re: Any place around BR to take a welding class?

Definitely, but it's really only good for slapping stuff together. There isn't enough adjustment to lay a decent weld down. Sure it will hold two pieces of metal together but that's about it.

I hear you on the portaband. They are just so versatile.

quote:

---

They msrp for right at 2k

---

they are 1k all over the internet.
LINK

there is a 251 on craiglisst near me for 1500 but it looks heavily used.

I might've gotten it from Airgas. Can't remember though

CR, to your OP, I know it's not in your area but at SWCC in Summit, MS my buddy teaches the welding course. I had a few months on my hands a few years back and went a couple times a week.

He taught me well enough to pass the overhead plate test and within a month how to pass a 6G pipe test. I always wanted to know more about welding since being in design and engineering my whole life.

Also, Lowes carries a damn good Lincoln stick welder for about 300 bucks.

That's a good machine and what I would go with. Get that a decent grinder for $30 and this Band Saw and you'll be well on your way. That band saw can be used as a verticle band saw and horizontal.

As far as grinders go. I've had a job using a grinder from the time I was 15 till just a few years ago. I've used old school black and deckers, Metabo, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Harbor Freight, Makita, and the orange black and deckers. A few months ago I went out and bought a new grinder for the house and went with Harbor Freight. For the amount that I use it suits me just fine. If I decided tomorrow to open a welding shop I'm going all Metabo.

As far as cut off blades we've used all different types. Again, at the price point that they are sold for and how quick they cut the Harbor Freight cut off wheels are fine. Best I've ever used was Flexovit, they last and cut really good.

Best advice I can give you for a grinder is to not remove the guard and make sure your shirt is tucked in. Wear glasses, a long sleeve shirt and full face shield.



These are the gloves that I always worked with, except I used the Tillman brand. They held up pretty good, the sleeve around the wrist keeps out the BB's and they were thin enough that you could feel what you what you doing and thick enough to be okay to weld with.

Go to the BRCC website, click on workforce education and look for the AWS 120hr class. I believe its $500 for the class.

Haha I know the feeling. Like I said earlier nothing to do with welding is cheap and always buy a little more machine than you think you need but only you can make that choice.

About the duty cycle again: I know 3-4 minutes of welding out of every 10 doesn't sound like a lot, but in reality even in a commercial/industrial setting, if you have 40% of a 10hr day under the hood you are doing a LOT of welding. There is always prep, fabrication, and cleaning/grinding to do.

ETA. Thinking it over a little more, I think you'd be fine with what either Hammertime or myself linked. Millermatic 190 or 211 I believe. It'll be a smaller setup, you can use small rolls of wire, and just get like a medium bottle of 75/25 (75%argon,25%CO2). It will produce good welds and if you get into it and decide you need to upgrade, you can always sell it and get a decent chunk of you money back to put on a new setup.