"MrFerrous" wrote in message
...
I have a ageing relative who owns a house with a bit of land attached. I
help out with general maintenance tasks when I visit, and although I have
never welded, it looks to me like a welder would be useful addition to my
growing collection of tools. For example:

- The steel gate to the field is suffering from localised but deep rust.
It
might be worthwhile to reinforce it in places before repainting it.
- There's a small barn with a steel internal framework. There's localised
severe corrosion. The cost of replacement would probably be much higher
than
the cost of repair.

The existing "good" steel is probably at least 3mm thick. The results of
my
welding attempts don't have to be pretty, just strong and cost-effective.

Would one of the temptingly cheap arc welders from Screwfix be a good
place
to start learning?

Many years ago I had to employ a Welder quite regularly and and it was
expensive
so I taught myself to weld.
Bought a stick welder. gauntlet gloves , mask, rods, chipping hammer, wire
brush
and practiced on old bits of metal not attemtping to join anything just
laying down a bead.
Quickly found you need a chrome apron & hat too.
Later on you'll need clamps & magnets.

I learn't before the Internet but a good place to get educated is YouTube.

Some people cannot weld but most should be able to produce something.

Welding is about confidence, working comfortably & doing it in the way that
suits you.

Some can weld with a fully unsupported rod and roll a fag with the free
hand - I can't
and often support the rod with my free hand.

Learning to strike an arc is the hardest part - you have to master that
quickly or you
will give up and have burnt fingers from pulling off stuck welding rods.

Worst enemy in welding is distortion - you have to learn how heat affects
metals
and make tack welds to hold things together first.

I use an auto dimming helmet which makes the job much easier - I don't weld
enough to
be really good but I can cope with all the repairs at work and fabricate
things like
hoppers from thin steel just dabbing to spot weld.

I've also got two MIGs but I'm just as happy with stick.

YouTube vids
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...c+welding&aq=f

Apron
http://cpc.farnell.com/weldability/e...=chrome+aopron

Helmet
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/shop/helmets.htm