OT: Any of you guys weld?

[HazletonLion]

Have you given any thought to the environment you’ll be doing this in? Weld smoke can really penetrate and linger. My father used to weld various things for his drag racing passion in the attached garage under our bedrooms. Not pleasant.

The use of exhaust fans or masks designed for welding help.

 

[step.eng69]

Two thing come to mind where I would like to employ welding:

I was a master welder for 40 years, just retired. I'll try and help you out.

Don't forget the helmet,

Several years ago I purchased several books from the Lincoln Welding foundation:

http://www.jflf.org/v/vspfiles/assets/pdf/THE-ARC-WELDING-BOOKSHELF.pdf

Design of Welded Bridges
Design of Weldments
Welding of Tubular structures
Arc Welding procedure handbook
Design of modern Welded structures
Design of welded Structures

Lincoln included (for free) several volumes of “Arc Welded Projects”.

I suggest take a look at these volumes, they contain numerous small projects that can benefit a homeowner.

 

[mn78psu83]

Several years ago I purchased several books from the Lincoln Welding foundation:

http://www.jflf.org/v/vspfiles/assets/pdf/THE-ARC-WELDING-BOOKSHELF.pdf

Design of Welded Bridges
Design of Weldments
Welding of Tubular structures
Arc Welding procedure handbook
Design of modern Welded structures
Design of welded Structures

Lincoln included (for free) several volumes of “Arc Welded Projects”.

I suggest take a look at these volumes, they contain numerous small projects that can benefit a homeowner.

Go step!

 

[step.eng69]

I would enjoy talking with guys like you( Engineers) at work it really helps the process in maturing and gaining knowledge, aside from shrinkage there are often concerns for expansion too

During summer classes( University Park) we had hands on classes that included the current welding methods arc, submerged arc, destructive & non-destructive weld testing--all I can remember. That stick welding is a f'n bastard. The closest I came to completing a good weld was to get the rod stuck on the material. It’s like pinning the tail on a donkey. Can’t see $hit with the weld mask on.

During my days at the Salem Nuclear plant, I had gotten weld flash a few times from the nearbywelding activity . Throw sand in my eyes, no different, just hotter.

 

[step.eng69]

I would enjoy talking with guys like you( Engineers) at work it really helps the process in maturing and gaining knowledge, aside from shrinkage there are often concerns for expansion too

Warping...

 

[step.eng69]

I would enjoy talking with guys like you( Engineers) at work it really helps the process in maturing and gaining knowledge, aside from shrinkage there are often concerns for expansion too

The other way around...engineers should be listening and gaining knowledge from experienced craftsmen, can't learn that in a book.

 

[HazletonLion]

During summer classes( University Park) we had hands on classes that included the current welding methods arc, submerged arc, destructive & non-destructive weld testing--all I can remember. That stick welding is a f'n bastard. The closest I came to completing a good weld was to get the rod stuck on the material. It’s like pinning the tail on a donkey. Can’t see $hit with the weld mask on.

During my days at the Salem Nuclear plant, I had gotten weld flash a few times from the nearbywelding activity . Throw sand in my eyes, no different, just hotter.

In my younger days an attractive female co-worker in a short black denim skirt was assigned to hand out checks on the floor, she dropped my check on the floor and backed into me ( there ) about a dozen guys seen it, she said laughingly , do you have a knife in your pocket, or are you happy to see me.

Another time i had a puncture in my upper thigh, the Dr. said ask the nurse how it looks ? I asked how's it look she said gorgeous, everyone laughed.

And yet one more time during inventory a young woman asked me where a part called Solid Rear Stiffener was located , playing coy i said ask Bob, who was like most posters, on this board, when she asked him, he couldn't hold his laughter for half an hour.

Today these would be HR situations.

 

[step.eng69]

part called Solid Rear Stiffener

Is that used in a kneeling high jump?

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I don't Weld, but if I did it would only be on Tuesday.

Late getting to this thread.....but I certainly had this same IDENTICAL thought in mind!

 

[paulrandythomas]

I'd like to pick up the skill because I like to build stuff, and while I have plenty of room to grow from a quality perspective with woodworking, I'd really like to open up the possibilities and add the ability to integrate metal.

Two thing come to mind where I would like to employ welding: Furniture (ie wood/metal table), and the railing/banister/whatever in the house I'm building.

So, knowing that, what kind of welding and welding equipment should I be looking at? I've done a decent amount of soldering (copper), and I've heard that some welding has some similarities with that.

Any/all thoughts and feedback appreciated!

Tons of experience laying pipe, but not welding. Let me know if you need advice on the former.

 

[fairgambit]

Late getting to this thread.....but I certainly had this same IDENTICAL thought in mind!

Actually, and this is absolutely true, as I made the post I thought "I beat ILLINOISLION to this".

 

[GregInPitt]

I weld a good amount. For what you're wanting, a wire welder will work well. A good unit is the Lincoln 140 available at Lowes. Tractor Supply has a good one in the same size by Hobart.

I was a master welder for 40 years, just retired. I'll try and help you out.

