Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 2523
Location: Victoria
Attempting to weld
I would like to teach myself to weld.
I have a relli that has a small arc welder and i was wondering how to go about teaching myself to weld as it would save me money and stuffing around .
Id like to weld 1inch steel box tube for now
Can anyone help me _________________ Tim Team Reaper.
Mon Sep 06, 2004 9:40 pm
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
Its pretty hard to teach yourself to weld - just ask anyone who's seen my welding
It will save you weeks and weeks of frustration if you can get even 1 hour with someone who REALLY knows what they are doing. Then you will find its a matter of repeating what you saw until you can do it the same. Getting help from someone "who had a friend who tried welding once" is worse than useless, you will pick up bad habits.
It's just a though, but perhaps asking an auto repair place for advice might be the best place to start. _________________ Australian 2015 Featherweight champion
UK 2016 Gladiator champion
Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:49 pm
mytqik
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 127
For learning to weld there is no better place to learn than TAFE. They have experianced teachers who can teach you everything you need to know.
If this is out of the question, the go along to your local library, & borrow a book. If not I have seen a couple of great webpages showing how to do it.
Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:55 pm
Knightrous Site Admin
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW
Arc welding(stick) is something you can learn in 5 mins, but mastering it can be a bit hard. The best way is to start by learning how to strike the arc and then how to do simple bead welds. Once you can do beads, with minimal ripples as possible, you will be able to weld most things with a strengthy weld. _________________ https://www.halfdonethings.com/
Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:15 am
timmeh Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 2523
Location: Victoria
I can practis on scrap metal that way WHEN i blow holes it wont matter and then when i master welding ill weld my bot frame
As for bead welds is that when you just __ __ __ __ along the metal.
And for 1inch box tube how higher setting should i go abouts on an ark welder?
Or dose it differ among welders? _________________ Tim Team Reaper.
Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:17 pm
Totaly_Recycled Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 1346
If you have acces to the welder then the best way is just to try on some scrap.
Make sure you use clean (not rusty) steel that isnt galvanised to practice on iff its rusty then grind it till its shiny .
Preferably use new (or properly stored welding rods.)
The settings on most welders differ a litle bit from one to the other .
If you are welding box tube and its probaly only 1.2 or 1.5 mm thick would be my guese then it takes a lot of practice to weld material this thin with out burning holes in it .
Also if you are welding thin material you will need thinner sized welding rods .
To start with make sure you have a good welding helmet and that there is no cracks in the lense or helment .
Dont wear nylon shirts or shorts and preferably wear a long sleved cotton shirt and jeans as well as shoes . (the uv light from welders can cause the same effect as real bad sun burn )
Use leather gloves when handling hot steel.Also a glove is good to hold the
welding rod its self when its long so you get the end where you want it to go .
Make sure you dont have matches or lighters in your pockets.
I generaly use 2.6 mm welding rods for light welding up to about 4mm thick steel then bigger sizes for heavier stuff.
You can get thinner rods. depending on the material you are welding the amps are adjusted to suit.
For a start try a 2.6mmto 3.2 mm rod and set the amps to about 50 -60 amps .
Use a piece of scrap about 3 or 4 mm thick to start off with .
Make sure the earth is atached to your scrap .
With you helmet on and the shield down -- Hold the welding rod vertical over the steel then move it close to the scrap while moveing it fowards the movement s a little like strikeing a match .
As soon as the arc forms lift the rod away slightly so its about 2 to 3 mm off the steel and move the arc slowly across the steel watching the melted puddle .
Iff you cant get an arc to establish turn the welder amps up a little and try again .
Once you get the arc going hold the rod at a sligt angle to the work leaning toward s the directin you are going --move the rod at a speed where you can see the steel building up .
At this amperage the steel should form a fairly high lumpy bead on the scrap.
Turn the amps up a little more and run another bead once you get used to it you should get a nice smooth bead that is low and wider than when you first started . Keep practicing whilst adjusting the amps between runs .
Chip the slag off each weld (wearing safety glasses) and examine it as you go ( slag is the molten material that forms then goes hard and brittle on top of the weld from the welding rod, it protects the steel from oxidising while it is cooling down) .
Once you can see that the edges of the weld look like the steel is under cutting ( the edges look like thay are gouged out )or you blow a hole in the material you know you have the amps setting is getting too high .
Try to set the amps so you get a nice low bead that looks like it was pressed up out of the original steel .
If you need to put more weld on a join always chip the slag (wearing safety glases or the helmet with the visor up ) as the slag left on will mix with the new steel and form whats called inclusion .. this is partly melted slag in the stell which will weaken the weld .
Once you get the hang of moveing the welding rod and keeping the arc going try again on the thicknes material you are going to use .If its galvanised steel grind the galvanising off first welding on galvanised steel is dangerous as the fumes are not good for you .If posible have a fan going blowing the fumes away while you are welding .
If the steel is much thiner than what you were practiceing on then you will most likely need to turn the amps back down a little .
I hope this helps a little--- the best way is to practice or watch some one else who can weld properly (with a helment on of course).
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:09 pm
timmeh Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 2523
Location: Victoria
Thanks dude i will do that
I will print that out and read it over a few times and get someone to watch me when im welding AFTER i watch them first
BTW Dose the welder have a trigger so if i stick the rod to the steel i just let the trigger go and then cut or snap the rod off? _________________ Tim Team Reaper.
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:18 pm
Glen Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 9481
Location: Where you least expect
im thinking about buying a cheap welder at the end of the year, with a bit of excess cash,
-what is the cheapest type of welder you can buy that will weld steel?
-how much more will i need to pay to be able to weld aluminium? _________________ www.demon50s.com - Minimoto parts
http://www.youtube.com/user/HyzerGlen - Videoooozzz
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:22 pm
Totaly_Recycled Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 1346
Go into the chat room
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:35 pm
NMO Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 486
Location: Melbourne
cheapest welder to weld steel,
GMC ARC $99,
helmet about $20 (get a good one)
other items needed gloves, hammer, wire brush, rods.
To weld aluminium you need a MIG or TIG welder, someone told me that you could by gassless mig aluminium wire, but I could not find it. so you probable need a Gass mig welder (start at $900),
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:36 pm
Totaly_Recycled Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 1346
you can buy aluminium sticks but they are extremly expensive and dont store well
Stick welders usually do not have triggers as it would have to switch to much current. Migs do however and this makes it easier.
If you are getting frustrated that you can't line up the stick with a helmet you can buy ones with sensors that switch a LCD panel on to block the light when you start welding. Or just practice more. _________________ Steven Martin
Twisted Constructions
http://www.botbitz.com
Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:49 pm
Knightrous Site Admin
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW
Cheap stick welder for around $120 that will weld steel. To weld aluminium, you need at least a $1200 mig welder with teflon liner and aluminium wire. _________________ https://www.halfdonethings.com/
Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:56 pm
timmeh Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 2523
Location: Victoria
if ark welders have no trigger what happens if you stick the rod to the steel? _________________ Tim Team Reaper.
You got to pull it off this is the problem i have usually have as the rod can be hard to start. _________________ Steven Martin
Twisted Constructions
http://www.botbitz.com
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