Thread: I'd like to learn how to weld!

Where would be a good place to learn how to weld? I thought maybe one of the local colleges would have a welding course or something, but nothing. I've never done welding but I'd like to start dabbing in the easy stuff and over time move up. Thanks for any input.

Does anyone lives in the Maryland, D.C. area that knows how to weld and has a place where I can maybe come learn?

yea no place really has an option around here.... I can maybe use the one at my job, but I don't know what it does

It depends on what type of welding you want to do. Mig is the easiest to learn and is great for almost everything you need to weld. Arc is kinda hard to learn and is really only used for really thick stuff. Tig well That is the one I am trying to learn now too.
Learning to weld with a mig welder is not too hard, if you found a deal on a welder and a few welding videos you should be able to teach your self.

dont stay in one spot too long.

where can I find a deal on a welder? everything I look up has these $10,000 machines....

what kind of welding supplies would be good to start with

MILLER MILLERMATIC 180 MIG WELDER PKG w/cart 907312011 - eBay (item 350126151841 end time Dec-15-08 06:28:08 PST)
Something like that is what you would want to get. All you would need is an Co2 argon tank, helmet (preferably auto darkening), and some wire and you would be good to go.
I just bought an arc welder for $60 at a swap meet. I wish I had $800 for a mig.

i just talked to my father and he said he works with a guy who he pays to do all the plumbing welding at his facility, and he said he has taught many of the employees under my father how to weld and says he will probably teach me as well

i sure hope so

Go to your local High School. Thats where I learned how to make my first statue of doggy style sex with scrap metal. They even screwed into eachother.

I was going to suggest possibly High School also, that is where me and a few friends learned. There is also a local coop type learning facility here that you could go to half the day in highschool or even take night classes when you are older to learn trades like this. In college we had to weld and use a plasma cutter and were graded on it so this was another learning area and I know some trade school/ smaller colleges will over night classes to learn this stuff but as you have found there is not a lot out there. As mentioned above practice practice practice! Mig is definately the easiest to use, I always liked arc welding but also is more practical for larger pieces of metal and isnt too applicable to the auto world outside of fabrication of frame parts or larger parts. Mig welding pretty much will do anything you need to do. The link above for the Millermatic is a a great one. A good friend of mine has a Millermatic 135 which runs on 110v and is a great little mig welder that lays down a really nice weld, but it is up to you also. Tig welding is my favorite but is pretty hard to learn. It definately allows the most versatile welding spectrum and once you get the hang of it you will love it. It is great because you can pinpoint small things really well without having to overheat all of the material to get the job done and it really looks nice after you get the hang of it. It isnt the best for filling in voids and takes forever to do lots of volume or to weld really thick pieces with but mig or arc cover those areas well. Call around a few highschools and ask if they offer any after-hour classes to learn, the worst they can tell you is no.

Originally Posted by FoSHO99

Go to your local High School. Thats where I learned how to make my first statue of doggy style sex with scrap metal. They even screwed into eachother.

please get some pictures of that, haha

Originally Posted by Trannyman95

I was going to suggest possibly High School also, that is where me and a few friends learned. There is also a local coop type learning facility here that you could go to half the day in highschool or even take night classes when you are older to learn trades like this. In college we had to weld and use a plasma cutter and were graded on it so this was another learning area and I know some trade school/ smaller colleges will over night classes to learn this stuff but as you have found there is not a lot out there. As mentioned above practice practice practice! Mig is definately the easiest to use, I always liked arc welding but also is more practical for larger pieces of metal and isnt too applicable to the auto world outside of fabrication of frame parts or larger parts. Mig welding pretty much will do anything you need to do. The link above for the Millermatic is a a great one. A good friend of mine has a Millermatic 135 which runs on 110v and is a great little mig welder that lays down a really nice weld, but it is up to you also. Tig welding is my favorite but is pretty hard to learn. It definately allows the most versatile welding spectrum and once you get the hang of it you will love it. It is great because you can pinpoint small things really well without having to overheat all of the material to get the job done and it really looks nice after you get the hang of it. It isnt the best for filling in voids and takes forever to do lots of volume or to weld really thick pieces with but mig or arc cover those areas well. Call around a few highschools and ask if they offer any after-hour classes to learn, the worst they can tell you is no.

Thats a great idea, Thanks for the info I'll def look into it!

LOL we made one of those too except ours were welded together.

the trick is. buy a Mig/wire welder from a tore for cheap. along with some metal and casters. weld up your own welding cart for the welder. this will get you situated and used to welding.... I believe you will be very confident with a welder about halfway through the cart.

practice practice practice......

I can arc weld better than I can Mig..... but I am doing better now and look forward to finishing up a few pipes.

I hope to learn how to weld someday, i'd love to know it. I'd eventully like to be able to replace quarter panels, build tubs, stuff like that. I can sure use a cutting torch well, lots of practice cutting casing out in the field w/ drillling mud inside pays off!