8 Easy Welding Projects For Beginners!
googletag.display("div-ad-articleLeader");Before we discuss the actual projects you can do at home or in a small shop, we need to discuss safety. When it comes to welding it's important to work safely at all times. You will be using powerful and dangerous machinery that can hurt you or someone else in any number of ways.
So choose a project you feel comfortable taking on, one that falls within your specific skill set. More complex projects can be certainly taken head on once you've put yourself through the paces by completing easier, more novice-level projects. Be smart and always wear your protective gear while working on these welding projects.
Welding can be a lot of fun, rewarding and quite profitable, particularly if you have a passion for this hobby or profession. Getting started with your own projects at plaque home or even running a welding shop can be fun and challenging. If you're just starting out, here's a good way to go about it: invest in some good tools specific to working with metal.
Don't buy the cheap stuff.
It may work for a short period of time but then you'll have to buy another one and that takes more time and money. Setting up your very own welding shop in your garage, backyard, or in a fixed commercial location may take a little time but you can build your work station as you go. Consider taking some beginner welding classes at a Junior college.
Or, you can teach yourself with some very good books and videos on the subject. I know many welders who are very good at their trade and they are self taught. Welding is fun. As one welder said on my Facebook page, "Give me a salvage yard and a welder and you'll never see me again!" Here's a look at some interesting, creative, and easy welding projects targeted for the beginner and intermediate level metalworker.
Garden Stake:This is one of my favorite projects because it's fairly easy and it's quick. But the result is quite beautiful. You'll need hot rolled rods for the actual stake part. Consider using .5 " or three eighths inch rod. For the top 'artsy' part of the stake, the ideas are endless.
But you may want to make a simple cutout to put on top for a first time project (like an animal, or the sun). Get a thin piece of of sheet metal and cut out the design with a torch, plasma cutter, or a grinder. Use a torch only on one eighth inch or above, otherwise use a plasma cutter or grinder.
The heavier the metal the easier it is.
Welding Book Guide Recommendation #1:Welding Complete: Techniques, Project Plans & InstructionsAmazon Price: $36.65 Buy Now(price as of Jan 24, 2016)This is my favorite guide (for a book) because it has tons of great welding and metalwork information from starting your shop, to welding educational material, and it's LOADED with excellent step by step plans for very handy and profitable welding projects.Welding A Work Bench:This project may prove very useful to you; a work bench is a very useful item to have in your welding garage, whether you're pursuing welding as a profession or a hobby.
Interestingly, welding a work bench is not that painstaking of a task, so long as you're welding it together by making use of proper technique. Built right, it can easily withstand about half a ton of weight for future projects you may be pursuing. It may very well serve as a test of your welding skills as well.
To begin, make sure the following are in your arsenal: Welding machine Cutter Angle iron brackets Angle grinder Paint Much akin to a shop stool a work bench sports 4 legs along with a top. Steer clear of a wooden top due to inadequate safety; a steel top is much safer and can easily be used for future projects. The table top size may vary depending upon the space you have in your workshop or garage.
Take the work bench height into account; it should be able to accommodate your frame well, without causing undue fatigue when working long hours. By adding a platform closer to the bottom half, you're going to make your bench more stable and it also gives you space to safely store away your tools. For a more finished look, paint it metal over if you like.
How to Weld a Shop Stool:A shop stool can be quite valuable asset for your welding shop. The best part: no intricate or otherwise complex parts to weld. This project can be a high-rise stool you may have likely come across in welding shops.
Before getting started, all you need to do is make a map of what you'll be doing; a drawing, plans, or blueprints if you will. It doesn't have to be complicated. You can literally draw it out. You're also going to need these materials before beginning: angle iron brackets that help you fix the legs and a piece of square-shaped steel that will serve as the seat. The height of all the brackets need to be the same as you don't want to be sitting on a wobbly stool once you start welding away.
