Just got me a welder

First off, you'll need a welding helmet and a chipping hammer is also a good idea, you can pick these up wherre ever you get the welding rod.

the first obsticale you'll have is linine up the rod with the area of the steel you'll want to weld. it takes practice. but be patient.

once you get that down, you'll wnat to try to keep the rod away from teh steel about 1/8 of an inch. this will stop the rod from sticking to the steel and will create the arc you'll need to welkd properly.

when welding, its best to weld larger or thicker steels to thinner steels, once you begin, thsi should make a buit more sence. also, I try to aim the rod for the center of the two pieces of steel to be welded. depending on what I am doing of course.

Welding can be a lot of fun, and very usefull, But it does take plenty of practice, so be patient and have fun learning.

and here's a test for you, when you think you got the hang of it, take two pieces of steel, weld them together, allow them to cool, and then break them apart, if they come apart easily, then keep practicing, if you really have to werk at getting them apart, then you just might have the right technique. at anyrate, once they are apart, you'll be able to see, just how good of a welder you are, by examine the weld and the steel.

good luck, and remember to keep it fun.

if you have any other questions, please feel to email me direct

Tom

If you care to send an e-mail, and tell me what you use, I will respond by sending some comparable samples ( In a cardboard box of course.) to try along with a price quote on the quantities you purchase in.
Thanks, Steve

Lincoln has a couple of good books, "The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding" and "Metals and How to Weld Them", at approximately $24.00 and $7.50 respectfully.

When you're in the welding supply store pick up any filler metal books they may have. They are usually free or sometimes a couple of bucks. Some very pertainent and valuable information in them.

Wearing a heavier weight long sleeve cotton shirt will help guard against UV rays. Better yet, add a leather cape and sleeves. Ear protection for overhead, out of position welding, grinding, etc. Safety glasses bear another repeating. Proper footwear is also important.

Your Lincoln is a comparable machine to my old Miller . They both cost the same when I bought mine new . I have used both brands and see little difference .

The other guys are right on the money . Go by your local Industrial Supply / Welding house and talk to the sharpest guy you can find . He should be able to set you up .

I would like to recomend that you wear safety glasses . Not only will they protect you while you chip slag , but a rep from Century told me that even with a good lens in your helmet , you will still get UV light . Safety glasses will cut out most of it .

Good luck , have fun and be careful !

Chris

I use a couple of tricks to help me see when I'm under the hood. Before you strike an arc, it can be REAL dark under the hood and fumbling around with a charged stick can be rather clumbsy. I use a 500W halogen light to illuminate my target and some of my daughter's sidewalk chalk to outline the weld I want to make. I even chalk the welding rod if it has a dark coating. This has helped me a whole lot.

You don't want to "poke" the stick at the weld but drag the tip to start the arc (like striking a match). Heavier metal is far easier to practice with so get some scrap 1/2" or at least 1/4" to practice with. Since you aren't actually trying to weld anything but learn how to start and hold an arc, you may try using 1/8" rod on 1/4" plate. Try 6013 rod. It's an easy rod to learn with that holds an arc well and is easy to start. It's very forgiving also.

You may want to talk to Steve from USAlloys. He's a regular on these boards and can help you with the newer rod technology that offers some real improvements in splatter and slag reduction.

Good luck, keep your skin covered, and PRACTICE.

It's not hard to learn. ANY fool can learn it if I could.