totally new to welding, and i have a few questions

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hey guys, i just got a lincoln weld pac 140, i currently dont have a gas bottle but i will get one in the future, but i have a bunch of questions, so please help me out.1. first off, im not looking to be a professional welder, just occasional uses, and i have no prior welding experience. Im thinking of getting an auto darkening helmet from harbor freight, i have tried to look them up, but i would like you guys opinions on if they are any good or not.I would probably be welding once a month, if that, so its not like i need a $500 helmet.2. my next question is basically about my working conditions, i just have a small 2 car garage with two cars permanently parked in there, so i cannot move them while welding, how far away should i be from the cars so they dont catch on fire?3. I have a wooden table that i use as my workspace, can i put stuff on the vice over it and weld?4. im also a bit afraid to weld in a short sleeve shirt, but i see people do it all of the time, my fear is sparks/hot metal hitting me, or getting into the gloves and getting burnt, how much of a possibility is that?5. I have tried to read up on how to weld, and from what i can gather, you use the pull method on thinner steel, and the push method on thicker steel, is this correct?6. lets say i wanted to do a small tack weld on sheet metal, how long should i allow the weld to take place before i stop, like 1/2 second or so?7. how much should i expect to pay for a bottle (i was thinking of getting a size c) and what is the best argon/c02 mixture?8. i have a few things that i would like to practice on (with flux core wire) like a bike frame, lets say i cut it in half, and try to weld it back up, how fast should i go, lets say im going to me making a 3" weld, how long should it take me to complete that weld?9. im pretty sure i understand what duty cycle is, my welder is 20% at 90 amps, so basically i can weld for 20 minutes each hour at that amperage, so what if i am welding at 140 amps?thanks guys, sorry this is so long and i have so many questions, im regretting not doing any welding in my metal class that i took back in highschool years ago
Reply:Originally Posted by slvr98camarohey guys, i just got a lincoln weld pac 140, i currently dont have a gas bottle but i will get one in the future, but i have a bunch of questions, so please help me out.1. first off, im not looking to be a professional welder, just occasional uses, and i have no prior welding experience. Im thinking of getting an auto darkening helmet from harbor freight, i have tried to look them up, but i would like you guys opinions on if they are any good or not.I would probably be welding once a month, if that, so its not like i need a $500 helmet.2. my next question is basically about my working conditions, i just have a small 2 car garage with two cars permanently parked in there, so i cannot move them while welding, how far away should i be from the cars so they don't catch on fire?  Gas tank fumes may go BOOM! You will need ventilation. Find a suitable location on the floor and keep a firer extinguisher at hand.
Reply:thanks, i do have a bunch of gas cans sitting around, dont really smell any fumes from them, but i can move them outside, same with the kerosene can.the only place i have to weld would be on the floor, but i would still be next to the wood, i can probably go to harbor freight and pick up a welding blanket to cover it up, do you think that would be good enough?i have a car under a cover that would be maybe 10' away from where i would be welding, is that far enough away?
Reply:A blinkie from Horrible Freight should work for what you want.  I recommend that you get a book about mig welding and read it cover to cover.  Some of it may be dry and boring but it is all useful info.  Pay close attention to the part about reading the weld puddle.  Learn to tell the different parts of the puddle and what they are telling you.  Learn to set your welder properly and pay attention to your stickout.  Not being able to do the basics will mean a long learning curve. Best bet is to sign up for a course at your local C.C. and/or find a friend who really does know how to weld.  If friend doesn't really know what he's doing, he will just be showing you the wrong way too, along with all his bad habits.X2 on everything transit said, especially about the fire hazards and UV burns.  PPE is VERY important and should not be taken lightly!  Your life could depend on it! Welding is a great career and hobby but only if done safely.Good luck, Bob."The man of great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to the State, because he derives special advantages from the mere existence of government."  Teddy RooseveltAmerican by birth, Union by choice!  Boilermakers # 60America is a Union.
