Welding thread!!!!
#471
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Location: Ft Belvoir, VA
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Year: 98
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Would anyone have any advice or tips for a beginner welder? I just picked up a Hobart 140. I've never welded before. So... Anything is helpful. If you're in the Northern VA area, hands on help would be awesome too. I have to replace the rockers, passenger floor pan and there's a decent sized whole in the rear cargo area where the rear quarter rusted out too. Thanks & KCCO.
#474
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Warren, Pa
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Year: 97
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
Would anyone have any advice or tips for a beginner welder? I just picked up a Hobart 140. I've never welded before. So... Anything is helpful. If you're in the Northern VA area, hands on help would be awesome too. I have to replace the rockers, passenger floor pan and there's a decent sized whole in the rear cargo area where the rear quarter rusted out too. Thanks & KCCO.
#477
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Location: City of Trees, CA
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Year: 93 2 door
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Would anyone have any advice or tips for a beginner welder? I just picked up a Hobart 140. I've never welded before. So... Anything is helpful. If you're in the Northern VA area, hands on help would be awesome too. I have to replace the rockers, passenger floor pan and there's a decent sized whole in the rear cargo area where the rear quarter rusted out too. Thanks & KCCO.
a) hand stability. if you're not holding the gun steady you're gonna have a bad time. and get up in there. if my face is more than 12" away from my weld it gets messy. you need to see what you're doing
b) always push, unless you're welding downhill. I learned how to weld by dragging, and I one day realized I had a lot of trouble seeing where I was welding! I'd rather watch exactly where I'm pointing the gun and trust that I've got a good puddle going
c) stop trying to make C's or cursive E's. once I gave up on the "technique" I began laying down hot good looking welds. I just push back and forth with a big puddle. this method is simple and has yet to fail for me
I've got no formal training, but these 3 things were the biggest changes I made that helped me start welding better. that and continual practice and failure. that's not the same methods I would use for welding sheet or doing body work though. I use a lot less welding and a lot more bondo
#478
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
[QUOTE=Atmos;2910691]
b) always push, unless you're welding downhill. I learned how to weld by dragging, and I one day realized I had a lot of trouble seeing where I was welding! I'd rather watch exactly where I'm pointing the gun and trust that I've got a good puddle going
/QUOTE]
This one is controversial, Im in the process of getting my Certs, and from the 4 teachers I've had it was split, 2 for push 2 for pull. Unless the job calls for the other. Personally I always pull when I can. Of course my welding usually lets me set up my station exactly how I want it and I tend to know where I'm dragging the puddle.
And yeah that c or e crap is to fancy, the way I think of my technique would be 2 steps forward, one step back.
Of course this is for mig. I love me some tig, its almost calming, pop a headphone in and just get in the zone haha god I love tig, its so purty. Considering tiging my exo when I get to it.
b) always push, unless you're welding downhill. I learned how to weld by dragging, and I one day realized I had a lot of trouble seeing where I was welding! I'd rather watch exactly where I'm pointing the gun and trust that I've got a good puddle going
/QUOTE]
This one is controversial, Im in the process of getting my Certs, and from the 4 teachers I've had it was split, 2 for push 2 for pull. Unless the job calls for the other. Personally I always pull when I can. Of course my welding usually lets me set up my station exactly how I want it and I tend to know where I'm dragging the puddle.
And yeah that c or e crap is to fancy, the way I think of my technique would be 2 steps forward, one step back.
Of course this is for mig. I love me some tig, its almost calming, pop a headphone in and just get in the zone haha god I love tig, its so purty. Considering tiging my exo when I get to it.
#479
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: City of Trees, CA
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Year: 93 2 door
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
This one is controversial, Im in the process of getting my Certs, and from the 4 teachers I've had it was split, 2 for push 2 for pull. Unless the job calls for the other. Personally I always pull when I can. Of course my welding usually lets me set up my station exactly how I want it and I tend to know where I'm dragging the puddle.
And yeah that c or e crap is to fancy, the way I think of my technique would be 2 steps forward, one step back.
Of course this is for mig. I love me some tig, its almost calming, pop a headphone in and just get in the zone haha god I love tig, its so purty. Considering tiging my exo when I get to it.
And yeah that c or e crap is to fancy, the way I think of my technique would be 2 steps forward, one step back.
Of course this is for mig. I love me some tig, its almost calming, pop a headphone in and just get in the zone haha god I love tig, its so purty. Considering tiging my exo when I get to it.
2 steps forward and 1 step back is a good way to describe mig. that's exactly how I push my puddle too. my buddy tigs stainless for a living. it takes too long when you're fabbing a crawler. mig is faster and I'm impatient lol