MIG Welding Basics For BEGINNERS!! How To Set Up Your Welder + Tips, Tricks & Techniques!!
2021 ж. 2 Қаз.
1 211 958 Рет қаралды
On this episode of Make It Kustom, I go over the basics of MIG welding. There are a few things that you can do to make sure your machine is ready to weld as well as techniques to ensure a decent bead. I show you what to look and listen for to let you know that you're on the right track to having the correct settings on your welder. Hope these tips and tricks help!
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I am a single mom, DIYer, home owner…. I have been wanting to learn how to do simple welds because my grandfather, who is now deceased, was an offshore welder. He passed away before I was old enough to understand,appreciate and respect the trade. But after watching your videos, I feel less intimidated and more educated because you explained it so well. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Good info. You covered one semester of shop class in 20 minutes. 👍
Ha ha Ha Man
One semester for FREE.
As an instructor the number one problem I see, (including with myself), is the ability to remember how it was when we knew nothing. What an amazing video dude! 👊
like driving a car
As a complete and utter newb. I can attest to this. It's been an intimidating start-up. My greatest mental block is the fear of failing on a weld without knowing I've failed. This video has really helped clear that fog. Thank you.
As someone who knows nothing, it's like watching sorcery lol. Could make great ASMR
I need that mig welder hard to find it
Well one problem I see you probably should wear the right PPE cover up your body you probably shouldn’t be welding in a t shirt
Dude! The way you demonstrate and explain while doing so is spot on. Not only are you a talented welder, but you are also a gifted teacher. Thank you very much!! I hope you continue to mentor others showing interest in welding.
I’ve been welding as a hobbyist for about 2 years. I had heard the term “whip and pause”, but I didn’t truly understand how to implement it. After watching this video I put all of your pointers to work, and my results were 100% better. Thank you so much. Your videos explain everything very well without talking over peoples heads. Thanks again.
Man this is definitely one of the clearer videos on what happens when settings or technique is wrong, so many other channels just say set welder to this and go and weld should look good, without showing what a bad weld or bad settings look like, and probs one of the only vids Ive seen where you mention how it sounds. Awesome video thanks Karl!
Yea, he did a really good job of explaining things as he went along. You don't get that very much. I learned to weld before there was an internet so I watched a guy weld, started doing it...incorrectly and learned to listen for the sound. The sound can fool you sometimes so I think it's important to know the numbers because in general machines are going to be similar enough that going from one welder to another with the same settings will usually get you pretty close and then you adjust for the right sound and the correct looking weld in terms of penetration and puddle flatness or "wetting". A lot of what a beginner might do is exhaust work and often you're not going to be welding new steel to new steel. You'll often be patching up rusty exhaust and you'll not only have to get good at welding thin material but also welding to rusty material that you cleaned up and found there isn't much left. Learning how to fill holes where you burned through...that's a whole technique in of itself. But there's only so much he could teach in one short video. But, in the real world, you're going to get someone call you and ask, "are you a welder?" and they're going to want you to patch up some garbage and it'll take forever because you're welding to rust and then they're going to wonder why the bill is so much because, "I mean..you just welded it" as if welding someone's garbage back together should be free or something because you didn't snap your fingers and make it new LOL. People are funny, customers are hilarious. My favorite job, in this regard, I told the guy it his restaurant's grease trap was too far gone and he should buy a new one rather than trying to cheap out and have me fix it because I'm going to have more time and materials into it than it's worth. I get it all done, worked my ass off!, gave him the bill and he starts bitching about how he could have bought a new one for that much! I'm like "yea, dumb ass...doesn't that sound familiar? It should, that's exactly what I told you to do before I started!" I was right, but I didn't get any work from him ever again. Some customers aren't worth keeping but when you're starting out...keeping some money coming in, even if the customer's a douche, is not a bad thing. Just find yourself without time to help him when you get better customers in the future. Anyway...have a good one.
Yeah, sound is key.
Being a farmer I like to drag my weld, that said I do combo of everything but I do find that when I push I get a taller weld and doesn't lay as flat
@@HalfassKustoms I drag too...I didn't even really realize I was doing it until I read your comment and thought about it a second. I was like, "hey...I do that too! LOL And I'm a good welder, I do quite a bit of welding.
@@HalfassKustoms yeah when you drag you get deeper penetration so the weld bead goes flatter. When you push, the wire hits colder metal and so forms a taller weld bead. I like to push with mig but always drag with stick.
Invaluable info. I'm 60 years old, never welded, but I bought a small welder and I'm going to learn. I'm really looking forward to this and I am so appreciative for your instruction.