First, welding furniture is a breeze with a MIG welder, you need the gas though, i don't advise flux core wires due to the occurrence of porosity most welding , supply shops, like Airco, Boc etc .will supply your needs as far as Gas & Wire known in the business as consumables. With a MIG you can weld stainless, and mild steel, you can buy an inverter type 120 volts will handle most residential uses. Going into Aluminum requires AC current then you need more juice 240 volts. Hey equipment changes often so i don't know what improvements they've made.

Stick welding old school stuff takes practice, practice, is a good all position fix , but requires much skill out of the flat position.

If you can solder you can gas weld with practice, you would need Oxy - Acetylene and gas torches, you can also cut steel with this set up. Filler rods and Flux as in soldering varies from metal to metal, again check with a welding supplier.

The last phase is TIG welding, stands for Tungsten Inert Gas, if you can gas weld proficiently you're ready for TIG. This was my wheel house, where i made my $$$. Great for welding nearly all metals especially thin gauge, i used bars of copper on the back side of my welds for purity.

I'll give you a couple tips ,collect as much metal as you can any shape or form. I repair my own railings around the house, i have a good set up though MIG - TIG plus Oxy - Acetylene. Fabricating furniture is a great idea , you can any shape or form, your can create a lawn bear, lawn or porch bench, or Nittany Lion. Once someone knows you have a welder you'll be in need

Use safety equipment good leather gloves, safety glasses, and don't wear synthetic clothing, wear jeans & a welding jacket about $25. I know it sounds silly but invest in welding masks, some metals are painted , and coated, or oily remove it by grinding before welding.Chromes & Galvanized metals are toxic.

I hope i answered at least some of your questions. BTW you can always take a night course at a local Vocational School, that' my recommendation. If you need any other questions answered post here or if i can give you my E - mail.

Since you guys seem to have considerable knowledge on the topic of welding, I have another question for you. I am in the process of building an additional garage and plan to use it for car restoration and repair down the road. I want to be sure the electrical service to the garage is adequate to supply welding equipment. I realize there is equipment available for either 120 or 240 volt supplies, but how many amps would good welding equipment require? Do I need more than a 100 amp service to the garage to have adequate electrical power for good welding equipment?

Thanks.

 

[TTman]

Lot of great info on this site: https://weldingweb.com/
It's a forum with many topics, including technique, equipment, projects...If you have questions, you can get expert answers from the regulars...

 

[HazletonLion]

Since you guys seem to have considerable knowledge on the topic of welding, I have another question for you. I am in the process of building an additional garage and plan to use it for car restoration and repair down the road. I want to be sure the electrical service to the garage is adequate to supply welding equipment. I realize there is equipment available for either 120 or 240 volt supplies, but how many amps would good welding equipment require? Do I need more than a 100 amp service to the garage to have adequate electrical power for good welding equipment?

Thanks.

My advice is talk to someone at a welding supply store , tell him your max thickness you'll be welding and if you tend to weld aluminum , then you probably need to step up to 240 Volts. Once you know that, you can get advice from the welding supplier , an electrician or electrical supply store, just to be safe. Machine load and use is a big variable in welding. The machine you buy or have will have a duty cycle.

Duty cycle is a welding equipment specification which defines the number of minutes, within a 10 minute period, during which a given welder can safely produce a particular welding current. For example, a 150 amp. welder with a 30% duty cycle must be "rested" for at least 7 minutes after 3 minutes of continuous welding.

 

[BoulderFish]

Since you guys seem to have considerable knowledge on the topic of welding, I have another question for you. I am in the process of building an additional garage and plan to use it for car restoration and repair down the road. I want to be sure the electrical service to the garage is adequate to supply welding equipment. I realize there is equipment available for either 120 or 240 volt supplies, but how many amps would good welding equipment require? Do I need more than a 100 amp service to the garage to have adequate electrical power for good welding equipment?

Thanks.

Put a sub-panel in your new garage. That will ensure that you have both 120V and 240V nearby. That doesn't exactly answer your question, but if you're run a sub-panel, 60A is probably the absolute minimum that anyone would run to a sub-panel -- And if you know you plan to use the garage for vehicle restoration, and thus tools that potentially draw a lot of current, you probably want to give your sub-panel 100A capability anyway. Unless you have a staff of mechanics/machinists working on your car(s), 100A will provide you plenty of power.

 

[GregInPitt]

Put a sub-panel in your new garage. That will ensure that you have both 120V and 240V nearby. That doesn't exactly answer your question, but if you're run a sub-panel, 60A is probably the absolute minimum that anyone would run to a sub-panel -- And if you know you plan to use the garage for vehicle restoration, and thus tools that potentially draw a lot of current, you probably want to give your sub-panel 100A capability anyway. Unless you have a staff of mechanics/machinists working on your car(s), 100A will provide you plenty of power.