The angle brackets play a pivotal role in supporting the seat. So here's your basic game plan: weld the seat frame that's as big as the metal seat along with 4 legs, to make it stand. The stool needs to be stable and strong; the angle iron brackets need to run through the bottom half of the stool and seat.
Seat choices can also included padded or plywood ones.How To Make A Tool Rack: A took rack can help you keep things nicely organized. Making it yourself brings an added benefit: you get to customize it to your liking.
Create a standing rack if you like, or a wall-hanging one if it's more convenient. The tools you're going to need are exactly the same as above.Begin by working on the rack frame using the angle brackets.
Create a partition in the middle.
The storage rack needs to be big enough to accommodate all the equipment in your welding arsenal. You may want to leave a little extra for future tools; in this case, it would be wise to take measurements of your equipment and make partitions accordingly.Steel metal sheets work well if you want to place your tools in the rack.
You can also use hooks or pipes if you feel hanging your tools is more convenient. Finally, paint it off for a clean and polished look or let it be, if you're more of a welder who likes to admire or show off the neat welding marks, courtesy of your skills.Let's take a look at some more projects well-catered to the novice or beginner welder.
Garden Fence:A garden plaque fence serves multiple purposes, including keeping animals away that wander about the neighborhood. Make sure you have steel rods and an aluminum-magnesium allow wire mesh handy. The steel rods need to be apart by 2 meters.
Determine the number of rods that are going to be needed, which is decided by the area the fence is going to cover. So now you have a 2-meter width coupled with a height of your own choosing. Let's say the width and height come to a total of 3 meters, cut away a piece of wire mesh.
Make use of your welding machine to weld in this wire mesh between two steel rods. Keep doing that until you reach the final fence area of your garden area. Once all the necessary preparation is done, this makes for a very quick and easy project for starters.
Recommended Welding Project Guide #1:Ready, Set, Weld!: Beginner-Friendly Projects for the Home & GardenAmazon Price: $21.95 $12.84 Buy Now(price as of Jan 24, 2016)This is one of my favorite welding guide because it has good information along with creative artsy project ideas, including how to make garden stakes, and home furnishings. It's a perfect compliment to my #1 recommendation above.
Making a Metal Cart:Metal carts are not only easy to build but prove to be very useful. You can quite easily move your welding equipment or other heavy objects around the garage or work shop. To begin, grab a hold of these: 4 cart wheels Metal strips for the base Angle iron brackets for the sides 4 casters and accompanying supports Steel rods (cold-rolled) for the handle It would serve well to chalk out a design plan before you get to work.
Start by taking an accurate measurement for the welding machine as you don't want the cart to be too small for it. The outer sides are built by incorporating the angle-iron brackets. Infuse them into a rectangular form. Now go ahead and weld the metal strips across the base but take care not to place them close enough to provide support.
Now it's time to weld the cart wheels and casters. The steel rods will allow you to make a nice handle that's used for pushing or pulling the cart. Your metal cart is now all set to carry heavy welding machinery.
Welding Rod Stand:A welding rod stand holds long-length rods that can be used in your welding projects. Here's what you'll need: 1-inch thick pipe A 6-inch channel 0.25-inch thick metal piece (2 x 2 inches) One 5/8-inch nut A 5/8-inch threaded rod Another 3-inch channel The first step is to weld the 6-inch channel to the pipe.
Proceed to weld the pipe to the metal piece, which in turn, has to be welded to the nut. Next, insert the threaded rod through the nut and thread another nut to the other side. Weld a 3-inch channel to the nut and add the u-shaped metal piece, which will act as a support.
Pet Gate:Including funny man Tim Allen, who says home improvement has to be boring Most homes have pets and you may have realized how important it is to have a proper pet gate. This also serves an important purpose when it's time to potty train them! You're simply going to need metal hinges and tubing to get this done. After creating half inch squares using the metal tubing, weld together a metal lattice.
It should be big enough for your pet to pass through easily. Make use of more metal tubing to weld the borders into a rectangular shape. The edges need to be smooth as you don't want your pet to get injured.
