On Thursday, December 26, 2013 8:11:53 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:

Yeah, that's where they told me to start. Jess and I have a bud across
town who is a welder by trade, said to call him as soon as I get a
machine and he will head over to start the lessons I already have a
couple projects in the works.

Get some scrap metal and practice! Since my first project was (and still is) some auto body work, I went by a friends body shop and got some body panels that were pulled from wrecks. Cut a chunk out, weld it back in, repeat.. Tough to do at first without blowing holes through it. Figured out later that thicker metal is easier to weld, you just have to worry about getting enough penetration instead of too much.

Get a decent quality welding helmet. Gotta protect those eyes.

On 12/26/2013 10:29 AM, wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2013 8:11:53 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:

Yeah, that's where they told me to start. Jess and I have a bud across
town who is a welder by trade, said to call him as soon as I get a
machine and he will head over to start the lessons I already have a
couple projects in the works.

Get some scrap metal and practice! Since my first project was (and still is) some auto body work, I went by a friends body shop and got some body panels that were pulled from wrecks. Cut a chunk out, weld it back in, repeat. Tough to do at first without blowing holes through it. Figured out later that thicker metal is easier to weld, you just have to worry about getting enough penetration instead of too much.

Get a decent quality welding helmet. Gotta protect those eyes.


That is an issue. They got me a number 5 lens on goggles but I can still
see through them indoors and that concernes me.

I was looking at a couple of the auto tint helmets at Harbor Freight and
it says they change in 1/25000 of a second... that scares me too.

Any input from you all on helmets and what is a "decent quality" welding
helmet... If you got a minute, maybe show me a link to one you would use
(if you were on a tight budget like me...? Thanks.

On Thursday, December 26, 2013 10:42:28 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:
On 12/26/2013 10:29 AM, wrote:

On Thursday, December 26, 2013 8:11:53 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:



Yeah, that's where they told me to start. Jess and I have a bud across

town who is a welder by trade, said to call him as soon as I get a

machine and he will head over to start the lessons I already have a

couple projects in the works.



Get some scrap metal and practice! Since my first project was (and still is) some auto body work, I went by a friends body shop and got some body panels that were pulled from wrecks. Cut a chunk out, weld it back in, repeat. Tough to do at first without blowing holes through it. Figured out later that thicker metal is easier to weld, you just have to worry about getting enough penetration instead of too much.



Get a decent quality welding helmet. Gotta protect those eyes.





That is an issue. They got me a number 5 lens on goggles but I can still

see through them indoors and that concernes me.



I was looking at a couple of the auto tint helmets at Harbor Freight and

it says they change in 1/25000 of a second... that scares me too.



Any input from you all on helmets and what is a "decent quality" welding

helmet... If you got a minute, maybe show me a link to one you would use

(if you were on a tight budget like me...? Thanks.

Personally, I'd stay away from the Harbor Freight helmets. Their stuff tends to be very cheaply made, and while I'd consider buying something there that I would only use a couple of times, if it's something that I want to keep and use for a long time (like my eyes) I buy the best I can.

A decent helmet would be somthing like this:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...1185_200591185

Name brand with some reputation of queality. A Lincoln would be good, too. You can spend a lot more for professional stuff (for people using them 8 hours a day!), but for occasional hobby use these are good.

Don't worry about the switching time. Even 1/12,000 of a second is fine, again, for hobby use. If you were welding for hours on end, you'd want faster or a permanent tint lense.

That's my advice. Check with your pro welder buddy. I think he'll steer you away from HF, too.

On 12/26/2013 11:05 AM, wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2013 10:42:28 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:
On 12/26/2013 10:29 AM, wrote:

On Thursday, December 26, 2013 8:11:53 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:



Yeah, that's where they told me to start. Jess and I have a bud across

town who is a welder by trade, said to call him as soon as I get a

machine and he will head over to start the lessons I already have a

couple projects in the works.



Get some scrap metal and practice! Since my first project was (and still is) some auto body work, I went by a friends body shop and got some body panels that were pulled from wrecks. Cut a chunk out, weld it back in, repeat. Tough to do at first without blowing holes through it. Figured out later that thicker metal is easier to weld, you just have to worry about getting enough penetration instead of too much.



Get a decent quality welding helmet. Gotta protect those eyes.





That is an issue. They got me a number 5 lens on goggles but I can still

see through them indoors and that concernes me.



