Hello there!! newbie to welding here! but no idea where to start!! lol

[vennerfr]

Yo boys and girls!

Gonna be a welder if it kills me! always wanted to and now as i'm out of work with spare time i thought wot the hell!!

I've bought an invertor already(CEA Thytronic 155 Arc Welder) but no idea wot to do next

I've been thinkin about using 3.2 rods as they seem quite popular with the guys on site, but i've got no electrode holder with it, or cable!! so where to look would be a start i suppose.Next thing.. I have no ideas to wot all this stuff means in the pic?! can one of ya shed any light on it... get it!! light!! oh well. So have a bought an ok one to start off with? I'm all prepared to practice but again, apart from ebay where to get a mask gloves etc, any tips!

Any help would be gratefully appreciated. thanks in advance

 

[Robotstar5]

Welcome to the forum, try sending a PM to DIYwelding (a member here) as his shop is not too far from you.

 

[vennerfr]

Welcome to the forum, try sending a PM to DIYwelding (a member here) as his shop is not too far from you.

that was quick!! thanks!
I'll send him a PM... need to get started on practicing really My garden project awaits!!

 

[flatmajor]

hi, first thing is to get a electrode holder, i sugest the twist up style one or you can get the clamp style one. also you need a decent clamp, dont get a cheap nasty one you realy need something can bite tight, oh yea and some cables. once you have got them then get yourself back on here. its all practice, there loads of threads on here that can get you started. have you any rods at all? i would start off on 2.5 6013s, get a good brand dont get the cheapo stuff not very good. have you any scrap steel at all? get something thick, anything will do, and have you a grinder? if not, get one so you can grind off the surface rust. oh yes, you need a chipping hammer and a wire brush, this is to chip of the slag of the bead that you have laid and a the wire brush to clean off. welcome to the forum

cheers

 

[vennerfr]

Flat Major
your a legend! thanks for all that!! GRINDER check! got one of those just need a couple of cutting/grinding disks extra.

Twist up electrode holder, seen a couple of them on ebay, is ebay any good for stuff or would you recommend goin to a shop instead, for electrodes etc?

 

[flatmajor]

ive had a few bits off e bay, some of it is not all that bad for the price. if your funds are limited then you will have to shop about. dont go to halfrauds for rods as they are corupt, you can get your moneys worth else where. by all means try ebay and google it aswell, theres loads of places that you can purchase on line. i go to a place in northampton but cant remember the name, there stuff can be a bit pricey but its quality. for cutting disks ect, i went to wilkos the other month and bought some flap disks and cutting disks, it turnrd out they where not that bad and cheap too. have you a welding eye shield? seen some cheap auto darkening ones on ebay too. get some gauntlets and a leather apron also some clamps, then you can practice, practice then you can maybe do you project. keep searching and asking questions on here once satrted. regards

oh yea a good brand is boc and lincoln weld for electrodes.

 

[vennerfr]

All ready for a first session!!

Well today i went to a local store in nottingham, and got totally sorted out!!

well.... sort of!

Gloves, apron, 4m electrode cable and 'twist'(thanks for that guys) holder. I also got 2.5 rods (120 for £12!!) and their an unmarked 'named' type hence cheaper...ALOT cheaper! I also picked up an auto dimming lid for £25 so well happy!!

I'll have a play tomo after i've finished cleaning out the garage, and let you know how it went, thanks again.

 

[flatmajor]

how did it go? if you need any help give us a shout. cheers

 

[vennerfr]

advice... am i on the right track?

well, i've had a play over the past few days. Nothing major but at least an hour at a time.

Firstly, i bet it's gonna get old quickly but i quite enjoy it! I love learning new things anyway but this sees to have quite a purpose for me in general so it;\'s all good.

So i've just had my first stint at welding two bits of metal together. here are the results...

The first two pics were from my first attempt of movin the weld from side to side,

The second lot of pics, were done using the 'V' method i read about on here, and i also turned the rig up to max just to see how it compared, i think overall i'm happy with the progress so far(only been doin it a couple of days) but i think it may have been to high due to the splatter and also next time i'm out there i'm gonna practice making the rod joins less noticeable. But like i said i'm extremely happy thus far! and got over 200 electrodes left!!.

Any feedback welcome, good and bad! I wanna get to a good standard and eventually be able to make something worthwhile! so really be brutal, no offense taken (lol)

 

[shenion]

The first weld you moved side/side too fast and too far. Should me no more than a rod width.

The rest look good, maybe a bit high on the current causing the spatter. They look real good though.

 

[oilcooled :)]

how do you get to carnagee hall??


practise




keep at it if ur a day welding or all ur life welding after every bead you put down gives you more practice and knowledge takes time years to master it to absolute perfection

 

[flatmajor]

well done matey good start.

 

[vennerfr]

well done matey good start.

Thanks boss! I'm goin up to my mates for a few lessons next week, a crash course if you will

So i'll show you my progress when i get back.

Stay safe peeps!! and keep clear of puddles

 

[flatmajor]

ok then keep us informed. cheers