# Welding advice



## ChuckTin (Nov 17, 2014)

I bought a small welder from Harbor Freight last year. Contemplating a small job - welding up 4 mild steel 2" x 0.10" x 8' (?) to make a thingee. How much trouble am I getting into?


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

what kind of welder ? i bet you have no welding experience. so i am going to say you are not in trouble. but, you need to read and watch online vids to get an idea of what you are in store for. then YOU NEED TO PRACTICE. weld some pieces together. do they stick ? now, try to break them apart. put em in a vice and beat em with a hammer. do they beark ? how ?


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Cleanliness and prep are critical. Post this up in the fabrication section. There are a couple of real fabricators over there that know their stuff. 

Look at the one guys range hood. It is flipping amazing.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

ChuckTin said:


> I bought a small welder from Harbor Freight last year. Contemplating a small job - welding up 4 mild steel 2" x 0.10" x 8' (?) to make a thingee. How much trouble am I getting into?


Ayuh,.... Dependin' on What welder ya bought, the .100" might be too thin, or not,...


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## ChuckTin (Nov 17, 2014)

Too thin. Good point and that's kind feedback that's worth having. Thanks. Will look in at fabrication.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

I am a rather rookie welder myself. Have a wirefeed welder. Biggest thing to help me out was finally buying a GOOD auto-darkening helmet. Its always better if your weld actually lands on the joint.

Like the other guy said, you need to practice --- easy to end up with little penetration and weak joint. If you are planning on welding the entire 8' length, you are going to warp that stuff like a pretzel. 

But overall, so long as you are not welding something that is safety related, go ahead, you can do it.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i have been using a HF auto dark for years. it works well. not as nice as my miller big window. but for the price difference, and a hobby welder = best buy. 

we STILL don't know what welder he has. probably a flux wire, @ 90A. my guess is that .100 may be maxing it out.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

ChuckTin said:


> Too thin. Good point and that's kind feedback that's worth having. Thanks. Will look in at fabrication.


Ayuh,.... Yer thread got moved for ya,...

So what welder do ya have,..?? Filler rod/ wire,..??


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## strokedwindsor (Feb 15, 2015)

I have been a pipe welding for about 10 years now heres some of my advice to you, Practice Practice Practice and when you think your getting good practice some more, always keep your metal clean and prep it really good before you start welding, also what is the brand and model machine you bought, is it a flux core machine or a machine that requires a shielding gas or is it a stick welder if i knew some of these things i could further help you out


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

+100 on practice

Stop by your local metal shop and see if they have a scrap cut pile. You can buy stuff pretty cheap to practice on. 

What kind of joints will they be? Butt, corner, edge lap ect? 










When I first started Butt and laps were always easiest for me. If you are welding corners a set of magnets help for smaller stuff.










If it's the cheap on harbor freight sells it will do the .10 tubing fine. Watch the power settings and wire settings, this is where practice comes in handy! The guide is just that a starting guide, you may need to increase or decrease, heat/wire speed depending on how your welding is going. 

Also watch the duty cycle of the welder the lower one from HF is 20% at 90 amps. There should be a chart in the book for the duty cycle at all amps levels.


I'm not a pro by any shape or form but I feel I do pretty well. Practice practice practice!


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## strokedwindsor (Feb 15, 2015)

Also you will know when you have your machine set right when it sounds like bacon sizzling in a pan when your welding


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

strokedwindsor said:


> Also you will know when you have your machine set right when it sounds like bacon sizzling in a pan when your welding


Great now I want bacon. Thanks a lot! :laughing:


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

1985gt said:


> Great now I want bacon. Thanks a lot! :laughing:


Already had mine this AM.

Love me some Paleo baby!!!


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## concrete_joe (Oct 6, 2014)

go to the Miller site and pull up their leaning section.

making a thingy? does this thingy have to support load, does it need to remain straight??

for longer thinner pieces i will recommend you stitch weld, let cool before going back to same area, etc.


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## ChuckTin (Nov 17, 2014)

Thingee is a cat tree I'm trying to create for 5 house cats. I have done the carpet covered variety you can get at pet stores and such so I'm looking for an alternative "skeleton" to support 4 or 5 shallow lid-boxes.
I thought about bending wood, 1x4s maybe, into graceful curves and that made me think of the welder. Haven't tried it yet cause I don't like the mental picture I get.


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## Windstang (Jul 27, 2015)

Hi Chuck
I'm a newbie at welding too. Initially I bought a cheapy 120 vac stick welder. Lots of problems trying to establish an arc. You need a small rod too. I found what worked to make it a little easier was to heat the steel with a propane torch first. This allowed the arc to strike easier and a puddle to for. 
Then I bought a flux core wire feed welder. Much easier to use and welds are more consistent. This took time to get used to, but with practice and observation you get used to whether or not to turn up/down the heat or speed up or slow down the wire feed settings. Nice thing about this is no chipping of flux after its welded. 
Next I got a 240 vac larger stick welder. Now that hauls ass and makes nice welds but again it takes practice to get the puddle to follow your stick. My welding must be OK because with this puppy I welded an extra set of blades on a log splitter to allow splits 4 ways and the welds are holding (so far lol). It will be a long time before I trust my life to my welding though.

You haven't said what you bought. Advice will be very different depending on what you got. The more you spend on a welder, the easier it will be to use - like anything else.


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