Use the hinges to attach this part to the bottom half of your door. Cut an opening in your door that's the same size. Your pet can now easily punch right through the pet gate.
No need for a password!How About a Grill Making your very own grill at home can be as easy as grabbing some metal strips and a clean metal barrel. This grill is called the Texas Grill. Use a torch or plasma cutter to cut through the barrel. Cut it horizontally, in half. Clean it properly from the inside. Weld the metal strips together to resemble a mesh that is going to be equally spaced out.
Fill up the open metal barrel with coal and light it all up. Place the metal grill on top. There you go, all set!Welding Instructional Videos:Highly Recommended!GMAW & Flux Core & Oxy-Acetylene & Torch Cutting (4 DVD Welding Set!)Amazon Price: $86.95 Buy Now(price as of Jan 24, 2016)This four pack of welding DVD's is a great value but the content is actually worth ten times the price.
Steve Bleile is the instructor and his DVD's are used in over 4000 government and trade school institutions. Get this set and check his other ones on Arc Welding as well (stick welding).function articleAdMiddleLoad(){if (typeof jQuery != "undefined") {var lastPosition = 0;var minimumDistanceBetweenAds = 1200;var minimumDistanceFromBottom = 300;var adsToPlace = 20;for(var i = 1; i <= adsToPlace; i++){var spotFound = false;// Loop through each HTML element in the article to find a spot for an ad.
$(".
articleText").
children().
each(function() {if($(this).
position().
top - lastPosition > 0// element is after last placed ad&& !$(this).hasClass("articleAdMiddle")// element is not an ad&& ($(this).position().top - lastPosition > minimumDistanceBetweenAds // enough space between ads&& $(".
articleText").
height() - $(this).
position().
top > minimumDistanceFromBottom// enough space from the bottom of the article|| $(this).prev().hasClass("articleSlideshow") // previous element is a slideshow)){$(this).before($("#articleAdMiddle" + i));googletag.
display("div-ad-articleMiddle" + i);lastPosition = $(this).position().top;spotFound = true;return false;}});// If no spot can be found, stop the loop and remove any remaining banner slots.if(!spotFound){for(var j =
So choose a project you feel comfortable taking on, one that falls within your specific skill set. More complex projects can be certainly taken head on once you've put yourself through the paces by completing easier, more novice-level projects. Be smart and always wear your protective gear while working on these welding projects.
Welding can be a lot of fun, rewarding and quite profitable, particularly if you have a passion for this hobby or profession. Getting started with your own projects at plaque home or even running a welding shop can be fun and challenging. If you're just starting out, here's a good way to go about it: invest in some good tools specific to working with metal.
Don't buy the cheap stuff.
It may work for a short period of time but then you'll have to buy another one and that takes more time and money. Setting up your very own welding shop in your garage, backyard, or in a fixed commercial location may take a little time but you can build your work station as you go. Consider taking some beginner welding classes at a Junior college.
Or, you can teach yourself with some very good books and videos on the subject. I know many welders who are very good at their trade and they are self taught. Welding is fun. As one welder said on my Facebook page, "Give me a salvage yard and a welder and you'll never see me again!" Here's a look at some interesting, creative, and easy welding projects targeted for the beginner and intermediate level metalworker.
Garden Stake:This is one of my favorite projects because it's fairly easy and it's quick. But the result is quite beautiful. You'll need hot rolled rods for the actual stake part. Consider using .5 " or three eighths inch rod. For the top 'artsy' part of the stake, the ideas are endless.
But you may want to make a simple cutout to put on top for a first time project (like an animal, or the sun). Get a thin piece of of sheet metal and cut out the design with a torch, plasma cutter, or a grinder. Use a torch only on one eighth inch or above, otherwise use a plasma cutter or grinder.
The heavier the metal the easier it is.
