Stick welding - where/how to learn?

NCLivingBrit

NCLivingBrit

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I've got all this down time right now and want to do something to improve my skillset. I've been itching to learn to weld for ages now, but the community college welding classes are a bit too much and require papers I don't have.

Is there any other way to pick up stick welding other than getting/borrowing the gear and just having at it?
 
bigfelipe said:
I was going to say community college...


Harbor freight and a scrap yard, then hit up YouTube?
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Yeah that seems to be the options. Because the community college only want to teach ALL WELDING NOLLIDGE and only for folks who want to be in the industry.
 
NCLivingBrit said:
Yeah that seems to be the options. Because the community college only want to teach ALL WELDING NOLLIDGE and only for folks who want to be in the industry.
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I just started classes this fall at RCCC. Got torch cutting and MIG this semester. Tig and Stick the first of the year. and then blueprint reading next fall and possibly MIG and TIG 2. Went the associate degree route to get help with the cost.
 
grungewehr39 said:
I just started classes this fall at RCCC. Got torch cutting and MIG this semester. Tig and Stick the first of the year. and then blueprint reading next fall and possibly MIG and TIG 2. Went the associate degree route to get help with the cost.
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Yeah I just want to pick up the stick welding basics for now. Thanks for the info
 
These videos will get you welding is short order. Lincoln and Miller videos also great resource.
Easy to find used brand name machines on the various for sale sites.
Look into flux core, similar to stick but the flux is inside the wire.
Be sure to get a good auto darkening helmet, not too expensive and easy to use.



 
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BASIL said:
I work in Greensboro, S elm Eugene St. Come by on a Fri and I'll get ya started.
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Take this opportunity that Steve is offering
. If you end up with a welder at your house, I don’t have a stick welder anymore but I have some rods. I’ll come up and let you burn some. Learning to stick weld first before other kinds of welding makes one a better welder IMO
 
NCLivingBrit said:
Yeah that seems to be the options. Because the community college only want to teach ALL WELDING NOLLIDGE and only for folks who want to be in the industry.
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Popular program these days. Good money in it... Used to be you could just hit a class at the local high school...
 
grungewehr39 said:
My instructor stated this year was the biggest numbers in all of the welding classes he has ever seen.
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The trades are making a coming back finally
 
Burt Gummer said:
Take this opportunity that Steve is offering
. If you end up with a welder at your house, I don’t have a stick welder anymore but I have some rods. I’ll come up and let you burn some. Learning to stick weld first before other kinds of welding makes one a better welder IMO
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100% correct, and stick will weld pretty much anything, want to weld stainless there's a stick for that, dirty metal there's a stick for that, heck they make sticks to weld aluminium.
It also teaches you better technique imho.
 
Oh, and if you get your own welder someday. A wise man told me once that steel bed frames are free angle material. Grab one when you see them laying on the side of the road
 
Pink_Vapor said:
Do you have a machine/ If so what type?
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Nope, want to see if I have any aptitude for it at all. If I can make metal stickum it will go on the list. I've got some projects that welding would make far simpler.
 
Burt Gummer said:
Oh, and if you get your own welder someday. A wise man told me once that steel bed frames are free angle material. Grab one when you see them laying on the side of the road
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Amen to that.
BASIL said:
I work in Greensboro, S elm Eugene St. Come by on a Fri and I'll get ya started.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate! I'd like to try it before I angle to get gear, but it's something I've wanted to explore for a bit.
 
Don't go too cheap on the machine. I got what I thought was a deal 15 years ago, it was a craftsman transformer 110v stick machine. I gave $40 for it. I was going to learn to weld. All that machine was good for was sticking rods. I couldn't get an arc started for love or money. I spent days trying to get a decent bead.
 
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Bought a cheap Harbor Freight mig welder at one of the tent sales last year. Was a return item, but works fine. Got it for under $50. Brought some scraps home from work and played a bit. Same reason as you, to see if I liked it. And I do. The last couple of classes the past couple of weeks were a joy and damn fun.
 
If you do end up buying one do not be scared of purchasing a old name brand used stick machine. Dad has a lincoln one that is 40+ yrs old still going stong its not used everyday but been used alot over the years, while not as fancey as some new ones still works great.
 
You know I have been looking at getting a stick for sticks and giggles.

There is a few 220v 160-200amp machines on amazon for like 100$ that seem to be really good. I thought about those and getting one.

But I’m no professional. I didn’t stay at a holiday in but did watch this guy’s videos. https://m.youtube.com/user/ChuckE2009

This one video is pretty interesting.



I know there is gonna be plenty that say negative stuff about the cheaper stuff, that’s fine. But for me starting out for home stuff, I can’t drop the coinage on a Lincoln or Miller at the moment even used ones. One day though
 
backwoodsshooter said:
You know I have been looking at getting a stick for sticks and giggles.

There is a few 220v 160-200amp machines on amazon for like 100$ that seem to be really good. I thought about those and getting one.

But I’m no professional. I didn’t stay at a holiday in but did watch this guy’s videos. https://m.youtube.com/user/ChuckE2009

This one video is pretty interesting.



I know there is gonna be plenty that say negative stuff about the cheaper stuff, that’s fine. But for me starting out for home stuff, I can’t drop the coinage on a Lincoln or Miller at the moment even used ones. One day though
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I'm all about cheap But
1. that guy is an idiot
2. Go buy the cheapest harbor freight welder
3. Itll be easier to return when you figure out it's a POS


ETA: There is a difference is cheap and affordable
 
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A kid locally took welding why at high school which was taught by a community college instructor. He got a job in Kernersville straight out of school at $24.65 at some company that makes John Deere parts. That’s a nice wage for straight out of high school. Guess what? He quit because he couldn’t get his butt out of bed early enough for the drive and was late almost every morning.
 
BlackGun said:
A kid locally took welding why at high school which was taught by a community college instructor. He got a job in Kernersville straight out of school at $24.65 at some company that makes John Deere parts. That’s a nice wage for straight out of high school. Guess what? He quit because he couldn’t get his butt out of bed early enough for the drive and was late almost every morning.
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When he's old and retired, he'll remember that was the best money he ever made.

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk
 
backwoodsshooter said:
You know I have been looking at getting a stick for sticks and giggles.

There is a few 220v 160-200amp machines on amazon for like 100$ that seem to be really good. I thought about those and getting one.

But I’m no professional. I didn’t stay at a holiday in but did watch this guy’s videos. https://m.youtube.com/user/ChuckE2009

This one video is pretty interesting.



I know there is gonna be plenty that say negative stuff about the cheaper stuff, that’s fine. But for me starting out for home stuff, I can’t drop the coinage on a Lincoln or Miller at the moment even used ones. One day though
Click to expand...


I watched that video recently. Was part of why I started on this again.
 
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