Reply:Does your Weld Pac have a connection in the back for hooking up a gas hose? And  the Argon/CO2 is the standard 75%/25% . All you do is ask for it, when the time comes.Rodney                                   The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.'  Proverbs 10:22 NKJV
Reply:BTW, if you would put your location at the right side of your post, there may be a member close by that you could go see or vice versa and help you. To do your location, go to the upper left of the screen and click 'User CP' then under profile on the upper left, click 'Edit details' . Type in your location.Rodney                                   The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.'  Proverbs 10:22 NKJV
Reply:Originally Posted by Bob the WelderA blinkie from Horrible Freight should work for what you want.  I recommend that you get a book about mig welding and read it cover to cover.  Some of it may be dry and boring but it is all useful info.  Pay close attention to the part about reading the weld puddle.  Learn to tell the different parts of the puddle and what they are telling you.  Learn to set your welder properly and pay attention to your stickout.  Not being able to do the basics will mean a long learning curve. Best bet is to sign up for a course at your local C.C. and/or find a friend who really does know how to weld.  If friend doesn't really know what he's doing, he will just be showing you the wrong way too, along with all his bad habits.X2 on everything transit said, especially about the fire hazards and UV burns.  PPE is VERY important and should not be taken lightly!  Your life could depend on it! Welding is a great career and hobby but only if done safely.Good luck, Bob.
Reply:There's been a ton of threads on the cheap HF auto dark hoods. There are 2 schools of thought on them. One says they are inexpensive and do the same job as the top of the line units. The other says how can you be sure they are safe?, Is your eyesight worth the chance?. Personally when it comes to PPE I don't cheap out. Rather than start another battle on this, do a search in the safety section on AD hoods, Harbor freight hoods, HF and auto darkening and you will probably get plenty of reading material to wade thru. Personally I think a lot of the Snap-on stuff is cr@p. Often it's rebadged import stuff thats sold at premium prices.Usually cheap AD hoods differ from more expensive hoods in several ways. Often the cheap hoods will only have one or two sensors, while top of the line units have more. If you block the sensor from seeing the arc, the lens clears, even if you still can see the arc. The more expensive hood, when one sensor is blocked, the others still see the arc, or in some cases sense the current and keep the lens dark so you don't get flashed. Some cheap hoods are limited in the darkening range, say 10-12 or are fixed, while expensive hoods usually have more range 8-13, grind mode, cut mode etc. Controls and power source may be different and so on. The number one thing for me was quality, the number two was fit. You can't weld well if you are not comfortable. I tried on as many top end hoods as I could get my hands on. When possible I'd weld with them, if  not I'd try and wear them for a bit and see how they felt. I passed on a couple very good top of the line units because to me they were not comfortable. I don't wear a hood all day, but even 30 minutes in a hood that doesn't fit was too long.As far as welding over wood, I've done it when I have had no other options. On thing is that hot slag or drops of molten steel can lay there and smolder on wood.for a while. Add a slight breeze and you can have flames 5 or 10 minutes later. Not a good thing in a garage after you have left. I won't mig of stick in my garage. I've got too much cr@p in there, and too many places where a small BB of hot steel can roll away unnoticed. I've had paper towels and cardboard catch fire quite aways away from where I've been welding. Not something I want happening unnoticed in the garage. If I have to work on a wood table, like for very large projects at my buddy's shop, the table always get soaked down with water at the end of the weld session outside and left to dry away from other things. We've had a few small table fires while we were welding. but when they happen we just douse them with water and then soak the table extra good. Given a choice I prefer to work on my steel table at home or on his long steel table at the shop rather than wood.As far as cost on the cylinder, I can't find the last sale flier from my LWS so I'm going on memory from last spring. I want to say a 60cf cyl was about $125 and an 80cf cyl about $150 with 1st fill. The bigger the tank, the less the gas costs per cf. I can get my 100cf O2 cyl filled for almost the same money I can get my 282cf O2 cyl filled. It has more to do with handling, hazmat fees and so on, and less about the cost of the gas often..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:thanks for your post, after reading everyones posts, i think i may try a harbor freight helmeti am the type of person who always buys the best things i can, but buy the time im done buying everything i need to properly use the welder, im going to end up sinking $700 into everything.im going to try and find some sheet metal that is the same size as the table so i can lay it on top and not have to worry as much about a weld causing it to catch on fire.for now, im just going to wear a cotton hoodie and my leather gloves for welding, but as time goes by i will probably get a leather jacket, my friend says he only wears his leathers when he is welding under a car since all of the metal is falling down on him, which i will probably do the same for now im going to try and clean the garage up and move things around, i have a ton of cans that are sitting about 5' away from where i would be welding.i found a few places that sell welding gas/tanks but im going to look on craigslist to see if anyone has one laying around they would be willing to sell for cheap.