Welding Book Guide Recommendation #1:Welding Complete: Techniques, Project Plans & InstructionsAmazon Price: $36.65 Buy Now(price as of Jan 24, 2016)This is my favorite guide (for a book) because it has tons of great welding and metalwork information from starting your shop, to welding educational material, and it's LOADED with excellent step by step plans for very handy and profitable welding projects.Welding A Work Bench:This project may prove very useful to you; a work bench is a very useful item to have in your welding garage, whether you're pursuing welding as a profession or a hobby.
Interestingly, welding a work bench is not that painstaking of a task, so long as you're welding it together by making use of proper technique. Built right, it can easily withstand about half a ton of weight for future projects you may be pursuing. It may very well serve as a test of your welding skills as well.
To begin, make sure the following are in your arsenal: Welding machine Cutter Angle iron brackets Angle grinder Paint Much akin to a shop stool a work bench sports 4 legs along with a top. Steer clear of a wooden top due to inadequate safety; a steel top is much safer and can easily be used for future projects. The table top size may vary depending upon the space you have in your workshop or garage.
Take the work bench height into account; it should be able to accommodate your frame well, without causing undue fatigue when working long hours. By adding a platform closer to the bottom half, you're going to make your bench more stable and it also gives you space to safely store away your tools. For a more finished look, paint it metal over if you like.
How to Weld a Shop Stool:A shop stool can be quite valuable asset for your welding shop. The best part: no intricate or otherwise complex parts to weld. This project can be a high-rise stool you may have likely come across in welding shops.
Before getting started, all you need to do is make a map of what you'll be doing; a drawing, plans, or blueprints if you will. It doesn't have to be complicated. You can literally draw it out. You're also going to need these materials before beginning: angle iron brackets that help you fix the legs and a piece of square-shaped steel that will serve as the seat. The height of all the brackets need to be the same as you don't want to be sitting on a wobbly stool once you start welding away.
The angle brackets play a pivotal role in supporting the seat. So here's your basic game plan: weld the seat frame that's as big as the metal seat along with 4 legs, to make it stand. The stool needs to be stable and strong; the angle iron brackets need to run through the bottom half of the stool and seat.
Seat choices can also included padded or plywood ones.How To Make A Tool Rack: A took rack can help you keep things nicely organized. Making it yourself brings an added benefit: you get to customize it to your liking.
Create a standing rack if you like, or a wall-hanging one if it's more convenient. The tools you're going to need are exactly the same as above.Begin by working on the rack frame using the angle brackets.
Create a partition in the middle.
The storage rack needs to be big enough to accommodate all the equipment in your welding arsenal. You may want to leave a little extra for future tools; in this case, it would be wise to take measurements of your equipment and make partitions accordingly.Steel metal sheets work well if you want to place your tools in the rack.
You can also use hooks or pipes if you feel hanging your tools is more convenient. Finally, paint it off for a clean and polished look or let it be, if you're more of a welder who likes to admire or show off the neat welding marks, courtesy of your skills.Let's take a look at some more projects well-catered to the novice or beginner welder.
Garden Fence:A garden plaque fence serves multiple purposes, including keeping animals away that wander about the neighborhood. Make sure you have steel rods and an aluminum-magnesium allow wire mesh handy. The steel rods need to be apart by 2 meters.
Determine the number of rods that are going to be needed, which is decided by the area the fence is going to cover. So now you have a 2-meter width coupled with a height of your own choosing. Let's say the width and height come to a total of 3 meters, cut away a piece of wire mesh.
Make use of your welding machine to weld in this wire mesh between two steel rods. Keep doing that until you reach the final fence area of your garden area. Once all the necessary preparation is done, this makes for a very quick and easy project for starters.
Recommended Welding Project Guide #1:Ready, Set, Weld!: Beginner-Friendly Projects for the Home & GardenAmazon Price: $21.95 $12.84 Buy Now(price as of Jan 24, 2016)This is one of my favorite welding guide because it has good information along with creative artsy project ideas, including how to make garden stakes, and home furnishings. It's a perfect compliment to my #1 recommendation above.