I was looking at a couple of the auto tint helmets at Harbor Freight and

it says they change in 1/25000 of a second... that scares me too.



Any input from you all on helmets and what is a "decent quality" welding

helmet... If you got a minute, maybe show me a link to one you would use

(if you were on a tight budget like me...? Thanks.

Personally, I'd stay away from the Harbor Freight helmets. Their stuff tends to be very cheaply made, and while I'd consider buying something there that I would only use a couple of times, if it's something that I want to keep and use for a long time (like my eyes) I buy the best I can.

A decent helmet would be somthing like this:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...1185_200591185

Name brand with some reputation of queality. A Lincoln would be good, too. You can spend a lot more for professional stuff (for people using them 8 hours a day!), but for occasional hobby use these are good.

Don't worry about the switching time. Even 1/12,000 of a second is fine, again, for hobby use. If you were welding for hours on end, you'd want faster or a permanent tint lense.

That's my advice. Check with your pro welder buddy. I think he'll steer you away from HF, too.


Thanks... I won't buy the HF one... Still, I have a hobart goggles with
permanent lens and it says #5... I am not sure what "#5" lens signifies?
Could of course Google, but if you got a quick
explanation/reccomendation, go with it? The hobarts I got allow for lens
changes...

KC wrote:
On 12/26/2013 11:05 AM, wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2013 10:42:28 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:
On 12/26/2013 10:29 AM, wrote:

On Thursday, December 26, 2013 8:11:53 AM UTC-5, KC wrote:



Yeah, that's where they told me to start. Jess and I have a bud across

town who is a welder by trade, said to call him as soon as I get a

machine and he will head over to start the lessons I already have a

couple projects in the works.



Get some scrap metal and practice! Since my first project was (and
still is) some auto body work, I went by a friends body shop and got
some body panels that were pulled from wrecks. Cut a chunk out, weld
it back in, repeat. Tough to do at first without blowing holes
through it. Figured out later that thicker metal is easier to weld,
you just have to worry about getting enough penetration instead of too much.



Get a decent quality welding helmet. Gotta protect those eyes.





That is an issue. They got me a number 5 lens on goggles but I can still

see through them indoors and that concernes me.



I was looking at a couple of the auto tint helmets at Harbor Freight and

it says they change in 1/25000 of a second... that scares me too.



Any input from you all on helmets and what is a "decent quality" welding

helmet... If you got a minute, maybe show me a link to one you would use

(if you were on a tight budget like me...? Thanks.

Personally, I'd stay away from the Harbor Freight helmets. Their stuff
tends to be very cheaply made, and while I'd consider buying something
there that I would only use a couple of times, if it's something that I
want to keep and use for a long time (like my eyes) I buy the best I can.

A decent helmet would be somthing like this:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...1185_200591185

Name brand with some reputation of queality. A Lincoln would be good,
too. You can spend a lot more for professional stuff (for people using
them 8 hours a day!), but for occasional hobby use these are good.

Don't worry about the switching time. Even 1/12,000 of a second is
fine, again, for hobby use. If you were welding for hours on end, you'd
want faster or a permanent tint lense.

That's my advice. Check with your pro welder buddy. I think he'll
steer you away from HF, too.


Thanks... I won't buy the HF one... Still, I have a hobart goggles with
permanent lens and it says #5... I am not sure what "#5" lens signifies?
Could of course Google, but if you got a quick
explanation/reccomendation, go with it? The hobarts I got allow for lens changes...

It is the shade of the lens

On 12/26/2013 11:22 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 11:14:14 -0500, KC wrote:


Thanks... I won't buy the HF one... Still, I have a hobart goggles with
permanent lens and it says #5... I am not sure what "#5" lens signifies?
Could of course Google, but if you got a quick
explanation/reccomendation, go with it? The hobarts I got allow for lens
changes...

The number is the shade. I prefer something in the 11-12 range for my
stick machine. I don't think I would do any kind of arc welding with a
#5. That is more like a gas shade.



A number 5 permanent lens is too light for welding. It's for a cutting
torch or something.

Auto darkening lens have two numbers associated with them. The first is
the lens darkness with no welding going on. The second is the darkness
when triggered by exposure to the arc.

A number 5 auto darkening lens would allow you to still see through it
slightly when not welding but would then go to a higher number when
exposed to the arc.

