Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi, guys! I'm Irene and I'm a newbie to the forums as well as to the wonderful world of welding. I've been wanting to do welding work in my spare time, but unfortunately, haven't HAD that time. Not only that, I haven't had anyone to help assist and motivate me with projects as I don't KNOW any welders. My expertise actually lies within woodworking, so I DO have some construction/building experience. I'm not sure how much this would help in terms of welding, but that's what it is!

Either way, I'm hoping to make some new friends and hopefully learn a thing or two. Perhaps some starter's tips. Anyway, I'm glad to be here. Peace!!!

Good luck still a noob here its fun and a kick in the shorts all at the same time.

if you haven't bought any equipment yet, buy yourself a low-end $$$ mig welder, buy some flux core wire(won't need gas) and get 2 pieces of 1/8" scrap low carbon steel pieces and go to town. i guarantee by the end of the weekend you'll be hooked

I disagree there Welder57. Sorry. I think that if it were me, I may have walked away if I had started with flux core. I hate the way it looks and takes too much cleaning. If I had started with a low end welder, I would have been disgusted with the performance and not enjoyed myself. It would be(for me) like wanting to learn how to ride a Harley and someone suggesting that I would get hooked by starting with a Moped that was used and damaged.

I suggest that you find a decent budget machine that fits what you want to weld, and the type of material that you want to be able to weld, with the process that you want to use for the end result that you are looking for. For example, I got a Solar 220 mig. It welds very well, has a regulator for solid core, welds like a dream but low duty cycle. I paid $500. I still love that little dude! It does not see many miles these days with all the Red machines at my disposal at work, but it has saved me a few times at the house.

Got a little long winded there but point being....if you buy junk...you just pass your junk to the next noob for a loss, unless you are lucky. I have seen it posted here before someplace, "The person that goes the cheapest, ends up spending the most in the end." paraphrased.

Again.... all just my opinion.