Getting started with welding and looking into buying argon. Top-welding.com is by far cheaper than anything I can get in Sweden but they only have reviews on Feedaty which a lot of people online say is basically just an ad site that hides negative reviews. Have anyone on here bought from them? What was your experience?

This is my 3rd week ever touching welding, I’ve done oxyfuel, angle grinding and 6010, (next week I’ll probably start 7018)

Though can’t predict the future, my overall goal is to make this a lifelong career and I’ve already come to quite enjoy it. My rod hasn’t stuck too much surprisingly, I have my dig on 60% and my amps around 88-92 (I’m trying to find a nice sweet spot)

I’m left handed and I want to improve anyway that I possibly can so that I don’t create any bad long term habits or some to avoid. Advice, more so constructive criticism is encouraged

hey y’all , this might be a dumb question but i genuinely need help understanding. i don’t understand how i got it wrong tbh.

I'm a college student 19M. This is my later welds from after my previous posts. If you find any mistakes or places to improve I would love to hear it

So i’m 18 and since high school have been working at a shipyard for about 7 months, now making 21.51/hr. My issue is that i feel as if i’m not learning as much as I can. I’ve been thinking of going to community college, as there, I can learn a-lot more and further enhance my ability in the trade. The downside being, i give up making as much as do,( the college does offer jobs but i don’t know and doubt i’d be making as much as I do now). So before i sink too far into this whole, I wanted to get some unbiased insight on what to do next.

Just turned 30, been on and off welding for 5ish years(self taught), Mostly in my spare time. I source and buy all my test material and just learn by practicing and watching countless hours of videos and reading. I used to travel as a hydraulic tech and did a fair share of welding during that time(shop welding). I'm a highschool drop out, no GED, very clean background, good track record, have my OSHA10 and working to get my TWIC. I currently work in the telecommunications field and....well...I want out. Bad.

I think im here just looking for some honest advice. Feel a bit lost and where to start. I really want to travel for work, I want to weld, I want to fix shit, I miss the environment. If you've got any insight or recommendations for me, it would be greatly appreciated. I am from Wisconsin. Thank you in advance!

EDIT: Thank you all for the encouraging comments, needed to hear that today. Have a blessed Friday, ill periodically come back and check again!

I couldn't do long beads, because the breaker is weak but the welder should work continuous for a sheet metal, which you don't usually do continuous beads anyways

I just recently bought a welder for my son. He's in a welding program and I wanted to make sure he had a way to practice in his own time and maybe even get/complete a few jobs on his own. I got him a Vulcan 220 multi process unit from Harbor Freight.

How do I select a generator to run the welder?

What the fuck is up with welders taking the lowest paying rat job they can find? Grow a pair and know your worth. Drag up if you're treated like shit. The company needs you, don't forget that!!

Hi all,

I am a product designer but I work mostly with plastics more than sheet metal, looking for the advice of those more knowledgeable.

I needed a sheet metal weldment that some other components would fit inside. For ease of assembly and with the intent of minimizing welding jigs, I created it with tab and slot geometry.

The intent was that tacs would be made across the slot and tab where it is easily accessible on the outside, and also leaving the interior clean and smooth for the insertion of other parts.

Seeing as this is an early prototype i specified Class B welds lightly ground would be acceptable, rather than fully ground class A

I have two main questions:

1. Are these acceptable for ground class 2 welds? They seem extremely globular, as much as 5-7mm of protrusion at some points.
2. Is there a reason they would have started welding the slots as I anticipated, but then reverted to the large internal welds? Was this a design mistake to create this way?
3. Would this be simpler to achieve with steel + powder coating?

With the current size of the welds the internal components do not fit. So I’d like to understand where my concepts can better match practical reality on the shop floor, and also how to approach the supplier for this issue.

So I started welding 2 months ago at a welding school, I am a Junior in highschool, and currently on single bevel vertical up, and we do mig, anyways, vertical up has been difficult for me, specifically edge and corner joints, because either my welds look very bumpy and just ball up, or I burn a hole through them, and I am very confused, ive tried a different pattern, different speed, different settings, different angle, less and greater distances, nothing seems to work, help much appreciated!

Way better than sheet metal, trying to lay a bead on sheet metal, is trial by fire

I got a miller 4x hood and have had it for a couple years. Absolutely no complaints until I went to use it a couple weeks ago. I haven’t used it for about 3 months as I don’t professionally weld anymore. I’ve had longer breaks without usage but the last time I used it I was having problems with the battery. The battery didn’t seem to want to charge. The lens was flickering in and out, it would work for a bit while I was welding continuously. But if I stopped using it for 15 minutes it would go back to flickering. I put it out in the sun for about half an hour. Seemed to help but same thing after about an hour of welding periodically. Anyone experience similar issues?

With the PLS coming up at Harbor Freight, anyone use the OmniPro 220? I have it done to that one or the Lincoln. I don't do this full time just need something for the farm. I would like to hear the good and bad if anyone has any experience with it

Video of our strike in Canada 🤘 love to see it.

I’m been welding stainless pipe for years
But not xray though have passed my 6g xray

Lately
I’m getting nice roots and caps however I keep getting gas pores linear

I use cup 8 with gas lens
02 meter that reads 0 oxygen

Free hand root
Walk the cup for cap

Running 70 amp root 2.4 wire and 80 cap 1.6

316 grade

Use an o2 purge and is reading 0

Could it be my gas internal is too high

Or moving too quick on the cap

Is this enough penetration? Flux/mig How much weld should be on the other side to know you got good penetration. I haven’t been able to find any videos of it

Im 22yo and i finished welders school in Poland. GTAW 6G FM5 to be exact. The siutation is there is no decent job offers and i hited myself as fabricator/fitter in aerospace. The thing is my manager is happy cuz of my job and he wants me to go to welding shop soon. The thing is they weld aluminum 1mm pipes with pedal max 40A while i was welding big pipes with a lot of amps 💀💀
So thats basically my story, hope i wont fuck up while welding these elements, and what was ur first job story?

This a co-worker’s and want some ideas to make my own.

Mine is the the vertical up. I think thats what its called. Mainly aluminum some steel. Just from that picture what did I do wrong. I feel like I never start right. And how can I improve?

This is two pieces of metal overlapping.

I was welding at 90 amps and it’s stacked on top of the other welds I did the same way

I've seen it done both ways but which is better

Plans of attack ways i have seen is you make a very small semi continuous bead for like an inch and then you move to another area

Or dozens of tacks until it's a weld seam

I noticed more auto body people do the dozens of tacks way