Newbie

[redvan]

Hi all,
Always wanted to be a machinist, took the right classes in school, mechanical drawing, shop, metal shop. Even got a job working in a shop after school. Couldn't stand standing in front of a drill press all day drilling 2 holes over and over and over and over again....

Anyway, welding always intrigued me so I purchased a low end Lincoln welder some time back when I bought my house to do little things around the house, along with a mini lathe and mill for tinkering, and now I want to get serious.

so here I am...

 

[shenion]

Welcome to the forums . Good group here.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Welcome..sounds like you have some handy machinery, what are you planning on making or breaking?

 

[redvan]

cumbriasteve,
Well, as I said, always wanted to be a machinist so any time I have an opportunity to step up and say to my wife "I can fix that..." it's a great moment. Now I have a variety of metal and woodworking tools to fix about any thing that comes along. (After my short stint and the drill-press, I choose to go after wood rather than metal. I was a carpenter for 18+ years and when the body started giving out, took up As400 programming.)

Actually, I'm a model railroader, N gauge and I've been at it for some time. Back in the day, I had automated my layout before the age of computers and DCC. I did it with reed switches and modification to locomotives. Many a night I sat at my bench building stuff.

Now I want (need) to learn welding, so here I am.

 

[cumbriasteve]

There is a guy on here who has railway tracks fastened from the ceiling, got some real fancy layouts too.

You have come to the right place for learning to weld and advice, many people here with loads of skill and willing to share it.

I have tried working with wood many times but the sodding stuff always manages to shrink or stretch after I have cut it, it's a nightmare to weld too...so will stick to metal I think.

 

[redvan]

LOL, I hear ya, good luck with that.