Learning to weld

corbin.black

Active Member
Once you get that down at any angle, with stick and Tig, you can go work about anywhere, assuming the rest of your weld is clean, but that is easy compared to a good root. Then $$$$$$

Good to know. I should be working on open root in about 2 weeks in class. I need to find a place to buy more scrap metal from so I can practice it at home before going to class. Right now, I have finished all of my T joints and the next assignment is crater filling and a corner joint.

Also, about a month and a half ago.. someone broke into my garage and took my brand new miller performance series helmet that was only 3 weeks old.(didn't take anything else) Yesterday I went into air gas and decided to buy another one. My old speedglass has been doing pretty good but a couple times last week, it would cut in and out and my eyes didn't like it at all. So for piece of mind and for my eyes.. I made the purchase. The first miller was the blue '64 custom but the one I picked up yesterday is just the black version.
 

nnnnnate

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Location
WVC, UT
I have wanted to learn to weld for a long time. I took a auto class in high school and messed around with a stick welder a little bit but never did get instruction on it. After getting my CJ7 a year ago I looked into doing like a continuing ed course or something for basic welding and didn't seem to find what I was looking for. Are you planning on finishing the whole welding program there at the USU extension or just take a couple courses? Can you take just a few offerings? I just looked at the Davis Applied Tech School and they have the SMAW course. It seemed like the welding classes at SLCC were all purposed to get the student through classes and certified for a welding career which is totally understandable.

Where can a guy that already has a good job take a hobby learn to weld class?
 

blznnp

Well-Known Member
Location
Herriman
I have wanted to learn to weld for a long time. I took a auto class in high school and messed around with a stick welder a little bit but never did get instruction on it. After getting my CJ7 a year ago I looked into doing like a continuing ed course or something for basic welding and didn't seem to find what I was looking for. Are you planning on finishing the whole welding program there at the USU extension or just take a couple courses? Can you take just a few offerings? I just looked at the Davis Applied Tech School and they have the SMAW course. It seemed like the welding classes at SLCC were all purposed to get the student through classes and certified for a welding career which is totally understandable.

Where can a guy that already has a good job take a hobby learn to weld class?

slcc program is more for a training set up, get the kids in, teach them the book work and what happens when you weld, what to look for, what rods are what..... they do have a metal sculpting class though that will show you oxy acetylene welding and also MIG. It is a basic MIG, the teacher will show you how to use it, then have you run some beads then you use the welding to build your art projects. The other option, but you have to be more familiar on how to use the equipment, you can buy hours at the school, so that you can just go in and use the equipment, you audit the metal sculpting or the welding class, I believe audit. You might be able to just buy hours also, but you do have to have to have a knowledge of welding so you can use the equipment without the help of the instructors. I am not sure if you need permission though from the instructors themselves to do that though.
 

corbin.black

Active Member
I have wanted to learn to weld for a long time. I took a auto class in high school and messed around with a stick welder a little bit but never did get instruction on it. After getting my CJ7 a year ago I looked into doing like a continuing ed course or something for basic welding and didn't seem to find what I was looking for. Are you planning on finishing the whole welding program there at the USU extension or just take a couple courses? Can you take just a few offerings? I just looked at the Davis Applied Tech School and they have the SMAW course. It seemed like the welding classes at SLCC were all purposed to get the student through classes and certified for a welding career which is totally understandable.

Where can a guy that already has a good job take a hobby learn to weld class?

I plan on staying here and taking the whole welding program and then getting certified and then I will see where it takes me from there. My wife is also at school here at USU in the nursing program so the smartest thing for us would be to just stay here and do all of the schooling in one place. A majority of my class is actually just there to learn the basics of welding and they have no interest in taking the advanced welding classes after this one. Im sure if you have a school close by that teaches welding, you could talk to the welding instructors or a school counselor to see what they would allow you to do. It will just depend on the school.

Do you have your own welder? I've spent a lot of time watching youtube and reading on forums and then actually trying and practicing at home with my own personal welder. I have a Miller MIG, Lincoln Buzz box(stick) and a Miller Bobcat (TIG MIG and Stick).
 

nnnnnate

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Location
WVC, UT
Thanks for the information. I may have to call up the Davis Tech school and ask about their classes. I don't have a welder but a year ago almost pulled the trigger on a entry-ish level mig Lincoln. I borrowed a co-workers HF welder and got a few little stupid things done and decided that I really ought not try to do real welding without getting proper instruction and guidance.
 

blznnp

Well-Known Member
Location
Herriman
My experience with women welders, is that they take a little longer to learn but once they do, they are consistent and do good. Good job on getting the wife out there, mine would be scared to do it.
 

corbin.black

Active Member
I actually only gave her about a 5 minute "how to" and then she said she was good to go. She started an arc and kept it going the first time and this was with my AC buzz box. she was scared at first but after the first bead was down, she wasn't scared at all.
 

corbin.black

Active Member
Started building a trailer today. Going to be basically the same build as box rockets trailer. I am going to use a Lincoln MIG to build this instead of a stick machine so I can save some time. I've only used a MIG once before but everything is going well so far I think.



 

corbin.black

Active Member
Got a little more work done on the trailer today. I ran out of material so im done for the night. So far all of the steel I have used was old and rusty but free.. but now it looks like I need to buy the rest. Does anyone know of good places to buy steel by the foot in the valley? I don't have any local places that will sell by the foot and I don't have any use for 20' lengths of everything i need.





 
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I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
What sizes do you need? You could try Midnight 4x4--they sell round tube in whatever length you want, not sure about square or anything else though. Otherwise, the only one I know of is Metal Supermarkets. You can buy any length you want there, but will pay double what you would buying a full length from somewhere else.

SSS Steel will frequently let you buy 10 foot lengths of stock, if it's common enough that they're confident they'll move the remainders quickly. Or you might find what you need in their well-stocked remnant section.
 

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
I just discovered SSS's remnants section. It's awesome, but a little hit and miss to find exactly what you want.
 

corbin.black

Active Member
Thanks for the suggestions, ill look up those places and see what I can find.

Edit: the 1"/3" rectangle tube I could use 20' and the 1" square tube I could use 20' so that should be easy.
2.5" square I could use about 10'
2" square tube I could use about 10'
 
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corbin.black

Active Member
Made some good progress on the trailer last weekend. My MIG skills aren't anywhere near what I can do with stick but the trailer should work just fine.



I bought some steel for the tongue that still needs to be welded on, but I ran out of time.
 

corbin.black

Active Member
I've been doing some research on 3-axis hitches and I am going to attempt to build this one to save a little bit of money.




Looks like I should be able to source the parts for around $60-$70 with shipping. I found the hitch here:
http://tventuring.com/trailerforum/thread-65.html

Im trying to keep this trailer extremely low budget as possible and so far its going pretty well. the main expense will be the wheels and tires at this point
 
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