What makes your videos stand out is that you get straight to it. You show/tell the how's and why's. Like a really good shop teacher. You know you are good, we know you are good, and yet you show no ego. Thanks for all your efforts.
Having done structural welding I can tell you that direction depends on the process you are using. Also, when I hear structural I go to buildings not cars so here is my 2 cents. Typically either dual shield (flux core gas shield) or stick is used and the weld is determined by the engineer and which ansi weld designation used. If you are using flux welding process such as stick and dual shield you are more likely to have slag inclusion if you weld in a downward direction creating porosity in the weld. Structural with solid core MIG I completely agree that you weld downward. Love your videos man! This is one of the best channels on KZhead i have seen yet!!!!
Thanks so much man I do really appreciate your feedback! I do come from a structural steel welding background and have gone to school and even done welding competitions. I appreciate that you agree that there are different processes for different applications. Although I consider the frame of a car to be structure in reality it’s just gauge material lol
@@MakeItKustom they do tend to have souls, don’t they!!! I’ll never forget the pep talk that the crew chief gave the race car before cole trickle went out for the Daytona 500 in the movie Talladega nights! 🤣🤣🤣💪🏼🔥🔥
@@MakeItKustom come to think of it I'm not sure why I drag sometimes and go downward or the other way in some situations....I suspect it's because my welding is often exhaust. If you need your frame welded up on your daily driver truck...bad news! So I think it's mainly based on access more so than being technically correct. Great input from Mick Miller. When you need something heavy to be welded, hope there's an iron worker nearby! LOL
I will also add that Vertical Up, you do preheat the metal as heat rises. Vertical down for mig is acceptable, and it's easier. There's a saying, Up inside the fence, down outside the fence, as field pipe welders also weld vertical down. Another contraversal weld is the whip and pause for mig. If you pause at 15:02, you see all three of your welds, stringer, little E's, and Whip and pause. The stringer is the strongest, and the little e's are are the most full. There's a time and a place for everything and I love the channel. Keep it up!
Glad I found this channel. Read some of the other comments...
Great tutorial. Your metal skills are fantastic and your teaching skills are equally fantastic. Thank you for making an easy to watch, easy to understand video without music and profanity and with a positive attitude. I want to see all your work.
A 1st class tutor. Keeps it simple, explains well, down to earth manner, and no cursing. Very professional..!!👍
I agree 100%. You're a great teacher.
Hands down one of the best overall instructional videos I've watched. I've never welded before and have a cx500 cafe racer project I'm about to start. You spoke at a great pace, kept it simple and easy to understand and the videographer did a great job. Appreciate you putting this out 100%
I have always wanted to weld. At 60, I am finally getting my chance at an adult evening course at the high school. Stumbled upon this and it was fun and informative. I can't wait to start and will follow your videos!
Right on Leslie! Thanks for watching!
Absolutely love your videos. I've been welding for over 20 years and your spot on with your techniques. Your a natural teacher. It's not easy to explain how and more importantly why as clearly as you do. You are truly gifted in so many ways. Thank you for sharing with the rest of the world. Your content will definitely be a gamechanger for many beginners and some that think they know everything already. Bless you and keep making everything you touch badass.
Thanks so much Bill! Really appreciate that confirmation from a seasoned welder as yourself!
Agreed, some people have the gift of instruction and that is the basis of a good teacher.
Excellent tutorial, dude - 13 points out of a possible 10. Well done!
Sir, you are a natural teacher. If you can explain it to a five year old and your grandma, you know your stuff.
You must be a really seasoned vet the way you weld flawlessly in nothing but a tee! Love the video keep up the good content!
Your style of teaching is very clear. So many on youtube talk down to the viewer and make newcomers feel like it's pointless to even try to get started, where you explained how, and why, and make the hobby inviting.
Agreed!
I just finished taking a MIG welding class last week at the local college. Still I learned from your video thank you. My biggest problem is how to see where I’m welding. I tried a bright light and soapstone. No. 9 on my helmet and I often still wander off the line. But I’m still practicing as welding is a skill I enjoy. Looking forward to your future videos your metal fab skills amaze me. This 72 year old still wants to learn.
AMEN me too
I've seen every one of those welds, and some of them far more frequently than I am comfortable with. This was a great video, thanks!
A while ago I took a basic welding course at a local community college. It was a 5 week course, meeting once a week. I just learned more in your 22 minute video than in that entire 5 week course ! Excellent instruction, camera work and your delivery is pitch and speed perfect. Thank you......... I will be watching all the rest of your episodes.
