Watch the puddle! Welding definitely takes some practice to get a real good bead. I love to weld (preferably stick/smaw)- I've done it on scrap metal, my truck, 4-wheeler, and on one of the tractors.

 

for one thing you DON'T need a auto darkening helmet (unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket) number one thing to remember, flip your hood down. After you do it for about 16 yrs. youll even move your head to flip it down when you don't even have it on Practice makes perfect my friend, oh and don't forget to turn on your gas...unless you use innershield or flux core. Make it sound like bacon frying!!

 

I have a wire feed too, they are a bit different than stick, I have found with a wire feed to use a zig zag aproach, this allows the puddle to flow back and forth and get good tie in, the key is to get yer temp and wire speed set right, as said above it will sound like bacon cooking when its perfect, I love my auto darkening helmet, I can weld so accurate that way, it makes for a great start up and is manditory for welding intricuit stuff as you can hold yer gun 1/4" away and when you pull the trigger its perfect every time, wire feed is the best for filling cracks as you go from the "Z" pattern to a big "U"

 

you can take right off on mig. i was a stick pipe welder for 25 years. practice

 

i use cursive c's with a mig we taught ourself as well it took alot of practice to get uniform good looking beads. built a couple of trailers, ladder racks, railings for porches ect. its a good thing to know

 

Im excited to get going... Thanks everybody, by all means keep the info coming - it can't hurt to learn and/or get more personal tips... Thanks again... and yes, i picked up on Safety First - skin, eyes, hands, etc...

 

Skin burns aren't that bad. They suck, but walking around the house the day after an eye burn is the worst feeling in the world. Auto helmets are great, but el-cheapo ones are fine at home. I've been throwing sparks for 17 years on and off, the last 7 full on MIG. BEST thing is find someone to show you, next is a video or 10, or just play around on junk metal and then break/cut it apart and learn. The little charts on welders are a lil bit 'cold'. Give it a lil more heat or turn the wire down. Heat is your friend until it warps. I'm by no means the best out there but to me, the biggest thing is to be comfortable. Physically and with what you are doing. Its easier to learn good habits than un-learn bad ones.

 

Wear non-flammable, non-melting shirt/jacket.

 

And take the lighter out of your pocket, they go off like a 1/4 stick of dynamite if a spark burns through it.

 

You must a read my post. https://www.dieselbombers.com/bad-la...n-dumbass.html

I'm still wearin the scars from this one and have another good one on the side of my neck from a weld that popped and sent a piece down my neckline, couldn't get it out before it burned into the hide.