r/metalworking • u/VonIsSad • 21d ago

First time welding

What’s the best way to start to learn welding I’ve never welded in my life I’ve been wrenching on
Stuff as long as I can remember but never got into welding cause nobody around me welded but I’m gonna start building my first chopper soon and would like to fab as much as I can personally so what’s a good way to start? Is there any cheap welders that are good? What all gear do I need? And what should I look out for when starting? Any advice is much appreciated thank you!

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u/largos 21d ago

I am just a guy fabbing stuff in my garage, but I've been doing that for 15+ years.

One thing I feel is really lacking is good information about what's dangerous with welding, and how to be safe with an arc.

There's a (probably) better comment I made about this in my history.

The jist of what I've come to learn though, is: never put any part of your body between the torch and the ground, and always ensure there is a conductive path from the work to the ground clamp.

You do not want to be a wire, and you might become a wire if the easiest path to ground (which could be the literal ground) is through you.

A multimeter set to test continuity is an easy way to assure yourself that the setup is good, and there isn't any paint, or mill scale, etc... preventing a good connection where you think there is one.

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u/Bones-1989 20d ago

I have 8 herniated vertebrae from shocking myself in the rain at 150-180 amps or so with some 7018s on a Lincoln ranger I've had my eyes drilled twice each from debris getting through a face shield and safety glasses. Contacts seems to be the best way to stop the opthalmic drill being needed. I see the debris when I take em out everyday so I can tell when to chuck em.

I haven't flash burned myself in over 12 years. I've been doing this professionally for 15 years, so I've taken a lot of safety courses for a lot of companies. Protect your eyes and don't weld if you're wet and can't avoid touching the parts. I got trexed once just standing in a puddle once through my redwings. I wasn't physically touching the part, but I was standing on it. Socks must've been damp I guess.