The Chopper Compendium

Hi all.

Iv been putting a bit of cash aside to get myself a decent welder to start learning with but, my local College have started doing a welding and fabrication introductory course so, no I'm torn do I carry on and get myself a welder and go it alone or do I go for the course? I can't afford both at the minute, interested to hear others thoughts and experiences?

I would recommend the course if you would be doing a lot of different types of welding. But on the same hand. Even the home DIY type could learn a lot from the course. At the same time trial and error teaches also. I was raised in a machine shop. My dad built and designed farm equipment. So I had no choice but learn to do various things. But not everybody gets a chance like that. That's just my 2 cents.

Yeah I don't know any experienced welders that would teach me so it would be my own trial and error, and this probably isn't the quickest and most effective to become a decent welder.

Long term id like to be able to build bike frames, but I'm not so nieve to think I can just take a course and start knocking them out.

Plus the course will introduce you to different welders. Stick, mig, & tig. Then you can deside from that experience as to which and what welder you will need. In order to do what you have planed. You can build a bike frame with a GOOD 110 welder. But you can't build a car trailer with it due to material thickness limitations of the 110 welder.

Learn that stuff yourself!

Only one way to learn? Destroy metal and wire until you get it! Then hammer test your welds until failure and see if it breaks the weld or the steel next to it.

The wire speed sets the depth of wire feed or weld depth!!

If wire can not burn that deep it pushes back and wire feed needs turned down!!

If the wire speed is too slow then it burns back to tip and sometimes gets stuck to it and needs turned up!!

Use this to set to any heat range!!

I use .030 tips or .035 tips!!

Always push with your gun it leaves a better looking weld!!

If you pull with you gun then the weld will have a crown!!

By push the tip is facing the direction of weld path!!

By pull the tip faces the direction of weld path but towards already welded area!! the gun proceeds the weld not hovered over already welded are!!

There are 3 main types of welding done and can be practiced by holding a couple in back on a pencil with paper!!

1. Make small circles over both pieces to be joined
2. Make zig zag motion to both pieces to be joined
3. Run straight but leaves the worst finish of the three

This pic is of how I practiced when I started so not to waste materials
It shows how to hold gun for push weld started on right and going left
Practice with both hand if you like
I like to put left elbow on table and hold right wrist and pull trigger with right and swivel off of the pivot of my left elbow sliding if need be!!
The line would represent the two pieces to be joined!!





The most important part is that the tip stay 3/4 in away at all time no closer no farther from weld surface!!

If you are going gasless/flux core tip is 1.5 in away!!

You have to push there is no option with flux core wire for a none slag inclusion weld!!!

Please do not take me wrong on the pull and push techniquies!!

A really good welder can pull a weld and swirel weld in a circle so you can not tell!!

The swirels have to be done different/wider to get this effect!!!

I will pull and push welds sometimes on the same weld path!!!

When starting out thou it is best just to push untill you have mastered it!!!

I still always if at all possible will try to push my welds!!

Flux can be pulled but DO NOT OVERLAP CIRCLES OR ZIG ZAGS or you will encase weld flux in the weld and its apperance my look good but will have slag inclusions if you cut it open!!!

There is many different ways and the truth is to find what is most comfortable to you!!

Every welder does that and welds the way they prefer and as long as their process leaves a strong weld that is all that matters!!

Strength of a weld is better than apperance any day!!!


Buy a cheap wire welder 110 amps at least 110 volt and a harbor fieght bender and you are a frame master then!

Thanks customize IT, I guess im just a little concerned if I go it alone that i`m doing it right. with no actually there coaching you I guess its pretty easy to thing your welds are amazing when actually they're rubbish.

If I was to go at it alone id just go for the welder I can afford and get a 180amp or as close to that as I can get.

I'd go for the course. The structure of a course is good to start out and you should be exposed to at least 3 different welding techniques. Maybe more if they include gas welding which is a very handy skill to have. Buying a cheap welding machine will get you nowhere as it won't do much but make your welds look bad. For frame work if you're on a tight budget get an old ac/dc buzz box because they have a lot of power and you can do scratch-start tig with it. Best all around welder ever invented and very cheap to operate, way better and more versatile than a wire welder for frame work and general fabrication.

I didn't read that He was buying a cheap Welder.The Course would be the best Route,but to get to all types of welding, you're talking more than one Class.Where I took mine it was broken into Welding1 which was Arc & Welding 2 Tig & Mig.I talked with the Instructor & I explained I wanted to learn Tig & I was allowed in the Class to do just that.I would go with the big Ticket Item 1st.There's plenty if Info available to read & you can get comfortable just fusing Metal together for awhile before adding Filler.Cut your Welds in half to see penetration & adjust heat & speed accordingly...Ultimstely the choise is yours & whatever makes you confident is what matters most...

I will say I had 2 yrs of such a course.

and 15 yrs of practice as a welder.

But, you gave me 1 hr each process tig, mig, stick I could teach you hands on.

Some say I am a good teacher at it?

There are some that just do not have the ability to learn it and others catch on real fast.

In 4 hrs I could teach you how to program a robotic welder for mass production also.

The 110 amp 110 volt wire welder is the very least you can use to build a frame and have gotten lucky and got me a industrial 230 Millermatic shopmaster AC DC commercial welder here lately.

Still need a Tig welder myself or a scratch start tig torch for my stick welder.

That is one thing to remember about a cheaper welder is their duty cycles will be 30% that means you can only weld for 3 min straight out of a 10 min period for them to cool.

If I would go the welder route I wouldn't get a cheap one as it will just be false economy, id go with the best I can afford. I have heard conflicting information some saying you need atleast a 225amp welder to do a bike frame to get the penetration, some say 175, and customize IT you have just said a 110 will do the trick.

I like the idea of the course but then I think ill have the issue once iv done the course there will be a period of time where I need to save and get the welder, so might not do me any good not doing anything.

A 110 will work (just) if you pay strict attention to procedure and prep ! You know the drill , properly clean the parts , get the bevel/gap right , appropriate filler , and PREHEAT THE WELD AREA !! That last is as important as all the rest as that can mean the diff between good penetration and a pretty bandaid !!

well, first off I think i`m going to ring the college and ask them how much the course is, as it doesn't really say on their website.

if the course is only £200 then it may be worth doing regardless, its if it gets to £500 im starting to question whether its worth self teaching.

You will learn more there but, not impossible to teach yourself or better yet have a welder show you for a couple hrs.

You will still needed practice after the course.

Ever welder here will tell you they learn something new about welding everyday they do it. Each time you get better.

u will be surprised the first 1/4 usually of the welding courses you will be book learning terms and definitions of welding.

Then the hands on stuff will happen.