Tuesday, December 29, 2009

For welding newbies

It's one of those frequently asked questions on the forum. No matter what type of welding you plan to do, there's always an initial investment in money and time. Sure, some people might pick up new skills really fast. For others, it's trial and error, over and over again. Nothing comes easy to every person. Frustration is part of the learning process.

There's no magical formula to learning how to weld. Some prefer to take courses, others prefer to learn as they go. What type of learner are you? Maybe buy some books or borrow them from a library. Maybe an in-person course is what you need. Maybe someone can give you some hands-on lessons. How you learn is really up to you. How much the equipment will cost is again up to you and the type of welding you will be doing.

When Brad started welding, he took a diploma course at our local college and bought a cheap welder for under $200. To this day, he prefers stick welding and using minimal tools. That's his preference. Sure, you can spend alot of money on tools and equipment. But, if you're on a really limited budget, you can easily spend under $300 to get started.

We have a step-by-step welding tutorial for beginners on the Atomic Zombie and ChopZone web sites. Take a few minutes to read through it, then shop around for the equipment and tools you will need.

When in doubt, stop by our helpful community of bike builders for advice. We have a welding equipment tips and advice section with tons of information that will probably answer your questions.