weld questions

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Hi Im Kyle Im 13 years old and Im kind of new to the site and wanted to know what some of you guys got on your truck. I love welding I have my own welder(1957 lincoln short hood ) and a dewalt 4 1/2 grinder. I am try to work with a buddy of my hes a welder and Im trying to learn as much as I can about this line of work.cookie
Reply:Good to see you getting into welding at your age. I taught my 12 year old to stick weld (when he was 10). I don't have a truck, as I usually work in my shop/ garage. The most important skills I can share are all about safety. Get a copy of a "hot work" permit and look it over for what it says to do and then live it. Laying down an awesome weld bead can be quickly overshadowed with a fire that destroys life or property.Wear some decent fitting flame retardent clothing, always use quality safety glasses. I put mine on the moment I go to the shop. Get you some decent welding gloves. Protect your eyes and others (including animals) from arc flash, and your ears from loud noises. Always have fire extinguisher available and keey flammables at least 30 feet away. If you have company, have them keep "fire watch" especially if you leave the welding area. A fire can start up to 45 minutes after your done welding. It's happened to me before. I can't say enough about the lessons I have learned the hard way. Don't breathe any of the fumes, especially galvanizing or burning paint from a repair. Safety sounds boring but if you follow these rules it will help you enjoy welding a lot more. These are tips I taught my kids. I have several Stick and Tig welders, a Mig welder, Oxy- Acetylene torches etc... I pick up great deals on Craiglslist. Pawn shops and other forums. Stay active on these forums. I also use Millers Welding Forums. Have fun and be safe!
Reply:A good way to learn about welding tools is to have a project. When you have a specific thing that you want to build, many of the questions about what tools you need will be answered naturally during the project. Think about something you want to build like a workbench, an animal feeder, a BBQ, etc.Bobhdus mentioned some good safety tips. Gloves and eye protection will be the most commonly used tools. You'll need a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket. I'm not sure what your school offers in the welding line. But, taking classes is another great way to learn about the tools of the trade.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:My school does have a ag class and they six littile lincolns and three old miller mig and things like that.
Reply:As far as tools on the truck, depends on what you are doing.A guy doing heavy equipment or farm repairs will usually carry a lot of wrenches and so on because he usually does a lot of wrenching as well as welding, fixing broken hoses, lines, and so on. A guy doing structural steel will have a completely different sort of tools on his truck. Same goes for someone doing pipe lining, a guy specializing in portable stainless and sanitary work, or someone doing a lot of aluminum and so on. Find a good niche market in your area and you can make good money.I agree, be sure to get good PPE, especially hearing protection> Take it from someone who should have worn it years ago when starting out working and now has partial hearing loss. Spend the money on good top quality stuff that fits well. If it doesn't fit well and isn't comfortable, chances are you won't wear it. Add a good set of well fitting boots to your list. Quality well fitting boots are a good investment, but aren't cheap. You'll feel tons better at the end of the day however.Good luck..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I got me a good pair of redwing boots and I try and wear ear protection every chance I get cause grinders are loud
Reply:Originally Posted by cookiecause grinders are loud
Reply:ha ha ha I had to grind four welds off a pipe and I forgot ear plugs, by the end my ears were ringing for like 30 minutes....stupid mistake
Reply:Look at some of the posts by Lance. He is a young guy with lots of talent. He has some great U-Tube vids of his stuff and machines. His U-tube is Chucke2009, I think. That would be a great place for you to start.Making as much progress as a one legged duck in the middle of a pond, just going in circles.
Reply:Originally Posted by cookieha ha ha I had to grind four welds off a pipe and I forgot ear plugs, by the end my ears were ringing for like 30 minutes....stupid mistake
Reply:Thanks for the tips and info guys
Reply:Cool site with awesome welding videos to check out is http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/.
Reply:I wacthed some u-tube vids by lance (chucke2009) and he makes some cool stuff.