First Time Welding

[LGAFF]

Kind of addictive...will keep practicing and do some reading..

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/lgaff/DSCN5745.jpg (http://s134.photobucket.com/user/lgaff/media/DSCN5745.jpg.html)

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/lgaff/DSCN5746.jpg (http://s134.photobucket.com/user/lgaff/media/DSCN5746.jpg.html)

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q115/lgaff/DSCN5747.jpg (http://s134.photobucket.com/user/lgaff/media/DSCN5747.jpg.html)

[Franke]

Lee, make sure the weld area is very clean. Is that stainless steel? The welds look to me like too much oxygen got to them or some kind of surface contamination.

[LGAFF]

Thanks Franke, just playing around at this point....never picked up a welder before, alot to learn. I really just grabbed the first pieces of scrap I had and started welding. This is just flux core.....once I get better with that will move to gas shielded welding.

[4-cam]

Welding is kind of addictive. Over the winter I took up TIG again after 30 year absence. For some odd reason I find it very enjoyable.
Welding does take a lot of seat time to do a good job. Lots of great vids on youtube and many forums availible. They were really a big help tring to figure out what I was doing incorrect. I actually did a decent job for a rookie welding up my SS exhaust.

[Franke]

Thanks Franke, just playing around at this point....never picked up a welder before, alot to learn. I really just grabbed the first pieces of scrap I had and started welding. This is just flux core.....once I get better with that will move to gas shielded welding.

Lee, gas shielded welding will produce a smoother weld puddle, less spatter and you will love it when its smooth like butter. Flux core has to shield the weld from oxygen and its hard to tell what the final weld looks like unless you have lots of experience. I use a MIG and its great as you can see the actual weld but I like 4-Cams TIG idea too as they produce a weld you can really control. It is addictive to be able to glue metal together. :)

[Racinfan83]

I've done arc, mig, and tig. Love doing it - but I haven't in a while. Don't currently have a welder since I don't have an unattached shop. Too much stuff in my attached garage for sparks to get under...
But your results will look better if you use the gas on the mig instead of the flux core. One of these days maybe I will get me another one and use it in the driveway...