This was a Great demo!! One of the Best l have SEEN If Not the BEST !!🎉😄 THANKS AGAIN !! 🤠
At 1:01, it is actually 75% argon, 25% CO2. The wire speed sound examples were very helpful. Great video. Thanks.
This has been one of the most informed videos on MIG welding I've come across. Thank you for sharing. P.S. Get KZhead to buy you a dark lenses.
I'm another mid-sixties retiree who's decided to learn to weld. This is an outstanding video; clearly explained, nice pace and lots of excellent examples of both right and wrong. My only concern is the tattoo on your left arm, the way the sparks were hitting it I'm sure it's gonna fade :) Thanks for you efforts, it's appreciated.
He me too! Been building cabinets and now want to branch off into tables and need to build frames! Good luck to us both..:)
Forget the tattoo, I’m concerned about burning the skin. I always wear sleeping. I’ve gotten a few small balls stuck on my skin here and there. No fun! Anyway, welding is cancerous. Not worth it.
Awesome presentation! After initially learning how to weld, I found that a high quality welding helmet is a must have. Cheaper welding helmets do not allow you to actually see the puddle that you're working with
Yup it is soooo important to SEE what you are doing. I always tell my students to get as close as they can to the puddle because at first they are scared and are 2 feet away and all they see is a bright light.
I confess my welding helmet is a pretty cheap one lol
@@MakeItKustom mine too, not sure how people can afford a $1,000 helmet. I'm sure the view is amazing (especially with improvements/advancements in lenses) but with a $100 auto tinting helmet , you can still see good enough to make quality welds and not worry about scratching your helmet up.
I used the hand shield out of a flux core set up out of harbor freight. Never did get the weld to start or end where I wanted it to.
@@Laugh1ngboy Yeah that is harder to learn on for sure, you should pick up a cheap auto tint helmet or at least a cheap old school non switching lense helmet so you can at least whip your helmet down and keep your hands free.
My son is a welder. He was building bass boats and party barges. Using the Mig & Tig welders. now hes doing other Welder work. I love talking about something he didnt know I knew about? I hope your right!
I think you did a grest job explaining it, too many teachers or people on KZhead just over complicate the process, either way, practice makes perfect.
Hello Karl! This video is excellent and very instructional I always wanted to learn to weld and this is a great start! Your instructions are very clear and to the point! Cudos to you and keep them coming!
Thank you for taking time to teach! I’ve seen so many videos of how to weld and was so confused and so hesitant to actually try it but when I watch your video you give me the confidence that I can do it because I fully understand how to begin what to look for thank you so much God bless you!
Bruh !?!?!!?!?!!?!!?!??! There’s no words to describe this tutorial. Well done
Dude, you put out the best video on working with metal!.....
Just came across your channel. Excellent information! I appreciate the fact that you take the time to explain differences, how to use them, and what can be wrong and how to fix it. And yes, it would be nice to have a camera filter to show (from your point of view) what is actually happening behind that blinding light. :) Nice work!
Best teacher I've seen. Learned more from this video than all others combined. Thank you!
how far are you now
learned more in 20 min with u than days with others.....bad ass video.....perfect
Throughout the KZhead, this is the most useful video so far. Thank you!
Great video Karl, as a self-taught welder I appreciate the clear and concise instruction you provided in this video. I will try and adjust my technique given your advice and see how much better I can do. Thanks!
Hey Karl, this is a great video! I am a self learned welder & have been welding for 30+ years, & still learning. I mostly use the circle technique myself but will be trying the others. Thanks for this video, so much great info. Rock on Brother!
This old dog is learning some new tricks! You're videos are very informative! With the skills you have at such a young age, you're going to go far! Thanks for all your efforts! Much appreciated!
Man You are the Best Teacher for Beginners 🙌👏👏👏👏👏
I’ve been thinking about this skill to hedge against AI taking over my current skills (design/marketing), and just from this clip alone, I know my life is about to change again. Thanks mate!
Great presentation I love watching your show I love the fact that you explain things when other channels do not and that's very important to all of us out here that are trying to do similar things like yourself I thank you and I will keep on watching your Channel thank you bro keep up the good work that you do peace
I've been welding for 17ish years, self through books mostly when i started, and as internet got broader i started watching others do it. After all these years i still enjoy watching people teach how they do it. Im definitely going to be trying that whip and pause technique, ive never seen it! Your videos are freeking awesome, keep them up! Also, try filming through a helmet, ive seen others do that and it looks decent, you can see the puddle and the wire
*I second what Brian says, I just grabbed an old lens from a plastic-cracked 1980s helmet and taped it over the lens with electrical tape and it worked well but strangely had a sweet spot 14-18 inches from bead. *
THANK YOU KARL! I just got back to the welder after a couple of years off and I needed this!
