Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Welding is an interesting and very rewarding hobby that may open up new job prospects for you. This article will help you get started by explaining the basics of arc welding and providing information on how to improve your skills further.

Steps

1. 1 Regardless of your age, most vocational schools (lyceums) offer welding courses that you can attend. Such courses at the lyceum are very cheap.
2. 2 Go to your local school (lyceum) and ask for a class schedule that lists the different classes the school offers.
3. 3 Walk around the campus and look at the welding devices to determine if welding might be of interest to you.
4. 4 Find out when the welding class ends that day and talk to the instructor who teaches it. As a rule, the instructor will be happy to answer your questions, give a general description of the course, and tell you what you can do after completing it.
5. 5 Learn on your own. If you have access to a welding machine and metal, you can try to learn how to weld yourself.
6. 6 Buy, borrow or rent a welding machine. For simplicity, consider a standard AC arc welder using electrodes.
7. 7 Buy welding rods (electrodes). Electrodes are sold for their intended use and are usually numbered coded. Electrodes with a diameter of 3 mm, corresponding to GOST 9466-75, are intended for welding low-carbon steel. These electrodes can be used for alternating current (AC) or direct current reverse polarity (DCEP) welding. These welding rods are suitable for learning the basic principles of welding with steel.
8. 8 Get out the low carbon steel you will be training on. It must be clean, unpainted and free of galvanized, and thick enough so that you do not burn it when welding. The ideal steel sheet to start with is a 15cm x 15cm x 1cm flat sheet, but just about any flat scrap metal sheet or corner will work.
9. 9 Place the sheet on a clean, dry, level surface that is heat-resistant and non-combustible. Ideally, use a welding table if available. If you end up placing your piece on the ground, remove any flammable items from the area.
10. 10 Fasten the grounding clamp. Basically, a bare copper clamp from a welding machine is used. Make sure it makes good contact, grips metal firmly and does not interfere with the welding process.
11. 11 Put on welding gloves. Although you will be training with the welder turned off, it is important to get used to feeling the electrode holder (grip) while wearing gloves. Then it will be easier for you to adapt when the welding machine is turned on.
12. 12 Insert the contact end of the electrode (uncoated end) into the holder. The holder is an insulated clamp with a handle that carries a high current. You will hold it while welding. It should have grooves in the clamp to hold the electrodes 180 degrees, 45 degrees, or 90 degrees to the handle.
13. 13 Practice by touching the electrode to the workpiece (the sample of the metal you are welding). Touch the end of the electrode to the metal and step back about a centimeter so that the arc is ignited. By practicing with the machine turned off, you will learn to “feel” the metal and control the rod so you know how far to retreat after touching the metal. To maintain the welding arc, it is necessary to keep the tip of the electrode as close to the metal as possible without touching it, which requires some practice.
14. 14 Set the temperature range (or amperage) of the welding machine to about 80 A..br>
15. 15 Wear safety goggles and a welding helmet (or helmet as it is sometimes called) with the visor up so you can see better. Some masks do not have a visor, so you will have to lift it all the way up. Most helmets can be secured to a strap, allowing you to keep it up while you replace the electrode or work with metal.
16. 16 Switch on the welding machine. The electrode now has a current of 80 amperes, is energized at about 28 volts, and is very dangerous. Do not touch the exposed parts of the grip while the device is on. You can install a new electrode with a dry gloved hand, holding it where it has an intact protective cover.
17. 17 Lower the visor or mask completely before touching the electrode to the metal. You will see a flash when the arc forms and you will most likely want to jump back. This is a natural reaction that will quickly disappear. You may need to practice arching and quickly pushing the rod back several times before you are able to maintain a steady arc. This is the first step in learning about welding.
18. 18 Move the electrode slowly along the metal surface, watching as a weld pool of molten metal forms under the arc flame. The weld will be more even if you gradually move the electrode back and forth along the weld. Typically, the width of the finished weld is approximately two times the diameter of the electrode. If an electrode with a diameter of 3 mm is used for welding, excluding the coating, the finished seam should be approximately 6 mm wide.
19. 19 Make a seam a few centimeters or so long, then move the electrode back to dissipate the arc.
20. 20 You must wear protective goggles when you lift the mask to look at the seam and assess it. It is at this moment that hot slag can get into your eyes, if you do not wear protective goggles under the mask. Assess your weld. Is he straight? Does it have the same width? Is the height of its side the same?
21. 21 Use a hammer (or other tool) to knock the slag (oxidized metal and molten flux) off the seam to inspect the new metal you welded with the welding rod. Safety goggles are required when removing slag, and you can either cool the metal or wait until it cools before removing the slag. A smooth, uniform weld bead (weld metal layer) should be obtained on the workpiece. If it has bumps, or spots where less metal is applied, it probably means that you were moving at an irregular speed over the metal.
22. 22 Continue training on the scrap metal, using the same electrodes and machine amperage settings, until you get the correct, even seam.
23. 23 Try welding two pieces of metal together. During welding, it is necessary to fix the surfaces of the parts with each other so that an angle in the form of "v" is obtained at the junction on each side.
24. 24 Experiment with different rods (electrodes) and amperage to see the different effects you get. Thicker metal will require higher amperage and larger diameter electrodes, while thinner metal will require lower amperage and smaller diameter rods. Special electrodes are available for welding certain steel alloys, cast and ductile iron and aluminum. You can find them at your local welding supply store or hardware store.
25. 25 Explore other welding technologies such as MIG (metal, inert gas) using solid flux-coated welding wire or TIG (tungsten, inert gas) and oxyacetylene welding.
    • MIG.
    • TIG.

Tips

• If you know someone who is welding, that person's help in learning the basics will be very helpful.
• Don't be afraid to try. After all, if you really want something, you will definitely achieve it.
• All schools and lyceums require you to receive a diploma or certificate. Although most schools offer free tuition and practice, a diploma (certificate) will have to be paid for. This is fairly inexpensive, so check with your school representative for more information.

Warnings

• During welding, it is forbidden to wear any polyester, nylon, vinyl or flannel clothing.
• When welding, a temperature of more than 900 ° C occurs, any combustible material in contact with metal will ignite.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy while welding. Sparks can ignite clothing or nearby objects.
• Wear a respirator when welding. This will protect your lungs. Especially when welding metal emitting toxic gases such as aluminum or galvanized metal.
• The arc flame is bright enough to burn your retinas, even through your eyelids, so never look directly into the arc without eye protection. Be sure to wear protective goggles that are suitable for welding and are dark enough. Sunglasses don't fit! If you weld at home, keep an eye out for family members and pets who might decide to look.
• Do not wear sports shoes when welding. Most athletic shoes contain vinyl, nylon, or polyester. Imagine molten plastic. Now imagine molten plastic sticking to the scalded skin. Now consider how to remove the molten plastic from your burned skin.
• The electrical current required for welding is life-threatening. Do not touch exposed wires or metal you are working with when the welding machine is turned on.
• During welding, harmful fumes can be generated. Weld in a well-ventilated area.
• Keep an eye on your surroundings while welding.
• Keep your long hair tied. Collect them from the back or put on a welding cap.
• Do not wear loose clothing such as pants that are stretched out or clothing that may have machine oil or other flammable materials on the surface.

What do you need

• Welding machine
• Electrodes
• Gloves
• Mask with suitable shading (number 10 or more)
• Protective glasses
• Metal
• Hammer, clamps, grinder (optional)