Depending on the amps being drawn, you want at least a number 10
permanent lens or an auto darkening that goes to at least 10 for flux
core welding.

On 12/26/2013 11:54 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/26/2013 11:22 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 11:14:14 -0500, KC wrote:


Thanks... I won't buy the HF one... Still, I have a hobart goggles with
permanent lens and it says #5... I am not sure what "#5" lens signifies?
Could of course Google, but if you got a quick
explanation/reccomendation, go with it? The hobarts I got allow for lens
changes...

The number is the shade. I prefer something in the 11-12 range for my
stick machine. I don't think I would do any kind of arc welding with a
#5. That is more like a gas shade.



A number 5 permanent lens is too light for welding. It's for a cutting
torch or something.

Auto darkening lens have two numbers associated with them. The first is
the lens darkness with no welding going on. The second is the darkness
when triggered by exposure to the arc.

A number 5 auto darkening lens would allow you to still see through it
slightly when not welding but would then go to a higher number when
exposed to the arc.

Depending on the amps being drawn, you want at least a number 10
permanent lens or an auto darkening that goes to at least 10 for flux
core welding.



Thanks, I thought it was weird that I could see inside the house with
the goggles I got from Santa Guess he isn't a welder... I will shoot
them back and get a Hobart Helmet or similar... with a 10 or higher lens.

On 12/26/2013 12:43 PM, KC wrote:
On 12/26/2013 11:54 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/26/2013 11:22 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 11:14:14 -0500, KC wrote:


Thanks... I won't buy the HF one... Still, I have a hobart goggles with
permanent lens and it says #5... I am not sure what "#5" lens
signifies?
Could of course Google, but if you got a quick
explanation/reccomendation, go with it? The hobarts I got allow for
lens
changes...

The number is the shade. I prefer something in the 11-12 range for my
stick machine. I don't think I would do any kind of arc welding with a
#5. That is more like a gas shade.



A number 5 permanent lens is too light for welding. It's for a cutting
torch or something.

Auto darkening lens have two numbers associated with them. The first is
the lens darkness with no welding going on. The second is the darkness
when triggered by exposure to the arc.

A number 5 auto darkening lens would allow you to still see through it
slightly when not welding but would then go to a higher number when
exposed to the arc.

Depending on the amps being drawn, you want at least a number 10
permanent lens or an auto darkening that goes to at least 10 for flux
core welding.



Thanks, I thought it was weird that I could see inside the house with
the goggles I got from Santa Guess he isn't a welder... I will shoot
them back and get a Hobart Helmet or similar... with a 10 or higher lens.


At least you won't be learning from the practical joker who first showed
me how to TIG weld. He set up a small metal plate with another small
plate standing on edge on the first and told me to weld them together
along the edge where they met.

One plate was stainless steel. The other was aluminum. He and his
buddies stood back and laughed their asses off as I muttered and swore
in frustration.

On 12/26/2013 11:22 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 11:14:14 -0500, KC wrote:


Thanks... I won't buy the HF one... Still, I have a hobart goggles with
permanent lens and it says #5... I am not sure what "#5" lens signifies?
Could of course Google, but if you got a quick
explanation/reccomendation, go with it? The hobarts I got allow for lens
changes...

The number is the shade. I prefer something in the 11-12 range for my
stick machine. I don't think I would do any kind of arc welding with a
#5. That is more like a gas shade.


What about a MiG wire feed? Or is that one of the ones you mentioned above?

On Thursday, December 26, 2013 12:40:48 PM UTC-5, KC wrote:
On 12/26/2013 11:22 AM, wrote:

On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 11:14:14 -0500, KC wrote:





Thanks... I won't buy the HF one... Still, I have a hobart goggles with

permanent lens and it says #5... I am not sure what "#5" lens signifies?

Could of course Google, but if you got a quick

explanation/reccomendation, go with it? The hobarts I got allow for lens

changes...



The number is the shade. I prefer something in the 11-12 range for my

stick machine. I don't think I would do any kind of arc welding with a

#5. That is more like a gas shade.





What about a MiG wire feed? Or is that one of the ones you mentioned above?

MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas, and is a form of arc welding. The wire carries the current and is the filler, and the gas flowing from the gun shields the arc. The flux in flux core wire generates the gas when it burns instead of having to have a gas bottle and its associated regulator and plumbing.