So you want to be a welder?

[chorizon]

I bought a Hobart 140 years ago.

Have they been making them that long...just how old are you?

[afreegreek]

So would I be the weldor or weldee?

you may be a weldette if you're female..

[mopar]

The welding machines that I use.

[Scott Hightower]

Great information on this thread!!!!!!!!!

My advice for a newbie welder is to buy a 220V MIG. You can easily install a double breaker in your home panel to get the 220V supply and a MIG is one of the easiest processes to master in my mind. In particular for light gauge tubing used in trailer fabrication.

Happy camping!!!

Scott
http://www.welders360.com/

[Bigv]

Hey guys I have a question. I have been looking here for a long time, and still not sure what I'm going to build. My question is about the welding on the trailer. I have been using a oxy/ace for years when I silver solder, can and will it be strong enough for a steel frame for my trailer. I really don't trust me with a 110 welder and that is the best I could do in our new house. no way I could get 220 with out getting another 200 amp service, because we are full on the 200 amp service we have now and wife would say heck no if i asked to spend that kind of cash on new service and a new welder. so no way no how. But if I could get some practice in a new kind of gas welding with my tanks I might be ok. But if you guys dont think so Ill just have to pay some one to do the welding, and I hate paying for that. thanks all.

[bve]

Hey guys I have a question. I have been looking here for a long time, and still not sure what I'm going to build. My question is about the welding on the trailer. I have been using a oxy/ace for years when I silver solder, can and will it be strong enough for a steel frame for my trailer. I really don't trust me with a 110 welder and that is the best I could do in our new house. no way I could get 220 with out getting another 200 amp service, because we are full on the 200 amp service we have now and wife would say heck no if i asked to spend that kind of cash on new service and a new welder. so no way no how. But if I could get some practice in a new kind of gas welding with my tanks I might be ok. But if you guys dont think so Ill just have to pay some one to do the welding, and I hate paying for that. thanks all.

If you are in doubt, we would all appreciate it if you did not put a trailer on the road that is likely to start shedding parts at 60 mph. Only you know your own abilities with that machine, if you are not confident in your abilities you should not build anything that will be going down the highway, regardless of the machine.

I gotta agree with Larwyn here. If in doubt, hire it out.

[Bigv]

This is true. But I'm going to get some steel and start practicing. One thing about gas welding. You will know if you get thru the steel unlike a 110 welder. I'll keep you guys up to date.

[Larwyn]

Welding up the frame with oxy/acetylene might be a bit slower and more expensive than some other methods but if you already own the equipment it would not be a bad choice. There is no reason it would not work, and would definitely be cheaper than buying a new welding machine to do that one job.

[Bigv]

Yup I just found out my new neighbor is a welder and he said he will weld the frame if I want. or he said if I really want to do it my self he will work with me and teach me. He said its been along time since he took the gas welding class but is sure we can do it. And if not he will weld it with his mig. So Ill give my self a few months to learn. This is going to be fun. They way he talks very few people weld with gas anymore. He said its kind of like a plumber using lead. Crazy.

[Larwyn]

Sounds like you have a plan. Enjoy the build.

[dh]

Yup I just found out my new neighbor is a welder and he said he will weld the frame if I want. or he said if I really want to do it my self he will work with me and teach me. He said its been along time since he took the gas welding class but is sure we can do it. And if not he will weld it with his mig. So Ill give my self a few months to learn. This is going to be fun. They way he talks very few people weld with gas anymore. He said its kind of like a plumber using lead. Crazy.

Torch welding is a good skill to have, if you can torch weld you can easily TIG weld. True, it isn't done much any more. Dad still torch welds on the farm for field repairs, well because thats how the field truck is set up. No need to invest in a gas welding machine just for a few repairs a year.

[tcolar]

At Harbor freight I found a welding book / guide "Haynes welding manual", item #33771 . (15$)

I don't know enough about welding to say if it's good, but it seem pretty detailed with lots of pictures , and the last chapter is a tutorial for which the example is welding a small utility trailer !

So I figure that might be of interest to others here.

[frank_a]

I have a Lincoln SP175 MIG welder. I have welded 3/16 stuff to 3/8 stuff on my hot rod chassis and had it hold over time.

I learned on stick and had an AC/DC 220 box when I first started. I got rid of it and went with the 120V SP175, 030 wire and Ar/CO2 gas.

I'll be using the SP175 to build a custom chassis for the TD one of these days. Some of my problem is there is too much information on these forums! I'll never get it all!

Frank

[tsmiley23]

Hey guys I have a question. I have been looking here for a long time, and still not sure what I'm going to build. My question is about the welding on the trailer. I have been using a oxy/ace for years when I silver solder, can and will it be strong enough for a steel frame for my trailer. I really don't trust me with a 110 welder and that is the best I could do in our new house. no way I could get 220 with out getting another 200 amp service, because we are full on the 200 amp service we have now and wife would say heck no if i asked to spend that kind of cash on new service and a new welder. so no way no how. But if I could get some practice in a new kind of gas welding with my tanks I might be ok. But if you guys dont think so Ill just have to pay some one to do the welding, and I hate paying for that. thanks all.

Others here have stated the same problem as you "a full electric panel at their house". I would like to suggest some possible solutions that may help. I go to houses all of the time in the construction trade to build handrails and my first question is "Where's the 220 electricity?" I've plugged into dryer outlets, stove outlets and have even gone into breaker boxes and disconnected other 220 appliances and temporarily wired in my 175 Lincoln. Just have to make sure it's a 50 amp breaker and I have even replaced these. I feel if I'm only using my welder when other appliances aren't running, the panel, even a full one, can handle it. Hope one of these solutions help.

[bobhenry]

My welder buddy just uses a 110 ac wire welder and does beautiful work.
They are not horridly expensive and appear to be handy as the pocket on your shirt. You can weld anything from thin gage material to 1/4" stuff.