How do I start welding?

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awemawson:
Very little downside. Arc welding (aka stick or mma) is the cheapest to get into, and will give you the best penetration with least preparation. For years it's all we had apart from oxy-acetylene. I even arc welded car bodywork in my youth as I has no alternative. It wasn't pretty but was sound :bugeye:

PekkaNF:
IMHO stick has more plus sides than negatives. You need a good eye protectition and a good slag hammer (first welding job?) heavy one. Ditch the plastic one if you ever get one. Also a good visor to protect your eyes. Heavy gauntlets. And a apron would be good.

Keep stiks dry, they do not rot or anything, but should be dried before use. I keep welding rods inside and put them wood fired oven on low residua heat few hours if I have anything important to weld. You can weld on wind, but rain is a bit more trouble (but can be done).

You can forget the whole welding business for years, and if you have a TIG/MIG quite often you end up chuckking rods/wire and mig liner/nozlle etc. away and buy new ones....Stick = just go.

Heavy welds, you first do root and then you build up.

PekkaNF

raynerd:
Thank you - I'm just on eBay and near to me North Manchester, there are loads of arc welder being sold. Most look like cheaper models but do I buy anything in particular - current rating, price. Etc?

vtsteam:
I have the classic Lincoln "tombstone" buzz box stick welder. And have had for 17 years. That is probably the crudest type of stick welder you can get. Yet I built my sawmill with it, a 10,000 lb capacity 32' boat trailer, and a bazillion other things, as well as maintained my tractor, etc. etc.

If you get something like that, used, and outgrow it, you can probably sell it for what you bought it for and move up. Then again, you might be satisfied enough with it to continue to use it after 17 years.

Pete49:
Just my 2 bobs worth. I have both stick and mig and the stick is used the most. Its easy to learn either by reading / watching utube then trying on scrap steel until you get a good idea of the way to work and its cheap to get into. I have had an old Arlec welder which is just a small unit and easy to carry (about 12"x 18"x 6" roughly) and runs on a 10A wiring system and has never let me down. As Pekka says keep the sticks dry and they will outlast you :beer: If its been a while just place the sticks in the oven on low heat for a while and they work like new. The duty cycle is fine for normal handyman type stuff.
Pete

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