Thanks of the extremely thorough refresh course!
I definitely found my new channel to binge watch. Question though you mentioned 75/25 being 75% CO. Wouldn't that be reversed?
Yes you are correct I made a mistake thanks for watching and welcome to the channel!
Thanks. I was scrolling through all the comments to find this as that stuck out to me too. Please Pin this comment.
As a newbie I really appreciate you taking the time to show the basics along with a couple different techniques. My very first weld was a nut to a broken stud, and that was recent. I had the bird poop splatter at first and went too far to the point I melted the nut and it dripped down off the stud. Definitely a learning experience! I love videos like yours that explain how and why you make your adjustments!
If you're using flux core machine..check polarity on the machine. Wand should be hooked to negative and ground clamp to positive..look inside you will see where they hook up..by wire feed... This will cause the problem you describe.... splatter.....not welding good...so check that....look up polarity on flux core machine...on KZhead...if you don't believe me.... Thanks and practice is key..👍,,,,,,
I knew nothing about welding. This 22 minute video is better than 90% of the video's out there. Awesome down to earth explanations. Great job.
Great video, thanks for passing your knowledge with no drama, straight to the point and in a way that we can understand.
Awesome tutorial Karl,thanks for sharing. Take care man. Regards from Down Under
You’re most welcome and thanks for watching! Cheers
Great video Karl , you explained quit clearly even for a beginner to understand 😎😎🤘🤘🤘
Awesome I’m glad it came through clear! Thank you very much for watching
You are right. He was spot on. I always had an interest to learn welding.
Thank you. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong before the video. Love the whip and pause
Awesome video bro. My grandson enjoys watching and learning. Thanks
Thanks mate. Awesome video. I’m a VERY amateur welder. Learned oxy and arc in high school 30 years ago. ‘Self taught’ by trial and error on MIG. Have only ever used flux core gas-less. I’m getting decent welds, but wondering if changing up to using gas would make any benefit.
Yes majorly. Flux core is much harder to make good welds. Using gas allows your welds to flow out much better. I started with flux core switched to gas and it was a vast improvement
I'm a woman trying to get into the automotive industry as an auto body tech and I just wanted to say that this was the most helpful video I've watched out of probably 50. It was very well explained, easy to follow and set me up to self sufficient when working with different MIG welders, not just the one you use. I made my best welds yet after watching this and felt way more confident from the start. Thank you so much for the effort put in to make this video.
The most comprehensive tut on MiG welding on KZhead that I've seen so far, very helpful thank you.
This truly is a fantastic channel! Happy I found you. Hope you keep this content coming out. In three days I’ve learned so much about shaping metal, etc. love how detailed you are.
Thanks Karl! I have wish for another great content Video of you... Which Tools and Techniques do you use to prepare old metal of a car before welding it together with a new peace of sheet metal. And how you treat it after welding to make it "invisible"? That what be great if you can produce such another how to video... Thx in advance from the North of Germany 🇩🇪 Marco
I like to remove any paint or under coating and just get it back to clean metal. Whether or not it’s using a stripping desk or 80 grit sandpaper or a wire wheel as long as the metal is very clean
Great video, I really enjoyed seeing the different techniques side-by- side. Quick question, do any of those techniques result in better or more consistent weld penetration on the back side?
Dragging ( torch pointed towards puddle) will create a deeper penetration (flatter weld bead) as the wire pushes into a hotter metal. Pushing shoots the wire into a colder base metal and generally creates a rounder weld bead. For full penetration with a weld bead right through or even another weld bead created on the back side generally requires a gap between the materials. If your interested I have some great videos on welding.
Excellent! The golden nugget in your tutorial is the emphasis of welding into the puddle. Virtually none of the other videos say that very important part of welding, making you think that staying ahead of the weld is welding into cold metal(wrong). Thanks much.
I really liked yo teaching because ure so clear to understand according to the videos have come to watch across utube...thanx i will need to watch more of yo videos
*Very good video* 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent tips, thanks man. Something else on roller tension I found out the hard way, too tight is bad! If your wire speed is too high and roller tension is too tight it can cause the wire to "birds nest" and cause a real mess. I start loose, gripping the wire between two gloved fingers (at the gun), the wire should slip on the rollers. I increase the roller tension till I can only stop it by gripping the wire quite tightly.
Yes. Exactly. Thought it be better to read som comments before typing that exact comment too...😊
Great addition!
Love the way you explain everything especially for beginners straight to the point but exactly what has to be done keep up the good work
You make it sound so easy, you explain everything so well ,thank you.
