On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 08:07:29 -0800, davefr wrote:

I'd like to learn basic welding for project work/small repairs around
the shop. I don't plan to do anything fancy and most of the work will
be with mild steel.

Which welding technology is easiest to learn and less forgiving for a
newbie?? (acetylene or arc)

The easiest process to learn is MIG, and it will do the sort of work
you describe very nicely. It's good on thin metal, and a small
machine can do up to 1/8" with no problem. It's also a lot easier to
use in out-of-position welding. It's also free of the smoke and
fumes characteristic of stick welding.

Buy it from a welding store who is having a sale. Most of them will
give you a demo and at least a few minutes of hands-on coaching that
will be worth far more than any price difference. You should be
able to make a good weld in that time, and see (be shown) what both
good welds and bad welds look like. Then, buy Miller's book on MIG
welding and read it from cover to cover.

Then start practicing.

Gas is very handy for brazing and silverbrazing. It is possible to
weld with gas too, of course, but it takes a lot more practice. I
haven't gas-welded steel for 20 years, but I frequently silver-braze
small things together, particularly brass.