler posts as gospel. Bar none, this is the best welding resource on the web (or maybe anywhere.)

Mark Denovich

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If you're in the Bayarea, check out The Crucible which is located in Oakland. They have classes in oxyacetylene, MIG and TIG welding.

They also have other classes that may be of interest to the tinkerers out there such as analog electronics for artists, how to build a DC power supply, add sound to your sculpture, interactive kinetic art and the pinball machine, the mother machines: introduction to turning & milling and more.

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I second the "anything that Ernie Leimkuhler posts as gospel." comment, the man is the current incarnation of the god of welding instruction.
Do not overlook all the books put out by Lincoln Electric, they take welding instruction almost as a mission. Their project ("Welded Projects") books are right up the MAKErs alley.
The "Welding Essentials Questions and Answers" book is great (I am writing a review for my website this week),as is Marlows follow up book "Welding Fabrication and Repair: Questions & Answers" which I have a short review of here: http://www.cartertools.com/wfarqa.html

The best advice I can give though is to just jump in and start welding, either in class or just buy a welder and have at it. You will learn more by doing in a day what you could learn by reading in a week.

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My suggestion is to spend a couple of hundred bux and buy a Lincoln Weldpak 100, I think the 120V model is around $300. Then pick up some junk steel and go to town. It used to come with a video, probably now a DVD, so it isn't that hard to learn the basics. Next is to practice, practice, practice...

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"My suggestion is to spend a couple of hundred bux and buy a Lincoln Weldpak 100, I think the 120V model is around $300. Then pick up some junk steel and go to town. It used to come with a video, probably now a DVD, so it isnt that hard to learn the basics. Next is to practice, practice, practice...
Posted by: BetaBlocker on April 03, 2005 at 10:45 AM"

I also have the Weldpak 100, and it is great for learning and inexpensive. Buy the larger coils of wire though, it is less expensive. You will also need gloves, a small angle grinder (buy the best you can, but if you can only afford a cheap one, get it anyway), some clamps and a non-flammible area to weld (and a fire extinguisher) Get to know your local scrap yard for material.

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Welding FAQ for Sci.Engr.Joining.Welding

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I have Oxy/Acetylene tanks but would like to pickup a basic arc welder. The Weldpak 100 is rated for 15A, does anyone know if this holds up? I have no 20A outlets in my shop and my shop is pretty far away from the 15A breaker which takes a bit of a toll on the maximum amperage I can pull...

Also, I noticed the Campbell Hausfeld H4922 is over 100 bucks less. Anyone have any experience with it? Unfortunately the specs on it at amazon are cut and pasted from the Weldpak 100. The pdf on the H4922 is somewhat helpful but doesn't have a spec sheet. I must be missing something though for a >$100 variance.

Weldpak specs.
-Welds mild steel from 20 to 12 gauge.
-For gasless flux-cored .035in. wire welding.
-Produces MIG (gas) welds with #164351 Conversion Kit.
-115 Volt, 60 Hz, 20 Amps input. Rated DC output of 88 Amps @ 18 Volts, 20% duty cycle. Max 32 open circuit Volts.
-Wire speed 50in. to 300in. per minute.
-Uses 4in. O.D. x .62in. I.D. x 1.7in.W spools.
-You get welder, gun and cable, 1-lb. spool of .035in. self-shielded wire, work clamp and cable, welding shield, spare tip and FREE video.
-12in.H x 9 3/4in.W x 16 1/2in.D (less handle). 3-year limited warranty. CSA certified and UL listed. U.S.A.

thanks in advance.

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If you don't already know that you need a machine with a higher duty cycle, get the weldpak 100. It is light, small, and easy to store. At 15 amps it plugs in anywhere and you won't be running back to the breaker box every few minutes. If you stick with flux-cored wire you can work outside. Save yourself a lot of grief and frustration: get an auto-darkening helmet right away.

