Welding question, for the beginner.

I have decided I want to do more in the way of body work to my car than be a spectator who sometimes works on rusted areas. One thing my car is going to need is replacement sheet metal where there are some small rust holes. So I have been thinking I need to begin working on some metal working skills like welding that could pay dividends in keeping costs in line on my project. Since my project is at least a year from even beginning to take the car "apart" to put back together, I have some time to find out what I can and cannot do. I have no intention of trying to do critical things like frame repairs. However, I have done some work on removing rust from this car in the past and repainting things like the radiator support. So today I had the idea that I need to test myself to find out how much I really can do on this project.

Now after all that bombast, the question. What kind of welder should an inexperienced beginner look at and most importantly how to set up an area to practice? I can get some sheet metal to use as practice fodder. The other thing I am looking at now are possible vocational classes in my area where I can get some good instruction.

I've always loved working with my hands. And since this is my car, I want to put my hands to as much work as possible on the project.

I would look at a wire feed that handles both gas and flux-core. If you have a 240 volt outlet get a 240 volt powered welder, if not get one that draws 12 to 15 amps at 120. A decent wire feed can handle thin sheet metal. The flux-core is more forgiving on rusty metal.

+1 on taking a class, check out your local community college, many have welding classes, as well as car repair classes.

I have an older Craftsman Mig welder its made by Lincoln, its 120v it draws 15A, it had variable wire speed and 8 temperature (voltage) settings and its Gas or flux.

My recommendation is, practice with any and all scrap metal you can get your hands on.

I have the Eastwood 135. It's a 115V, 20A. For sheet metal, you will definitely want to use gas. There are a lot of YouTube videos on welding; some are good, and some not so much. SaturdayMorningGarage.com has some really good tips on repairing floor pans, etc. The biggest thing is practicing on some scrap body panels to dial in the settings for your machine and perfect your technique. Classes at a local community college is definitely a good idea.

Good luck!

You want to get up to speed on using a MIG welder using gas and not core-flux. I went to the local VoTech school to take welding classes at night. *** I found out that the instructor didn't know too much about MIG and thinner type sheet metal working, so he taught me the basics and let me do whatever I wanted. I found that there were days when I could do no wrong, and days when I could do no good and learned simply to walk away for the day. Ultimately, I became a decent welder and decided I was good enough to warrant purchasing a quality MIG welder (240V). I also found out that I cannot use a plasma cutter free-hand. All in all, it was a good experience.

***Side Story. To sign up for classes at the VoTech, I had to see the counselor, and had to demonstrate I had either a GED or a HS diploma. Here I am 50 years old, and I gotta show that I have a HS diploma? So I went home, and got my transcripts from college which showed I have a BA, a MS, and PhD, and presented it to the counselor. You should have seen his face...I think that was the first time they ever had a PhD in their classes.

+1 on the Eastwood 135 if money is a concern. It works pretty well for the beginner plus it has a 3 year warranty and 30 day like it or return it.

Like everyone else said, Practice, Practice, Practice!

I have the Eastwood 135. It's a 115V, 20A. For sheet metal, you will definitely want to use gas. There are a lot of YouTube videos on welding; some are good, and some not so much. SaturdayMorningGarage.com has some really good tips on repairing floor pans, etc. The biggest thing is practicing on some scrap body panels to dial in the settings for your machine and perfect your technique. Classes at a local community college is definitely a good idea.

Good luck!

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Just practice. I started a new job where Welding is part of our job. Basically they gave me the mig 240 with argon gas and I went to town on their scrap metal till I got a hang of it. Trick is not to move to fast and start by moving the bead up and not pulling it down and keep a "U" motion.

I've only done it for 4 weeks but I've done good enough to be allowed to build a tire rack for our 11r 22.5 heavy duty truck tires.

Basically if you take a class would be best I'm sure they would show you different welders for different metals and adjustments for each. Practice makes perfect though.

For little stuff for your mustang a wire fed 120 would be fine unless you need to do heavy frame welding. For the sheet metal and possibly exhaust, I think a good 120 15a wire fed would be just fine.

