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Is it hard to weld?

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rollazuki:
College course, good idea, but.......
For my 20 cents worth Id find someone you know who really can weld(not just someone who says they can) and ask them to teach you.
That way you learn about the hazards/pitfalls, how to do awkward stuff, all the kinda stuff you learn with experience but college books fail to teach.
At the same time, buy a welder(mig please) and practice.
Probably more important than the welder is the GRINDER!
You do need this to prep the steel. As has been mentioned earlier, the bestist welds are the ones that are painstakingly prepared.
So you get the welder/grinder/gear! Go practise. Get odds and sods and weld em together. Lay straight beads onto steel and then cut across the bead and check the penetration. weld stugg up and beat the hell out of it and try to bust the weld open. Do your very best weld, take a GOOD digital picture and post it up here, see what it looks like. Let your welding teacher have a look at it, then you'll know if its a good un.

(if you want a real critique, go on www.pirate4x4.com and post a pic via photobucket or whatever. It'd better be a bloody tidy weld though or you will get flamed big time :twisted: )

Thats my 20 cents worth, but just to recap, cleanliness, prep, and practise. Its actually dead easy to do when you get the hang of it.

Rolla

(good luck)

cardiff_gareth:
go on Aldi's web site.
I think its www.aldi-stores.co.uk

This Thursday specials, 130amp gasless turbo cooled mig welder £99

good little starter welder

they also have the gauntlets, full face mask and also the clamps cheap as chips  :wink:

hairyasswelder:
Just my opinion but dont go gas less  :?  
VERY difficult to weld with for a beginner

Buy the best safety equipment you can afford, boots, (spatter will burn through trainers and your feet) overalls, prefer 'proban' (flame retardant) gloves, leather, not too thick for DIY welder as you still need to feel the trigger. If you are planning to do a lot of welding maybe a hood and then the obvious.... a mask I use a 'speedglass' auto  8)

The arc of the welder is like staring at the sun, with a telescope  :twisted:
It burns the top layer off your eyes and as it heals while you sleep it bonds your eye to your eyelids . It feels like someone has thrown red hot sand in your eyes and hurts like hell  :evil:
Also bear in mind that it will burn your skin in the same way, a few hours welding in a t shirt will give you the worst flakey horrible itchy sunburn you ever had  :evil:

But with the proper equipment and some common sense this can alll be avoided.

muckmoses:
Just a few points:-

1. I welding the RH chassis leg of a LR product dont forget the wiring loom runns through it so take care not to melt the insulation.
2 Welding two piecec of steel together is easy but on a vehicle wrapping your self round axels, suspension arms or layed on the floor welding upside down etc can be very awkward and make it difficult.
3. Many LR panels are Aluminium NOT steel, and that requires a completeley different tecnique.

Go for it though.  Stay safe

Highlander1:
Just wait till the first time you get wels splatter down your lug hole  yeeeawch.

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