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id like to learn to weld. (devon, cornwall)

6K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  rob mcreedie 
#1 ·
hi, basically i thought i would ask if anyone out there wouldn't mind pointing me in the right direction in learning to weld?

i have got a 130 mig and have used it a fair bit but can't get consistent penetration and am not happy with the way my welds are going and think i need a helping hand from someone who knows what they are doing.

obviously would pay.

id like to learn mig welding in general but any other types of welding could be good too but not essential.
i am learning for panel replacement (thin metals)

i have a barn in cornwall (near bodmin) where my beetle lives which we could use or a house in cullompton devon. or i could come to yours.

just thought i would see if anyone could help me out?

cheers
jon
 
#2 ·
Unfotunately i live in Kent so won't be able to come down and help but when i left school i started at a local garage and my boss offered to teach me a bit of mig welding. He gave me a bit of sheet metal and just told me to learn to write my name in weld, this gives you hand control and trains your eye look at what you're welding. Start with a low setting first so the weld sits proud on the metal then turn up the power up in stages to get the weld flatter, ie more penetration.
Use 0.6mm wire as 0.8 is too thick for thin steel and get a gas set up not that gasless wire,although some people can do quite nice welds with it i've never been able to.
Where ever possible support your torch with your spare hand to stop you wobbling about and try to push the weld rather than pull (although pushing is not always possible)
As with most jobs preperation is the key, so spend that little bit extra time cleaning the job before you start.

This is just how i started welding and is just the basics,other people will have other tips and it's just a case of pratice makes perfect and finding what works for you.

Have fun,Ade
 
#3 ·
Unfotunately i live in Kent so won't be able to come down and help but when i left school i started at a local garage and my boss offered to teach me a bit of mig welding. He gave me a bit of sheet metal and just told me to learn to write my name in weld, this gives you hand control and trains your eye look at what you're welding. Start with a low setting first so the weld sits proud on the metal then turn up the power up in stages to get the weld flatter, ie more penetration.
Use 0.6mm wire as 0.8 is too thick for thin steel and get a gas set up not that gasless wire,although some people can do quite nice welds with it i've never been able to.
Where ever possible support your torch with your spare hand to stop you wobbling about and try to push the weld rather than pull (although pushing is not always possible)
As with most jobs preperation is the key, so spend that little bit extra time cleaning the job before you start.

This is just how i started welding and is just the basics,other people will have other tips and it's just a case of pratice makes perfect and finding what works for you.

Have fun,Ade
thanks for the reply :)
very helpfull, what im finding most difficult is getting the right balance of wire feed and power.

it seems to either sit on the top or burn a hole right through, which leads me to think its probably my technique (timing, distance from metal etc.)
i know it is probably practice makes perfect, but i reckon if i can find someone to give me a hand and tell me where im going wrong it would help no end.

thanks again :)
jon
 
#5 ·
Basically what Till has been saying dude. Just come back from my friends house where I've been welding his Bay window all day.
I taught myself to weld back in 1996 at the age of 19 when I first started restoring one of my bugs. Correct preparation is certainly one of the keys if the dreaded "spatter" is to be avoided.
Typical that I'm in the NW now as I would help you out for free if you were close.
There are quite few variables with it such as wire speed, angle at which you hold the torch, distance of wire tip from surface to be welded, ampage setting , speed at which you weld.
Is there a local club you can join as there would very likely be someone close that could help.
Good luck

Dan :bandit:
 
#6 ·
Is there a local club you can join as there would very likely be someone close that could help.
Good luck

Dan :bandit:
Hi Jon,

I'm in Butterleigh just round the corner from you and I've recently got a welder. I haven't been brave enough to give it a go just yet so will be needing to learn. I'm part of the Exeter Aircooled Club which have a forum and a monthly meet (next one on the 10th), it might be that we could get one of the other members to give us both a lesson? :)

Chris (and Tina)
 
#8 ·
We have a bug and a bay (see links in sig) and use the same username on the EAC forum. I didn't have anyone in mind from the club but we could stick something up on there and see who bites like you said. I've just realised we might not make the meet next Sunday as we'll probably be at Oktoberfest. If you fancy hooking up one evening for a quiet one at the Inn though drop us a pm otherwise come to the Nov meet perhaps :)

Chris
 
#10 ·
i have a barn in cornwall (near bodmin)
Jon, Whereabouts mate, I know a few guys who might want to share storage, all vw lads, as there is a major shortage in the Saltash Area, or perhaps you know of something up that way going for rent

Steve -South East Cornwall dubs and custom Club
 
#12 ·
hi steve

its in the bodmin area, i wouldn't really like to have anyone else's cars in there if im completely honest, its not in the sturdiest shape and not having insurance for other cars etc...
its not a huge barn, its an old piggery that has been raised a bit and we (me and my girlfriend) are currently renovating it for a workshop.
besides that we hope to fill it up with old cars ourselves :lol:

im sure i saw you guys (secc) at plymfest this year.
some cool cars :)

will keep an eye out for anything that might come up. :)

cheers
jon
 
#13 ·
Cheers Jon, No probs....If you dont ask you dont get;), Anything around Saltash, Liskeard, Dobwalls way would be cool, Im currently working overseas at the moment and have a Split I need housing, Anything you hear of mate drop us a line

Cheers;)
 
#14 ·
will do.

out of interest (im guessing you have been looking into it)

how much would you be paying per month to store you split?
in a clean, dry, locked, safe place for example?

just wondering as its something i have been thinking about maybe doing in the future in somewhere far more "proper".

cheers
jon
 
#15 ·
Well, Me and a couple of lads from the club are looking for somewhere we can store quite a few vw's, One lad has 6 bays, A split and two T4's, One has A split and a bay, and one has 6 beetles, now im not looking for housing for all of them but but if we got somewhere for 60 quid each and say there were 5 of us :)

We could get a few inside.

