I think I'm going to start a welding project at my friends house. I've only welded once in my life, at school. What is something relitively easy to start off with? Should I try to weld up a STB (I've got a carb and open element) or SBC? The subframes looked kinda tricky to me. Does anyone have any drawn out plans for any of these? My email is greg.marsicek@gmail.com. THanks in advance.

 

I would try just getting some scrap metal and go to town on it first. that way you can figure out the technique and get some good welds before you try to make something. also get some thin metal and practice welding it without blowing holes along the seam, this can be very tricky.

 

I am with Texaslt1. Start making sculptures out of scrap. Keep trying different thicknesses of metal till you figure out the heat transfer and how to move your puddle. What I thought was hard when I started welding was welding a thin peice of metal to a thick one.

 

ok, sounds good!

 

Pick something out of some heavier steel with nothing special about it. I taught a friend and my brother the basics by taking one of the cheapo engine stands (like the $39 jobs, you’ll get them for free when you buy an engine lift…) and grinding off the paint and welding all the joints. Since they’re made of some relatively heavy and decent steel the only thing that you really have to worry about is keeping the gun steady at a reasonable distance to the work, making things much easier to learn. Add some bracing and you can get some consept of sticking different thicknesses together and you can end up with a REALLY sturdy stand.

Cut one up, so it’s smaller, weld a platform to the top of it out of some angle iron and expanded metal and you have a welder stand (add a little platform and strap to the back of it to hold your shielding gas bottle…).

Anything out 1/8” or slightly heavier steel will be much easier to learn on then something like exhaust tubing.

 

Haynes has a good welding manual that is a great resource when you first get started. It covers every type of welding, as well as heating and cutting with an oxy/acetelyne setup. It has a lot of pictures, which can help show you what a really good weld looks like, and how to make your welds look like the ones in the pictures. I got the book at a garage sale for $3, but even new they are a bargain at $20.

Keep in mind that welding is an artform more than a skill. Particulalry stick welding. Just about everything I do is stick welding (I inhereted a stick welder from my Dad, so the cost to get started was low). I've been welding for about two years now, but I take long periods off between jobs, so every time I go to start a new project I have to get reacquainted with the process. Having some scrap on hand is very helpful for learning how to set your amperage, adjust your rod holding technique, ect. If you're using a MIG you still need to set heat range and wire speed, so it's still a good idea to play with some scrap first. Keeping a little notebook with your welder and making notes on setting for particular material helps a lot too. It'll take the same settings to weld the same thickness material to itself time and time again. What you're trying to make may mean that you need to vary the amount of filler rod used, surface prep, ect. (e.g. welding a 90 degree corner will take more filler and a different technique with the rod than welding two pieces together 180 degrees from each other). Above all practice, practice, practice.

 

Get an auto darkening helmet, worth every penny- even the cheap one's. Might wanna read "performance welding" along with the haynes book. Harbor freight sells a nice little mig welder for 120.00 that could tackle light stuff like exhausts, body work, and even sfc's. Just don't expect it to last more than a couple of years regular use ;-) by then a guy would be looking for a miller/hobart which is a whole different category really. Like everyone else said, practice practice!

 

You can search for my old post on the STB I made out of 1x1" square tubing, should be a fun project. measure twice and cut once goodluck w/it.