How tough is it to weld?

[desura]

my car has two broken welds. I'm considering just DIY'ing it. How tough is it to? I've never welded.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Not very. Are you going to be doing alot of welding in the near future? I ask because good welding gear is expensive.

 

[Ruptga]

Welding is not hard, but don't even think about a DIY. A bad weld is little better than a bunch of paperclips, and if you don't know what you're doing you WILL make a bad weld. Also the basic equipment is several hundred dollars, and it can kill you if you fuck it up badly enough.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Dibs on your stuff.

If you want to have it welded, take it to a welding shop. There are also guys who will come to you. Not sure what their minimum charge is.

 

[Ruptga]

Dibs on your stuff.

If you want to have it welded, take it to a welding shop. There are also guys who will come to you. Not sure what their minimum charge is.

I'm sure the charge varies from place to place, but it will be a lot cheaper to take the car to their shop than the other way around.

 

[Puffnstuff]

If you want it done right take your car to a shop and pay the guys to fix your issue.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

As others have said, welding is easy, but it's also easy to screw up something you like if you haven't practiced with it. It's also really freaking expensive for proper equip... this isn't like soldering. Just take it to a body shop, or your local HS vehicle shop if they have one. May wanna wait for a little later in the semester though

 

[Yakk]

Welding is not hard, but don't even think about a DIY. A bad weld is little better than a bunch of paperclips, and if you don't know what you're doing you WILL make a bad weld. Also the basic equipment is several hundred dollars, and it can kill you if you fuck it up badly enough.

Listen to this guy, welding is not hard but you are using potentially very dangerous equipment and need practice & expertise to do it well. DIY without somebody knowledgeable to guide you is setting yourself up for big, big problems.

 

[renz20003]

I'm gonna echo everyone else, easy but a car shouldn't be your first project.

 

[Ferzerp]

Some things are trivial (large hunks of thick metal). Some things aren't (thin metal, things other than steel, etc).

To do it well though is a skill that people take a long time to develop. Anyone can tack together hunks of steel, but that's not a good weld.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

OP hasn't said he needed to weld a critical component. What if it's just an exhaust hanger? Then can he try his first welding project on a real live car?

I understand that the lack of info makes this anal crowd pucker up so tight that carbon transforms but lets not call out ralph nader quite yet.

 

[Yakk]

OP hasn't said he needed to weld a critical component. What if it's just an exhaust hanger? Then can he try his first welding project on a real live car?

I understand that the lack of info makes this anal crowd pucker up so tight that carbon transforms but lets not call out ralph nader quite yet.

In most places I know of, welders need a special license and training to weld near a gas tank period. That's why a lot of general welders won't (officially) work directly on cars. Those that do charge for it because of the extra fees and expertise required.

 

[BoomerD]

Welding isn't difficult...welding correctly is.

Almost any idiot can strike an arc and stick metal together...but it takes a LOT of practice to (a) do it right so that it stays stuck together, and (b) make it look halfway decent.

We don't know what component the OP needs to weld...if it's a frame member...that's a bit more difficult...welding can take the temper out of the frame steel...and can weaken it severely.

 

[DaTT]

This is not a task you should tackle on your own with zero experience.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Easy to learn, extremely difficult to master.

Watching a skilled welder can be a bit confusing as they make it seems so effortless and easy, however actually trying to replicate what they do is another story.

 

[Imp]

According to the Amazing Race, not very hard to throw down some filler metal, very hard to get it air-tight... and everyone had higher-quality respirators under their welding masks on.

 

[Ruptga]

OP hasn't said he needed to weld a critical component. What if it's just an exhaust hanger? Then can he try his first welding project on a real live car?

I understand that the lack of info makes this anal crowd pucker up so tight that carbon transforms but lets not call out ralph nader quite yet.

OP can do whatever he wants, including fuck up his car, his eyes, and his wallet, but it's not recommended. It seems your reply is based entirely on your opinion of us pitiable basement dwellers rather than on any experience with welding. If so, kindly stfu since some of us actually have experience with what he asked about.

 

[Linux23]

Really, can welding kill you?

 

[OverVolt]

Only if you like being able to see through your eye lenses.

 

[PottedMeat]

Really, can welding kill you?

sure

welding around combustible gases
cleaning with chlorinated liquids then welding
uh buying a sweet welding rig and not being able buy food
one of those big ass generator/welders can fall on you
...i'm sure there are more

 

[BrainEater]

Absolutely welding can kill you.
While not a welder by trade (read : not certified ) , I have many thousands of hours of experience welding.
-----

I assure you 24-48 volts DC @ 120 amps will fuck you over.I've been shocked a couple times.Unpleasant.
HF start on a TIG torch can zap the crap outta yah too !

-------

Welding is not hard at all if you have good hand-eye coordination , buuuut I'm not sure your own car is a suitable 'first attempt'.
At least take a 2 week introductory course on welding first.

 

[Imp]

The whole breathing thing is also supposedly a concern. I haven't done it before but reading stuff online, welders gotta run fans and wear proper respirators -- not just poverty dust masks. Then they still "retire" early because of health problems typical of laborers/trades people.

 

[BrainEater]

Depends on what metal you are welding.
Basic mild steel welding , you don't need respirator style masks , the fans are there to keep the welder cool.
Any stainless/chrome steels , and Aluminum , you want evac fans or respirator/filter masks....and again the fan to keep cool.

 

[OverVolt]

I would imagine heat can vaporize aluminum and lead which you then breath it in where it has plenty of time to be absorbed in small amounts and both are neurotoxins. Im sure there are lots of contaminants in economically produced metals. IE quantity over purity.

 

[Ruptga]

sure

welding around combustible gases
cleaning with chlorinated liquids then welding
uh buying a sweet welding rig and not being able buy food
one of those big ass generator/welders can fall on you
...i'm sure there are more

The main thing with cars is the gas tank could blow up, but unless you're welding with acetylene you're also dealing with more than enough electric current to stop your heart. Electrocution while welding is usually a pretty remote risk, but it's still a worst case scenario. Oh and if you're welding with acetylene then the worst case is your acetylene tank exploding. Granted this is multiple tanks going off over time, but acetylene will wreck your shit.