Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello everyone, My name is Matt. I am interested in welding and Fabricating (although I am not very good at fabbing things ) I took a class on welding my last year of high school and have been interested in it since then. I am currently a Freshman in college and am majoring in Welding. I have done Stick and Mig. I did Tig once in my first class for like 5mins so I really don't know to much about that, And I will be honest I don't think I'm all that good at welding period. But I still like it. I currently have a Hobart Mig welder at my house with flux core wire. I haven't done much with it yet but I plan to when I get some money for steel.

I joined because I would like to learn as much as I can from you all and hopefully pick up some tips and tricks lol.

Hey,

Welcome aboard.

We all start somewhere so dont beat yourself up. Just get as much arctime as you can, listen to people around you (even the BS artists as the will let you know what not to do) read books browse the net and Jodys videos. You'll get there, it just takes time.

Mick

Something you might consider.... When you buy some steel from a "metal for sale shop" ( the big box store's are toooo expensive) they also have a scrap ben! The metal store I deal with gives me scap to play with and when I'm done I haul it back over to them! It's a win-win for both you and the shop! You get the scrap and they get your business when you buy the material for projects! I do it all the time with aluminum for welding practice (TIG)!! When they see the mess I make with some of the aluminum they don't laugh toooo much!!

weldin mike 27 wrote:Hey,

Welcome aboard.

We all start somewhere so dont beat yourself up. Just get as much arctime as you can, listen to people around you (even the BS artists as the will let you know what not to do) read books browse the net and Jodys videos. You'll get there, it just takes time.

Mick

Thanks bro. I always want to go practice but never have the time. Between school and homework and other stuff I don't have much time. Hopefully over Xmas break I can make some things I have been wanting to.

SteveJ wrote:Something you might consider.... When you buy some steel from a "metal for sale shop" ( the big box store's are toooo expensive) they also have a scrap ben! The metal store I deal with gives me scap to play with and when I'm done I haul it back over to them! It's a win-win for both you and the shop! You get the scrap and they get your business when you buy the material for projects! I do it all the time with aluminum for welding practice (TIG)!! When they see the mess I make with some of the aluminum they don't laugh toooo much!!

Thats a good idea. There is a new steel shop not to far from me that I have been wanting to go check out. But form the looks of it (the outside, its in a strip mall type place) it looks like it is just a place to go in and like order stuff you want, doesn't look like a type of shot and pick out what you want and buy it, If that makes sense. I made it there once but it was closed

Matt,

That strip-mall steel shop might be a storefront and offices for a bigger concern somewhere in the industrial district. While they may not have a scrap bin at the "store", making friends there may lead you in interesting directions.

When I was in college, my summer jobs all included some welding, and you don't need very much hood time in MIG to qualify for a basic part-time shop job during the school year, as you're learning more.

Just some thoughts from the "been there, done that" file.

Welcome to the forum.

Steve S

Welcome to the forum Matt.

Mike wrote:Welcome to the forum Matt.

Welcome to the Forum
Always something new to learn....