Yes, a sub panel is the plan. I put a sub panel in my former house using the 220 line that was run to the dryer (after I installed a gas dryer), and used it to add some lighting circuits and dedicated GFI outlets. But it was on a 40 amp 220 breaker (I believe) in my main panel. My current house was originally 100 amp service, but I did the same thing, using the 220 originally for the dryer (again installing gas for our gas dryer) for a sub panel that I used for some basic basement outlets and lighting. But when I upgraded our service to 200 amps I ran a heavier 220 line to the basement and upgraded that sub panel to 100 amps, which I used to when I replaced a gas wall oven with an electric model, and then installed a good many lighting and wall circuits when I finished our basement.

The main 200 amp service panel is located in our current garage, 55-60 feet from where the new garage panel will be located, and could theoretically run 220 to a panel in the new detached garage up to 200 amps. 100 amps would be the minimum I am considering, but my question is would I need 100 amps or more for welding equipment. From the answer above it seems like the equipment rated amperage is higher than the actual draw from the circuit.

But I was looking for what those that own and use welding equipment have that equipment plugged in to. If a 60 amp breakered 220 line/outlet would handle any of the equipment I would ever consider, then 100 amp service would do the trick as I would only be powering other smaller power tools and the garage lighting additionally. Well, maybe a small frig to keep the beer cold in the summer months.....

 

[BoulderFish]

Yes, a sub panel is the plan. I put a sub panel in my former house using the 220 line that was run to the dryer (after I installed a gas dryer), and used it to add some lighting circuits and dedicated GFI outlets. But it was on a 40 amp 220 breaker (I believe) in my main panel. My current house was originally 100 amp service, but I did the same thing, using the 220 originally for the dryer (again installing gas for our gas dryer) for a sub panel that I used for some basic basement outlets and lighting. But when I upgraded our service to 200 amps I ran a heavier 220 line to the basement and upgraded that sub panel to 100 amps, which I used to when I replaced a gas wall oven with an electric model, and then installed a good many lighting and wall circuits when I finished our basement.

The main 200 amp service panel is located in our current garage, 55-60 feet from where the new garage panel will be located, and could theoretically run 220 to a panel in the new detached garage up to 200 amps. 100 amps would be the minimum I am considering, but my question is would I need 100 amps or more for welding equipment. From the answer above it seems like the equipment rated amperage is higher than the actual draw from the circuit.

But I was looking for what those that own and use welding equipment have that equipment plugged in to. If a 60 amp breakered 220 line/outlet would handle any of the equipment I would ever consider, then 100 amp service would do the trick as I would only be powering other smaller power tools and the garage lighting additionally. Well, maybe a small frig to keep the beer cold in the summer months.....

"From the answer above it seems like the equipment rated amperage is higher than the actual draw from the circuit."

Right. The rated amperage on the equipment is for the stepped down voltage that the equipment uses at the point of the weld. It's not, as you said, the draw from your 120 or 240 house circuit. So, don't go by that.

A 220V, 100A sub-panel will provide you way more than enough power than you'll ever need to operate any welding equipment you ever bring into that garage. I guarantee it.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Let’s just hope PSU is as amped up this weekend as you guys are right now!

 

[herrli]

Yes, a sub panel is the plan. I put a sub panel in my former house using the 220 line that was run to the dryer (after I installed a gas dryer), and used it to add some lighting circuits and dedicated GFI outlets. But it was on a 40 amp 220 breaker (I believe) in my main panel. My current house was originally 100 amp service, but I did the same thing, using the 220 originally for the dryer (again installing gas for our gas dryer) for a sub panel that I used for some basic basement outlets and lighting. But when I upgraded our service to 200 amps I ran a heavier 220 line to the basement and upgraded that sub panel to 100 amps, which I used to when I replaced a gas wall oven with an electric model, and then installed a good many lighting and wall circuits when I finished our basement.

The main 200 amp service panel is located in our current garage, 55-60 feet from where the new garage panel will be located, and could theoretically run 220 to a panel in the new detached garage up to 200 amps. 100 amps would be the minimum I am considering, but my question is would I need 100 amps or more for welding equipment. From the answer above it seems like the equipment rated amperage is higher than the actual draw from the circuit.

But I was looking for what those that own and use welding equipment have that equipment plugged in to. If a 60 amp breakered 220 line/outlet would handle any of the equipment I would ever consider, then 100 amp service would do the trick as I would only be powering other smaller power tools and the garage lighting additionally. Well, maybe a small frig to keep the beer cold in the summer months.....

Partly is wire gauge and voltage drop It never hurts to have a wire too heavy it will carry current cooler . You probably are not going to draw the top end on amps very often welding . Remember too if you are the only one in the shop , You arent going to grind and weld at the same time . You will never regret running one size bigger on your wire

 

[BorisSutherland]

Yes, I am a welder. This is a hard job, but I like it. In case you also thought about starting a career as a welder, make sure you find out what responsibilities has a welder, because the job is really hard and takes a lot of patience. If you've decided to take this way, and to became a welder, then you need a guide. I can recommend you the guide I used when I just started my path. If you are interested, then check prowelderguide.com and start your career the right way. Stay safe and have a wonderul day!