Looking down anywhere north of Liskeard or Looe and as far as the Tamar Bridge
 
#17 ·
Always looking, Trying the old google search for 'barns for rent in cornwall'......You just get yuppie converted barns for sale in Padstein come up:(

Oh well.....Keep looking
 
#20 ·
Hi, back to your welding question, I see your welder is a 130, my guess is that it will be a hobby machine? If so is it fair to say that the current and wire speed adjustments are limited with rocker switches? Next my guess is you could be using CO2 as a shielding gas?

If thats the case your welding will be greatly improved with better quality gear with a greater range of current and wire speed control.

Ditch the CO2, its not the best for shielding, your better to commit to an account with a gas supplier and go for Argoshield ( BOC ) or Cougar ( air products) which are a CO2/Argon mix.

With the corect settings and the proper gas and some practice, your welding will be more consistent.

I would also agree with what wa said in a earlier post re the wire size, 0.6 wire is all you will need for panel work, 0.8 is way to thick,

Keep the gas cup close to the job to ensure that the gas does its job of sheilding the weld area, if the wire is pushing you off the job, slow the wire speed down.

Ensure that both sides of the material are cleaned and the job is propely earthed.

what m going to say next might be a bit contravercial, where mig has its place for attaching metal to metal, where it comes to bodywork O/A is much better. People seem to think that oxy acetalene causes distortion which is had to fix. Its not true for the best prt. Any welding process will cause heat in the weld area which will shrink the material along the heat affected zone. This is where it gets interesting.
If you butt weld panels together with MIG you will have to grind the weld flush, a couple of things are happenig here,
1/ your adding material in the form of weld wire to create heat and weld area.
2/ you have to grind the weld area and in doing so create more heat

The hardness of mig weld doesnt allow you to sort the shrunk area by stretching with a hammer and dolly, hence why most mig welded repairs are plastered with body filler.

O/A on the other hand doesnt require the additio of filler wire if done properly, the panels can easily be but welded edge to edge with no filler wire and therefore no aditional material is aded to the weld area.

Once the weld is complete the heat affected area can be lightly hamered and dollied to re strretch the weld area bringing it back to normal, in the process the weld bead will also be plannished out requiring no griding, so your left with a panel that needs very little final prep.

dont use overlap joints or joggled edges thats bad practice for a number of reasons . get out of the habit as soon as you can.

hope that helps, could go on but need to dash off to work ... cheers for now ..
 
#23 ·
Hi, back to your welding question, I see your welder is a 130, my guess is that it will be a hobby machine? If so is it fair to say that the current and wire speed adjustments are limited with rocker switches? Next my guess is you could be using CO2 as a shielding gas?

If thats the case your welding will be greatly improved with better quality gear with a greater range of current and wire speed control.

Ditch the CO2, its not the best for shielding, your better to commit to an account with a gas supplier and go for Argoshield ( BOC ) or Cougar ( air products) which are a CO2/Argon mix.

With the corect settings and the proper gas and some practice, your welding will be more consistent.

I would also agree with what wa said in a earlier post re the wire size, 0.6 wire is all you will need for panel work, 0.8 is way to thick,

Keep the gas cup close to the job to ensure that the gas does its job of sheilding the weld area, if the wire is pushing you off the job, slow the wire speed down.

Ensure that both sides of the material are cleaned and the job is propely earthed.

what m going to say next might be a bit contravercial, where mig has its place for attaching metal to metal, where it comes to bodywork O/A is much better. People seem to think that oxy acetalene causes distortion which is had to fix. Its not true for the best prt. Any welding process will cause heat in the weld area which will shrink the material along the heat affected zone. This is where it gets interesting.
If you butt weld panels together with MIG you will have to grind the weld flush, a couple of things are happenig here,
1/ your adding material in the form of weld wire to create heat and weld area.
2/ you have to grind the weld area and in doing so create more heat

The hardness of mig weld doesnt allow you to sort the shrunk area by stretching with a hammer and dolly, hence why most mig welded repairs are plastered with body filler.

O/A on the other hand doesnt require the additio of filler wire if done properly, the panels can easily be but welded edge to edge with no filler wire and therefore no aditional material is aded to the weld area.

Once the weld is complete the heat affected area can be lightly hamered and dollied to re strretch the weld area bringing it back to normal, in the process the weld bead will also be plannished out requiring no griding, so your left with a panel that needs very little final prep.

dont use overlap joints or joggled edges thats bad practice for a number of reasons . get out of the habit as soon as you can.

hope that helps, could go on but need to dash off to work ... cheers for now ..
cheers for the info mate, much appreciated.

have taken it on board :)
 
#24 ·
pm your details. i have a good mig and the correct gas. plenty of metal to pratice on.
 
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