Reply:I have a selection of helmets I have purchased over the years. I wanted a Speedglas but before I had the money to blow on one my buddy talked me into a Harbor Freight auto dark variable which was on sale for $49.99. That was at least five years ago. I still have the same helmet and did nothing to it, it has never failed. I figured if it fails I will get a quick flash. You wont go blind over a quick flash and then you can throw it out. It has never happened yet.However, if I ever replace it I will probably purchase this one: http://store.weldingdepot.com/cgi/we...t/3023294.html For only $54.00 and I like the non variable #10 shade, and the shell only weighs 6oz, and its a name brand (probably made in china).Good luck."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:i have an ad and dontlike it becausew sometimes  it thinks theres no arc out there and gets bright onme. get a $40  huntsman with a 4x5 opening. you  have to learn to see the puddle, not mess around with  a crappy hood
Reply:Slvr98Camaro, I use a Jackson NexGen in the field, and a Miller Digital Elite in the shop. I helped a coworker out the other day on a critical weld and all I had was his hood (mine was down the next level in my tool bucket), which was a Harbor Freight hood. I only used it for 30 minutes, but it was virtually me hanging upside down and it worked fine. I was even a little impressed with the optics. You also mentioned wearing a cotton hoodie with leather gloves. From what I can gather, you don't yet have a gas bottle. That means if you do weld, it'll be flux core, which generates lots of spatter and sparks. That hoodie won't last long. Even if it's just doing hobby welding, protect yourself. Proper PPE is a must. You can buy an inexpensive burn jacket for about $15.00. It's not worth burning yourself up. Good luck and take your time. It gets more enjoyable as you progress alongMiller XMT-3502 Lincoln Power Mig 140C (One w/ dedicated spoolgun)Jackson NexGen / Miller Digital EliteMiller S32P SuperWeldcraft 17fv & 9fv Tig TorchVictor & Purox O/ALincoln Ranger 9Fairly Cold Beer!!
Reply:oh boy.
Reply:These are some great answers for us noobs.  Thanks to you all and this is a great board.  A question I have is where do you guys get the steel for your projects?  I've looked for some resources locally using google, but haven't really found any.  I live just north of Houston so I'm sure there must be places I can buy steel for a smoker or small project that isn't the size of a skyscraper right?  I actually found the Online Metal Store and have no idea if the prices are good.  Any and all input is welcomed.
Reply:SpEd, I'm not too familiar with the Houston area but just in case you haven't already, check around with some local scrap suppliers/yards. Most have new full or cut-off new scrap steel for sale at usually fair prices.Miller XMT-3502 Lincoln Power Mig 140C (One w/ dedicated spoolgun)Jackson NexGen / Miller Digital EliteMiller S32P SuperWeldcraft 17fv & 9fv Tig TorchVictor & Purox O/ALincoln Ranger 9Fairly Cold Beer!!
Reply:You can do a search on google.com and type in something like ' iron wholesale Houston Texas' and it will pull up the scrap yards and you can find businesses that sell the pieces new.. They would be in 20' pieces mostly, but for a small fee they can cut them shorter. The prices in those businesses are way less than you would buy at a Lowe's, etc.Rodney                                   The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.'  Proverbs 10:22 NKJV
Reply:Originally Posted by SpEdThese are some great answers for us noobs.  Thanks to you all and this is a great board.  A question I have is where do you guys get the steel for your projects?  I've looked for some resources locally using google, but haven't really found any.  I live just north of Houston so I'm sure there must be places I can buy steel for a smoker or small project that isn't the size of a skyscraper right?  I actually found the Online Metal Store and have no idea if the prices are good.  Any and all input is welcomed.
Reply:Originally Posted by slvr98camaroi am the type of person who always buys the best things i can, but buy the time im done buying everything i need to properly use the welder, im going to end up sinking $700 into everything.
Reply:Good info.  Thanks everyone.