Not very good welding

[EdK]

Anthony,

I'll take you up on that offer. Unfortunately, welding weather is a couple of months off for Minnesota but once I'm ready to try, again, I'll start a "Help me learn how to weld" thread. I have a Millermatic 180 MIG welder, I guess you can see that in my signature.

Ed

[TomG]

Welding is a learned skill that is acquired with practice, LOTS of practice. And when you get to the point where you can produce good consistent welds, you need to keep welding to maintain that skill. It's not like riding a bicycle. Once you stop, the skill quickly goes away and the only way to get it back is more practice. I used to torch weld 4130 tubing on the job and I got to where I could produce wonderful looking welds, but to do that now would require quite a bit of practice to get it back, not as much as it took the first time, but quite a bit just the same. The same thing happened when I restored my Chevelle. There was a lot of sheet metal welding and it took quite a while before I could make a warp free weld on sheet metal that didn't require a ton of grinding.

In short Dave (and Ed), don't get frustrated. Get yourself a bunch of scrap steel and weld it all together. Don't practice on projects because that will only get you frustrated, practice on scrap and when you get comfortable THEN weld on a project. Your welding and your confidence will improve with practice, practice, practice.

Tom

[sasquatch]

Agreed find some scrap cutoffs etc, and as Tom says , just start welding. Good way to learn heat ranges and all that stuff.

[EdK]

Good suggestions. I think I'll start accumulating some scrap steel to practice on so once it warms up I'll be ready. This is going to be the summer Ed learns how to MIG weld. I'm sick of having a nice welder sitting there collecting dust.

Ed

[Highpower]

(01-31-2013, 07:10 AM)EdK Wrote: I'm sick of having a nice welder sitting there collecting dust.

Ed

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/acce...ve_covers/

[Mayhem]

Willie - stop giving him excuses to not learn to weld.

[Highpower]

Hey, how else am I going to get a cheap Miller MIG welder in great condition?

[EdK]

(01-31-2013, 07:44 AM)Highpower Wrote:

(01-31-2013, 07:10 AM)EdK Wrote: I'm sick of having a nice welder sitting there collecting dust.

Ed

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/acce...ve_covers/

Thanks Willie, but I have an improved version of those. A large beach towel. Much cheaper and very washable.

Ed

[dallen]

since we're talking about welders, who has one of them cheap import AC/DC tig jobs?, is it any good?, and were you able to purchase it without paying like 250.00 in shipping?. I'm wanting to buy one but don't want or need the expense of a Red or Blue box machines.

DA

[ieezitin]

(01-30-2013, 06:08 PM)EdK Wrote: Anthony,

I'll take you up on that offer. Unfortunately, welding weather is a couple of months off for Minnesota but once I'm ready to try, again, I'll start a "Help me learn how to weld" thread. I have a Millermatic 180 MIG welder, I guess you can see that in my signature.

Ed

Not a problem. and i understand about the weather. And i am not going anywhere so when ever you are ready.

The Millematic, 180 will be fine, its not a cheap basic model, its a nice unit and i have used them it will serve you well, they do a great job on aluminum too with the spool gun.

Anthony