"Basics In Welding Page"
It is geared to repairing of Farm Tractors and Agriculture equiptment.
There is no substitution for formal instruction. This is just a guideline.
It takes a lot of practice and experience to do a professional job.
With that in mind, Let's start you on your way!
H.C.Wilcox R.V.T.S in Meriden Connecticut.
I have worked as a Welder and as a Welding Instructor
on and off for the past 16 years.
I am quite knowledgable in Heliarc (TIG), SMAW (ARC) welding,
and old fashioned Oxy-Acetlene (GAS)welding.
I have worked both structural sites and in-house sites.
Have AWS certifications for many applications.
Farm equiptment repairs are my specialty.
Buzz Box......Same as a welder.
PORTABLE WELDER......A machine that has a gas or diesel engine to run it.
AC/DC......Alternating current or Direct current.
AMPS......Amperage output of welder.
OCV......Open Circut Voltage.
DUTY CYCLE......How long you welder can weld over a 10 minute period without overheating.
ARC Welding......Also called Stick Welding.
SMAW......Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Same as ARC welding.
Oxy-Acetlene Welding......Also called Gas Welding.
HELI-ARC Welding......Also called TIG ir MIG welding.
WELD......To join two pieces together using the same kind of material,
melting the parent material in the process.
BRAZE......To join two pieces together using brass.
WELDING ROD......It's the rod that you use to weld with.
LEADS......The welding cables.
GROUND......The cable you clamp to your work.
STINGER.......The cable that holds your Welding rod.
ARC......When the electric current jumps between the
welding rod and the work piece.
SHIELDING GAS......Gas that is used in MIG and TIG welding process.
WELDER .....It is the machine that converts electricity to make it useful to weld with.
It has a power source, usually 220 Volt (50 Amp) plug much like one for a electric range,
but looks diffrent. The welder plugs into this! You can get or make an adapter for your
welder to fit your range outlet, but then you will need a "BIG" and "LONG" extention cord!
There are two output leads (CABLES), one clamps to what you intend to weld (Ground),
the other holds your welding rod (Stinger). When you "Strike an Arc" you complete
an electrical circut. This makes heat and melts the welding rod, making the weld itself.
There are adjustments on the machine to set the Amperage, the polarity (DC Units only),
to turn the machine on and off, and others on more complicated machines.
ROD .....There are many brands and kinds! They all use the same number system.
Most people have AC welders, and use 6011 rod, which is OK, but not very strong,
and is very messy! The best for welding mild steel is 7018 (Used with a DC welder),
They also make a 7018-AC for AC welders. You can find the best rod for your application
by asking at your local dealer. They make all kinds of rod, for steel, stainless steel, cast iron, etc.
Welding rod number system:....The first two or three numbers are the tensile strength
if the weld in pounds per square inch (PSI). The second to the last number means
the position it can be welded in, #3 is flat only, #2 is overhead and flat,
and #1 is any position including vertical. The last number means the type of rod,
low hydrogen, etc. EXAMPLE: 7018 rod....the "70" means 70,000 psi of 1 square inch
of weld, the "1" meand it can be welded in any position, and the "8" is a low hydrogen rod.
MATERIAL .....You must make sure of what you are going to weld! It can be steel,
cast steel, or cast iron among others. Magnets do not stick very well to cast iron.
If you drill steel, it makes spirals, where cast steel will make chips, and cast iron will make dust!
You will need to find out what it is first, then get the correct welding rod for the job.
You need to wear safety glasses, gloves, welding helmet,
proper clothing, and a fire extinguisher just to name a few!
Don't even think of doing anything if there is the slightest chance you could get hurt.
It only takes a minute to be safe!
Heat and electricity are our friends, but can become our ememies in a flash!
DON'T TAKE CHANCES!
till they can stick two pieces together. It is a good idea to get some formal training at a local school,
"Adult Education Night Classes". Check with a friend and give it a try!
But don't try to weld something that is a safety devise, unless you are very good.
Your life or someone elses may be at risk.
If you are going to buy a welder, I suggest an AC/DC type! I personally like "Miller" brand.
The amperage can be adjusted a little at a time. If you like another brand, like "Lincoln",
they only have adjustments in 15 amp increments. A 225/150 amp AC/DC is plenty big for
most jobs! They go for around $275.00 for an AC model, and $400.00 for the AC/DC model.
All you need to do is buy one and hook it up. Buy a book on "How To Weld"
and all the information you need is in there! This is just to get you going.
Get someone to show you how to do it! You will not believe what you can make and repair.
weld to get into. This is a mistake most beginners make. The weld only penetrates the parent
material a very little. Use an Angle Grinder to do this, or it may break on you!
#2....Weld at the lowest heat required for the job. Most people crank up the amperage to
make it burn easier. But when you are good at it, a minimal amount is required, and there is
less chance of burning through or cracking or distorting the object.
3#....Clean and re-clean the lens in your helmet often. You can not do a good job if you
can not see what it is that you are trying to do. I keep an extra lens with me.