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I have a miller 140 110v. Def like they all say gas is the way to go

If u get a 110v try an use it straight off an outlet. Ext cords hurt em

When choosin a 110 welder watch out for duty cycles on the cheaper brands

I have been welding for 15 years. Definitely go with a gas welder I wouldn't waste the money for a flux core welder. I have a miller 200. I used to shorten and lengthen truck frames and before that I worked in a welding and fab shop. If you buy a welder make sure you get one big enough to weld 1/2 inch at least. Once you start welding who knows what you may want to do. I'd recommend a 220v welder if you can afford it. The class would be a great help.

I picked up a barely used Millermatic 135 off Craigslist last year for $375 with the almost full Bottle, Cart and Auto Dark Mask. Honestly I couldn't be any happier at this point. If you are in no hurry take some time and watch for a nice used one. It can save you a bundle.

I know I will need a bigger one at some point in the future. The 120V Welders have very limited effectiveness on thicker metal but for now it does most every job I need just fine. It did a spectacular job of welding together my stainless exhaust with 309 wire.

Grew up oxy-acetelyne welding, mig welded after that and now I tig weld most everything. Mig welding is the way to go for someone just learning. 240 v mig if you can swing it ,but you have to start somewhere. I purchased an eastwood Tig 2 years ago and I really have enjoyed it. For the price the eastwood is a viable option for a mig and others on here really like them. I have the Tig and have had a couple issues with the foot pedal and they took care of it , sent me a new pedal no questions asked. Take a class if you can, I did when I was 19, now 48. At the very least find someone who knows what they are doing. And above all enjoy learning new skills. Dennis

Thanks for the input. So far finding welding classes close to home has been disappointing. A couple of the vocational schools nearby have closed and most of the others aren't offering welding classes. Next set of options, well I know some people so I'm going to start asking around to find someone who wants to teach an old dog some new tricks. Guess I should have spent some time in my cousin's welding shop before he passed away.

I am also thinking up ideas on how to practice. Getting some small pieces of sheet metal and working on technique seems like a good place to start. Another idea I had was to go to a salvage yard I know of that has reasonable prices on parts and pick up something like a door to practice on after I do some of the other. This would give me a chance to work on paint removal, rust removal, and replacement of rusted through areas. That way when I totally mess it up, I haven't destroyed anything on my car.

Home Depot or Lowes project metal rack is your friend. Cheap mild steel that is great for starter welding in various thickness and bends and angles. Thats how I got started no classes here. Grab some stuff off the metal rack and go. $20 worth of cheep steel and no worries about messing up because you can go get more at the store. Simple projects to start with are a cart for your welder, engine cradle stuff along that lines. Videos on the net on how easy they are to build at home.

As a retired mechanic, thank god... I have rebuilt a few cars, trucks and lawn mowers and now I am finally going to redo do the bosses (wifes) 73 Grande. It has been sitting for some time and the fuel tank is shot, trunk pan, tail light panel and when I redid the right rear quarter panel years ago, I found some one had brazed it back on and warped the sheet metal and covered up their mistake with 1" + of bondo so I had to try and straighten it out without causing more damage and it took me 7 months of my spare time to get it ready for paint. I now have a 110 V wire feed and a 220 V stick AC-DC welder, torches and before I even try to tackle the trunk pan I am going to get ahold of a scrap washer, dryer, dish washer or something similier to the metal gauge and burn it up to practice on to teach myself how to weld the lighter gauge metals without having to worry about screwing up the real thing

Thanks for the input. So far finding welding classes close to home has been disappointing. A couple of the vocational schools nearby have closed and most of the others aren't offering welding classes. Next set of options, well I know some people so I'm going to start asking around to find someone who wants to teach an old dog some new tricks. Guess I should have spent some time in my cousin's welding shop before he passed away.

