I missed the staff meeting but the minutes show "Ken Davey"
wrote back on Sat, 5 Feb 2005 12:34:02 -0600
in rec.crafts.metalworking :
Leo Lichtman wrote:
"davefr" wrote (clip) (acetylene or arc) (clip)
Does anyone have a favorite site welding site for newbies?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You could use BOTH. For light work, like sheet metal, acetylene is
better. For stuff that's thicker, acetylene becomes progressively
slower and more expensive to run. If you compare initial investment,
a used buzz box is way cheaper than torch, regulators, assortment of
tips and cylinders. WAY CHEAPER.
sci.engr.joining.welding

Take a course.
The way I learned (community college) was to take a oxy-acetylene course
first and then go on to learn the basics of arc. The principles are (more or
less) the same, the only difference is the speed of the process.
Understanding the fusion process of welding is key to using both processes.
Brazing is another beast which will be covered in a acetylene course.
Of great concern is the safety practices you will have drilled into you in a
formal course.
To be sure, an acetylene setup is expensive but for my money is essential on
any shop.

Not only that, but you can cook, too. Hot coffee anyone?

Just buying a book and a rig is a good way to get frustrated really quick.

Some people can buy the book, read it, nd then fool around with the
hardware and have it come together.
Others are better off to read the book afterwards, so that they can get
the explanation on why it works.
And still others, they should not be left near the book, or the
hardware, cause they aren't going to learn from either one. :-)


--
pyotr filipivich.
as an explaination for the decline in the US's tech edge, James
Niccol wrote "It used to be that the USA was pretty good at
producing stuff teenaged boys could lose a finger or two playing with."