#4....If in doubt,.."ASK FOR HELP!"...Many items have been destroyed beyond repair
because of the human nature that makes us refuse to ask when we do not know something.
We blindly forge forward hoping all will work out at the other end, but usually not!
I think it's a Man thing or something, at least that's what my wife says!
#5....If you figure it will take 3 hours, plan to be at it all day! In welding, you can
never estimate exactly how long it will take. And when you are finished on time,
mark it down,..as this is a rare and special moment!
#6....Do not weld in the rain!!!.....BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."Ouch,...It Bit Me!!"
#7....If welding on a veichle, disconnect the battery cables as it may short through the
system and damage it. I have seen old generators start charging backwards because
they got polarized in the wrong direction from welding on the equiptment.
#8....Keep your welding rods in a dry place! They sell storage units, or you can put them
in one of your wifes old "Tupperware" containers she's not using. "But be Warned",
don't let her see you! Wet or damp rods do not burn easy, and loose their coating.
#9....Clean your area to be welded of all dirt, paint, grease, rust, cow poop, or whatever.
If there is any dirt, it gets included into the weld making it not as strong and hard to weld.
I use an 4 1/2" Angle Grinder with a cupped wire wheel. It works great!
#10....Make sure your ground is clamped in front of you, and never behind you! Electricity
has to make a complete circuit and you dont want to get in between that!
You may get a shocking experience!
What about Wire Feed Welders? Are They Good?
Can I Use The Gas For Both MIG and TIG (To do Aluminum)???
ANSWER.....
First off. I do not have very much experience with Wire Feed Welders (MIG). But I will share
what I know on the subject! Check with a dealer before you buy one, and get a demostration.
I do know that they have come a long way since they came on the market. The "Good" things
are that they can weld heavy or very thin materials. You can weld for an extended amount
of time without stopping to change rods as with Arc welding. They do not jam up with wire
as the earlier models did. They are better than before. The "Bad" things are that you
need a shielding gas for most of them. (They now make a wire that produces it's own gas!)
The same gas usually can not be used for both TIG and MIG welding. You should purchase a
machine that takes the larger spools of wire, or those tiny spools will keep running out,
and it costs quite a bit more for those smaller spools of wire. MIG's usually spatter a lot.
You need to get one with a long whip, as the welding machine follows you around like a puppy.
You can not weld far away from the welder, like on top of a "Box Trailer" unless you bring
the welder on top of your work with you! That's the main reason I do not have one at this time.
To sum it all up,..Yes!..A good quality MIG welder is useful for the right application!
What books on Welding do I suggest???
What type of welder is best for production welding of handles to pipe???
Is Arc welding easier to learn than other types of welding???
What type of welder is more versitile if used where there is no power available???
ANSWER.....
There are so many books on the market, and they are ever changing, it is hard to
reccommend one. The best thing to do is contact your local school that has a welding
program and find out there or browse a local book store till you find one that you can follow.
A Gas (OXY-Acetlene) welding system is out of the question, it is too slow and much
too expensive. Either a Arc (STICK) or MIG (Wire Feed) welder would be much better.
Arc is the one most Homeowners/Farmers use, but production shops use MIG as it is
faster for repetitive production work.
In general, arc welding is the most widely used, but any type of welding needs
special schooling. Arc is forgiving, and any idiot can stick two peices together,
but practice makes them a better welder.
Welders can be purchased as Mobile units, that is that they are powered by a gas or
diesel engine, and do not require to be plugged in to power. They have smaller units
that are both generators and welders which are fine for most people. They cost quite
a bit less than a commercial unit, but are limited to lower amperage and lower duty cycles.
I recently bought a AC/DC 220 amp Welder.
I can join two pieces of metal together pretty well.
I need to weld suspension mounts to the frame of my truck. Any advice?
ANSWER.....
First, you need to remove the old ones. Most all (99%) are rivited to the frame.
You need to cut the rivit heads with a Oxy-Acetlene torch and use a punch and a
"BIG" hammer to drive them out. I usually just bolt the new brackets into
place with grade 8 fine thread bolts. You may need to redrill the holes the
next size larger to have a good fit.
If you have to weld them to the frame, you need to clean it really well.
Use a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder with a cupped wire wheel, available at Sears or
any Welding supply store. Then use a good strength rod, like 7018 1/8 inch
in the 125 to 135 amp DC range. Weld it around the corners and a short bead down
the sides rather than one continous bead. Welding to the frame makes it
weaker than bolting it.
"Do Not Cool It With Water When Finished!!!"
It will cool the metal too quickly and make very small cracks that you can not see,
but are there. That makes it brittle and it may break later. Let it cool slowly!
to buy a welder and get started without any formal training.
This can be a very dangerous hobby, if you don't know what
you are doing. I will be glad to answer any direct questions
you have. All you have to do is E-Mail me, and I will answer.
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Last updated on Tuesday, June 23,1998
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