Making a Metal Cart:Metal carts are not only easy to build but prove to be very useful. You can quite easily move your welding equipment or other heavy objects around the garage or work shop. To begin, grab a hold of these: 4 cart wheels Metal strips for the base Angle iron brackets for the sides 4 casters and accompanying supports Steel rods (cold-rolled) for the handle It would serve well to chalk out a design plan before you get to work.
Start by taking an accurate measurement for the welding machine as you don't want the cart to be too small for it. The outer sides are built by incorporating the angle-iron brackets. Infuse them into a rectangular form. Now go ahead and weld the metal strips across the base but take care not to place them close enough to provide support.
Now it's time to weld the cart wheels and casters. The steel rods will allow you to make a nice handle that's used for pushing or pulling the cart. Your metal cart is now all set to carry heavy welding machinery.
Welding Rod Stand:A welding rod stand holds long-length rods that can be used in your welding projects. Here's what you'll need: 1-inch thick pipe A 6-inch channel 0.25-inch thick metal piece (2 x 2 inches) One 5/8-inch nut A 5/8-inch threaded rod Another 3-inch channel The first step is to weld the 6-inch channel to the pipe.
Proceed to weld the pipe to the metal piece, which in turn, has to be welded to the nut. Next, insert the threaded rod through the nut and thread another nut to the other side. Weld a 3-inch channel to the nut and add the u-shaped metal piece, which will act as a support.
Pet Gate:Including funny man Tim Allen, who says home improvement has to be boring Most homes have pets and you may have realized how important it is to have a proper pet gate. This also serves an important purpose when it's time to potty train them! You're simply going to need metal hinges and tubing to get this done. After creating half inch squares using the metal tubing, weld together a metal lattice.
It should be big enough for your pet to pass through easily. Make use of more metal tubing to weld the borders into a rectangular shape. The edges need to be smooth as you don't want your pet to get injured.
Use the hinges to attach this part to the bottom half of your door. Cut an opening in your door that's the same size. Your pet can now easily punch right through the pet gate.
No need for a password!How About a Grill Making your very own grill at home can be as easy as grabbing some metal strips and a clean metal barrel. This grill is called the Texas Grill. Use a torch or plasma cutter to cut through the barrel. Cut it horizontally, in half. Clean it properly from the inside. Weld the metal strips together to resemble a mesh that is going to be equally spaced out.
Fill up the open metal barrel with coal and light it all up. Place the metal grill on top. There you go, all set!Welding Instructional Videos:Highly Recommended!GMAW & Flux Core & Oxy-Acetylene & Torch Cutting (4 DVD Welding Set!)Amazon Price: $86.95 Buy Now(price as of Jan 24, 2016)This four pack of welding DVD's is a great value but the content is actually worth ten times the price.
Steve Bleile is the instructor and his DVD's are used in over 4000 government and trade school institutions. Get this set and check his other ones on Arc Welding as well (stick welding).function articleAdMiddleLoad(){if (typeof jQuery != "undefined") {var lastPosition = 0;var minimumDistanceBetweenAds = 1200;var minimumDistanceFromBottom = 300;var adsToPlace = 20;for(var i = 1; i <= adsToPlace; i++){var spotFound = false;// Loop through each HTML element in the article to find a spot for an ad.
$(".
articleText").
children().
each(function() {if($(this).
position().
top - lastPosition > 0// element is after last placed ad&& !$(this).hasClass("articleAdMiddle")// element is not an ad&& ($(this).position().top - lastPosition > minimumDistanceBetweenAds // enough space between ads&& $(".
articleText").
height() - $(this).
position().
top > minimumDistanceFromBottom// enough space from the bottom of the article|| $(this).prev().hasClass("articleSlideshow") // previous element is a slideshow)){$(this).before($("#articleAdMiddle" + i));googletag.
display("div-ad-articleMiddle" + i);lastPosition = $(this).position().top;spotFound = true;return false;}});// If no spot can be found, stop the loop and remove any remaining banner slots.if(!spotFound){for(var j =
Comments
Post a Comment