Excellent, very clear, hugely knowledgeable. I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
This video is great and I've watched a ton of these beginner demos. Having seen most of this info before, the clear and simple way you present the basics sets you apart from many others on KZhead. Not to mention great looking welds. My first welder is in the mail so I'll be up and running soon. This video will be in a saved playlist for later reference. Thanks.
Dude, your tutorial rocks ! You stayed on point did what you said you were going to, and showed real time results
Best explanation so far for a guy that isn't a welder and now knows why my welds are not concave/flatter. I also have one other thing that I'm unsure of but it's my ability to see my weld and I'd like to understand how to adjust an automatic dimming hood better as I think that's overlooked quite a bit.
You have an excellent way in explaining and demonstrating basic mig welding . Great job.
What a great video. This is certainly one of the best MIG welding tutorials I‘ve seen so far. Thank you very much. Keep up the good work!
Literally some of the best explanation and teaching I've heard yet. You've had great teachers and you yourself are one as well. Thanks my guy!!
Thank you for doing this video. Just as everyone else has said, your ability to take the time to walk us through your technic at a pace we can understand is fantastic. I really enjoyed your work and am looking forward to more of your videos.
Probably one of the best beginner videos I've seen exactly what I and other people were looking for very well done.👍🏻
The most insightful tuition video I 've ever watched. Keep 'em coming. Great stuff
Best teaching ive seen in welding. Thanks. Great work!
I learn so much that seems so logical and common sense when watching your videos. Love your work.
You are a really good instructor. To teach the wrong way first and correct the problem with minimum effort is amazing. Thank you.
Thank you!! I’ve been wanting to learn for awhile and I’ve been teaching myself. Nobody really explains it as well as you did and I understand it a lot more now!!
Just started...and you're the best so far. Quick concise info that's easy to understand...learning to listen for the correct settings helped me emensely...once I got it set up my welds changed dramatically. Thanks!!!
Thanks for a great video! You do a fantastic job of explaining the good/bad, plus you demonstrate! Awesome!
Great tutorial. Your metal welding skills are a "WORK OF ART" and your teaching skills are equally fantastic. Thank you for making an easy and very well explanatory video. Keep up the good work.
This is the absolute best Mig Welding video and in my top 10 videos of all time. Thanks to you, I have now graduated my KZhead University Welding Class and rolling some great dimes.
I love the clear common sense approach, thank you for the guidance.
......to me even your so called crappy welds looks stunning Brother..... Job well done!!
Best welder video I ever watched
Fantastic demo. I had thought about (being a DIY guy that is also a "creator" and being able to weld to make specific items or modify items that I cannot find works well for me), welding seems to be the way I need to go. Thankfully, folks as experienced as yourself are willing to share your skills and knowledge to us just thinking about welding. I know I need a hands-on class (hopefully at a local college) and then once I do have it, I'll be making so much stuff that I'll have to get a larger place to store things!! Ha! Thanks so very much for this video.
Love your style of teaching for a complete novice such as me. Thanks!
Thank you for the tips. I’ve take 1 welding class and just got my hand on a mig 140. Excited to weld learn and weld some more!!!
Awesome video ! Really gave me a push to go get my Mig machine and get projects going! Lots of confidence after hearing you explain everything.
This is one of the best videos I’ve found for welding beginners! So much useful info. Great demos and explanations of common problems and things to look out for!
You’re an Incredible teacher. Best how to video I’ve seen. 🙏
Thanks for the tips. I started weld school yesterday and I think these tips Will definitely help. I'll come back Monday and give an update. 👍🏼
Hey, thanks a lot for this video. I just bought my first welder today. This was the perfect introduction. Looking forward to checking out more of your content
Great teaching, I watched about 10 videos and this one told me 10x more than the others combined. Thank you.
Such a good video! Appreciate the way you present the info and I learned a lot. Did my first mig practice today and it fast tracked my progress - Thank you!
Of all the how to/intro videos I've watched your is the best. You sir are a fantastic teacher.
Karl, this is a great, real life teaching. You are a very good instructor, so add one more old guy who is starting a new adventure this week.Thanks for your help. Dave.
Another old guy learning. Thx for giving back with this tutorial. Very helpful.
Artistic welds and what a GOOD TEACHER! Thank you for a lot of very useful information.
You're a great teacher! You keep it simple and straightforward. I like how you teach to go by what you hear. That's how I taught my Grandson to know when to shift gears in a car. Great and easy to understand technique. This is the first of your videos I've seen and I'm excited to go see more. Thanks...:)