Welding
Pro
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 616
Likes: 193
From: Gilbert AZ
I have a couple of decades of hobby welding (car chassis, motorcycle frames, sheet metal repair, and just general fabrication) behind me, so maybe I can answer a few questions... I do not pretend to be any sort of expert weldor, but I have MIG and TIG machines and some experience, gained mostly by making mistakes. When I began welding a TIG machine was called a Heliarc... back when the common shielding gas was helium.
If you have never welded before, learning to MIG or "GMAW" weld is by far the easiest welding format to learn, and become more or less proficient in, fairly quickly. TIG or "GTAW" welding is more difficult, and requires a bit more skill, practice and patience.
The vast majority of basic fabrication (like your piping and brackets) can be done with a MIG welder, including welding aluminum. (You'll need an attachment called a spool gun for MIG welding aluminum)
If you plan on doing a lot of highly visible welds, like bicycle frames or metal sculpture, a TIG machine allows better heat control and can do nicer looking raw welds. However, to TIG weld aluminum, you will need a fairly expensive machine, that has AC welding operation.
I'd suggest you begin with MIG, and see how your requirements develop, and then maybe you will want to add a TIG to the mix. There are multi-function machines that will MIG, TIG (DC only) and arc weld, but they are all a bit of a compromise.
Finding local welding classes is a great idea, as they will teach you some of the fundamentals and "do's and don'ts" of welding. For example, never using the same wire brush on steel and aluminum, or why using gas shielding will result in cleaner welds than using flux core wire. However these classes are usually designed for folks who are looking for a career rather than a hobby, and can cost several thousand dollars in tuition.
Hope that helps,
Garry
If you have never welded before, learning to MIG or "GMAW" weld is by far the easiest welding format to learn, and become more or less proficient in, fairly quickly. TIG or "GTAW" welding is more difficult, and requires a bit more skill, practice and patience.
The vast majority of basic fabrication (like your piping and brackets) can be done with a MIG welder, including welding aluminum. (You'll need an attachment called a spool gun for MIG welding aluminum)
If you plan on doing a lot of highly visible welds, like bicycle frames or metal sculpture, a TIG machine allows better heat control and can do nicer looking raw welds. However, to TIG weld aluminum, you will need a fairly expensive machine, that has AC welding operation.
I'd suggest you begin with MIG, and see how your requirements develop, and then maybe you will want to add a TIG to the mix. There are multi-function machines that will MIG, TIG (DC only) and arc weld, but they are all a bit of a compromise.
Finding local welding classes is a great idea, as they will teach you some of the fundamentals and "do's and don'ts" of welding. For example, never using the same wire brush on steel and aluminum, or why using gas shielding will result in cleaner welds than using flux core wire. However these classes are usually designed for folks who are looking for a career rather than a hobby, and can cost several thousand dollars in tuition.
Hope that helps,
Garry
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 21,849
Likes: 140
From: When all is said and done... there is a hell of a lot more said than done. Riverside,Texas
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '26
Have fun, it's a worthwhile skill to learn.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 224
Likes: 32
2017 C7 of the Year Finalist
Here are the industry's top tier
welding schools in the USA:
•Lincoln Welding Training and
Lincoln Motorsports welding course
•Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
•Tulsa Welding School
welding schools in the USA:
•Lincoln Welding Training and
Lincoln Motorsports welding course
•Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
•Tulsa Welding School
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,959
Likes: 526
To the OP....be sure you get an accurate def of "duty cycles" before buying any unit. This is easy to understand, but some people muck it up in their explanation.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 3,261
Likes: 202
From: St.Louis MO
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
I have a couple of decades of hobby welding (car chassis, motorcycle frames, sheet metal repair, and just general fabrication) behind me, so maybe I can answer a few questions... I do not pretend to be any sort of expert weldor, but I have MIG and TIG machines and some experience, gained mostly by making mistakes. When I began welding a TIG machine was called a Heliarc... back when the common shielding gas was helium.
If you have never welded before, learning to MIG or "GMAW" weld is by far the easiest welding format to learn, and become more or less proficient in, fairly quickly. TIG or "GTAW" welding is more difficult, and requires a bit more skill, practice and patience.
The vast majority of basic fabrication (like your piping and brackets) can be done with a MIG welder, including welding aluminum. (You'll need an attachment called a spool gun for MIG welding aluminum)
If you plan on doing a lot of highly visible welds, like bicycle frames or metal sculpture, a TIG machine allows better heat control and can do nicer looking raw welds. However, to TIG weld aluminum, you will need a fairly expensive machine, that has AC welding operation.
I'd suggest you begin with MIG, and see how your requirements develop, and then maybe you will want to add a TIG to the mix. There are multi-function machines that will MIG, TIG (DC only) and arc weld, but they are all a bit of a compromise.
Finding local welding classes is a great idea, as they will teach you some of the fundamentals and "do's and don'ts" of welding. For example, never using the same wire brush on steel and aluminum, or why using gas shielding will result in cleaner welds than using flux core wire. However these classes are usually designed for folks who are looking for a career rather than a hobby, and can cost several thousand dollars in tuition.
Hope that helps,
Garry
If you have never welded before, learning to MIG or "GMAW" weld is by far the easiest welding format to learn, and become more or less proficient in, fairly quickly. TIG or "GTAW" welding is more difficult, and requires a bit more skill, practice and patience.
The vast majority of basic fabrication (like your piping and brackets) can be done with a MIG welder, including welding aluminum. (You'll need an attachment called a spool gun for MIG welding aluminum)
If you plan on doing a lot of highly visible welds, like bicycle frames or metal sculpture, a TIG machine allows better heat control and can do nicer looking raw welds. However, to TIG weld aluminum, you will need a fairly expensive machine, that has AC welding operation.
I'd suggest you begin with MIG, and see how your requirements develop, and then maybe you will want to add a TIG to the mix. There are multi-function machines that will MIG, TIG (DC only) and arc weld, but they are all a bit of a compromise.
Finding local welding classes is a great idea, as they will teach you some of the fundamentals and "do's and don'ts" of welding. For example, never using the same wire brush on steel and aluminum, or why using gas shielding will result in cleaner welds than using flux core wire. However these classes are usually designed for folks who are looking for a career rather than a hobby, and can cost several thousand dollars in tuition.
Hope that helps,
Garry
I went to welding school at night at the local technical high school. it was cheap and I got to learn both MIG and TIG.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 224
Likes: 32
2017 C7 of the Year Finalist