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Does anyone know of any good resources in Seattle? Welding clases? Anything similar to the crucible mentioned earlier? I just recently moved here so I'm not quite plugged in to what's available here yet, but in moving here I lost access to a fabrication shop. Does anyone know of any shops or co-ops that offer the use of a shop? Thanks.

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cmaceachen,

You are in luck. Ernie is based in the Seattle area. It's been a while since I read the welding newsgroup, but I know last year he was teaching classes.

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Just signed up for my local state college welding course. I've wanted to do this for a long time, but the class was always full. Thanks for reminding me.

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I have suspect wiring in my shop and the weldpak does not trip the 15 amp breaker, but it all depends...
The only problem I have had with the Weldpak 100 is the power selection switch is sticky, but this is probably from a combination of poor storage (it's an open carport, very moist here in OR), age (I have had it for a while) and hard use (a lot of things have banged into it over the years).

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While I've never taken a course from Ernie Leimkuhler, he has a uncanny gift for explaining things in newsgroups. I expect he's a great teacher in person as well. He teaches at South Seattle Community College.

Also in Seattle is Pratt Fine Arts Center. They have welding classes out of their sculpture department. What's really cool is that when you are taking classes you get free use of the shop one day a week (typically Friday) Even if you are not taking classes you can rent time in the shop for utterly reasonable prices.

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The University of Cincinnati has a Saturday class on "welding for artists." They'll be covering TIG, MIG and stick welding. We'll also be doing some torch brazing and cutting and some plasma cutting. Heck, the prof even said he'd bring in a carbon arc cutter.

The cool thing is that the class isn't focusing as much on creating aircraft-quality welds as it is on learning a ton of welding / cutting skills in a short period of time. I'm not an artist, but I'm also not inclined to take a ton of classes.

UC is supposed to offer a "cnc for artists" course as well.

Of course, I'd be lax if I didn't also mention Hobart's Welding School in Troy, Ohio. It's THE place to go to learn to weld.

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thanks manderson26. i was actually looking into pratt's course so i'll probably go with that.

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Technical Video Rental rents out instructional videos on welding (and dozens of other topics).

Welding videos are listed here:

http://technicalvideorental.com/rental_27.html

The Terms and Conditions are listed on the site, but the short version is "$9.99 via paypal gets you free shipping both ways and one week of the video in your home".

TJIC

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One resource I've found on welding for beginners is here but I don't know if it's a bunch of hype or for real... I assume it might give me some basic techniques to get started but I don't think you can learn much from a book - you've got to get out an do it, you know?

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Definitely check out the crucible in oakland. Better yet, just pick up a book and buy a cheap $100 mig/tig welder from harbor freight or homedepot and try it yourself. Just be sure to wear proper eye and skin protection. You can also check out http://www.MetalWorkingFAQ.NET and http://www.weldingresource.com on the various welding and fabricating techniques. Don't use bed frames for practice - the metal is of such poor quality you'll most likely be frustrated from the get-go.

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A $100 mig/tig welder? What is the exact URL for this wonder?

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The Millermatic 135 mig welder is great for beginners. After lots of research, I found that Miller is viewed as the most reliable and provides the best support. It does cost a little more, but you get a lot more machine. Miller has a nice message board for welding project ideas http://millerwelds.com/education/projects/mboard/forumdisplay.php?f=2

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I have the oppurtunity to buy an sa 200 for $1500 with a trailer. I know the downside is 3000 watts of aux power only, and it guzzles gas. I'm also looking at a new lincoln ranger 250, and a miller trailblazer 250. Of people with any of these machines (maybe someone with a combo of them) which should I consider to be my best long term investment for my business? Also, what does the NT designate on miller welders?

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I have the oppurtunity to buy an sa 200 for $1500 with a trailer. I know the downside is 3000 watts of aux power only, and it guzzles gas. I'm also looking at a new lincoln ranger 250, and a miller trailblazer 250. Of people with any of these machines (maybe someone with a combo of them) which should I consider to be my best long term investment for my business? Also, what does the NT designate on miller welders?

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