I am also thinking up ideas on how to practice. Getting some small pieces of sheet metal and working on technique seems like a good place to start. Another idea I had was to go to a salvage yard I know of that has reasonable prices on parts and pick up something like a door to practice on after I do some of the other. This would give me a chance to work on paint removal, rust removal, and replacement of rusted through areas. That way when I totally mess it up, I haven't destroyed anything on my car.

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I like our local manufactured stuff, but you cant go wrong with Miller welders. having said that Turtle here on the forum has had a great run with his eastwood welder I would talk too him. If you look at vocational courses maybe a bodywork or panel and paint course would be better. Here in Aus welding courses concentrate on industrial welding mostly so 3mm plate or greater and are similar modules to what we where doing during our apprenticeship for Boilermaker/welders. So a panel beating course maybe better with the bonus of teaching you a bit of painting too.

I've done all the welding on my '71 with my 110v Hobart 135 hooked up to a bottle of 75/25 CO2/argon gas and .025 wire. NO flux-core. Works perfectly for bodywork and plug welding floorboards and trunk floors.

I've also been able to weld onto soft nuts and bolts with it, but I don't know how well it'd do on thicker steel. I foresee no problems tacking on a replacement frame end on my '72 with the 110v, but go for a 220v unit if you expect anything more than that.

Classes? I watched a few of Scott's (QCode351Mach) welding videos, then took some scrap metal and experimented based on the recommended voltage and wire feed speeds listed on the inside of the welder. Once I felt confident how to "feel" what the steel needed, I went to town welding the car. Haven't needed to read up on anything since.

-Kurt

Being a welder for over 20 years, I have welded with everything. MIG welders run best on 220v if you can swing it. I have a Miller auto-set 120 in my garage that runs off 120v and it needs a full 20amps from the wall to run right. Everybody is right about using gas, its the only way to weld. In my experience the biggest rookie mistakes I see with MIG welding are: Heat: It has to be hot enough to melt into both sides, You can tell if its not because one side of the work will stay glowing orange longer than the other piece. (This is the #1 mistake I see made!) Distance: Keep the cup of the torch as close to the work as possible. Tip Stick Out: Make sure the tip is not sticking out past the cone of the torch. Torch Angle: 45 degree angle up, and 45 degree angle left to right is a good place to start. Remember, on sheet metal you will rarely (lay a bead), you will more likely need to stitch weld, or just tap the trigger (like a series of little tack welds). This keeps the overall heat down. Its usually better to push the weld than pull it. This means torch angle and direction of movement should go away from puddle. And lastly, make sure all the settings on your machine are correct!! I just helped a guy building a Camaro that was having problems welding his panels, when I got there none of his adjustments were correct. I had to apply more tension to the drive rollers, tension his spool brake, had to set his gas flow rate, and had to reset his heat and wire speed adjustments. You can find instructions on these adjustment on YouTube, or just ask me here and maybe I can walk you through it. Best of luck!!!!

***Side Story. To sign up for classes at the VoTech, I had to see the counselor, and had to demonstrate I had either a GED or a HS diploma. Here I am 50 years old, and I gotta show that I have a HS diploma? So I went home, and got my transcripts from college which showed I have a BA, a MS, and PhD, and presented it to the counselor. You should have seen his face...I think that was the first time they ever had a PhD in their classes.

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Wanna laugh? I dropped out of high-school but I knew how to weld (gas and MIG) by the time I was 12. When I did go to school I was in all of the "Advanced Placement" classes so I probably could have gone to college but cars and girls were more important (at least back then).

Here's the real funny part: I eventually became an Engineer and I'm VP of Product Development at my company now. I had to get my GED first though.

After 55+ years of working in the auto industry, my opinion is that flux core and / or gas mig welding work fine.. Either is useful. If welding outdoors most of the time, a flux core set up is best because a mild wind will dissipate the gas flow when using an argon type welder. Only major difference I could ever see with the flux core welding is the build up of surface residue from the flux.. A simple wire brush cleans that up and leaves a nice clean weld.. As always, get all the information you can about either type of welding and practice, practice, practice.

Best of luck.