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For grown ups, get yourself a 110V MIG welder and just start sticking metal together. It is a surprisingly fun and accessible hobby with tremendous practical ap

For grown ups, get yourself a 110V MIG welder and just start sticking metal together. It is a surprisingly fun and accessible hobby with tremendous practical applications.

causi 4y ago
It can be a huge pain if you don't have a source of known alloy pieces, though. When you don't know what material you have finding the middle ground between something that's barely held together and blowing holes in it can be surprisingly difficult as an amateur.
- johnwalkr 4y ago
  Any big box hardware store has a handful of steel sheet and L-sections, and a store called "Metal Supermarkets" is pretty common throughout North America which will stock anything a hobbyist welder could dream of, order whatever they don't have, cut to length, etc. There's cheaper, better sources but they are not always accessible to a walk-in shopper with a hand sketch.
  - mcguire 4y ago
    For practice, most welding suppliers/metal shops have a bin full of mild steel scraps and cut-offs that they may even let you have for free. (The one I went to even gave me a box for them.)
- mindcrime 4y ago
  if you don't have a source of known alloy pieces If you happen to have a high-school or community college nearby with a welding program, it would probably be productive to ask one of the instructors there where they source their practice material. When I was in high-school I think most of ours came from Horton Iron & Metal[1], the local scrap metal recycling firm. Probably many areas have something similar? [1]: https://www.hortoniron.com/ https://www.hortoniron.com/
mikewarot 4y ago
Don't weld anything with chromium in/on it, it'll kill you!
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- bitexploder 4y ago
  Well… yeah, do your research, it has non-trivial dangers to it. :) Definitely start with mild steel and or aluminum. Stainless steel is something you would graduate to with correct PPE (fume extractors, adequate respirators, etc.)
  - mikewarot 4y ago
    It's much safer for everyone if you lead with metaphorical truth, let them find the details later. Humans are horrible at estimating danger. It's much better to be precautious. All guns are loaded --- metaphorically true (I.E. you live longer if you act like it's always true)

For grown ups, get yourself a 110V MIG welder and just start sticking metal together. It is a surprisingly fun and accessible hobby with tremendous practical applications.

causi 4y ago

It can be a huge pain if you don't have a source of known alloy pieces, though. When you don't know what material you have finding the middle ground between something that's barely held together and blowing holes in it can be surprisingly difficult as an amateur.

johnwalkr 4y ago
Any big box hardware store has a handful of steel sheet and L-sections, and a store called "Metal Supermarkets" is pretty common throughout North America which will stock anything a hobbyist welder could dream of, order whatever they don't have, cut to length, etc. There's cheaper, better sources but they are not always accessible to a walk-in shopper with a hand sketch.
- mcguire 4y ago
  For practice, most welding suppliers/metal shops have a bin full of mild steel scraps and cut-offs that they may even let you have for free. (The one I went to even gave me a box for them.)
mindcrime 4y ago
if you don't have a source of known alloy pieces If you happen to have a high-school or community college nearby with a welding program, it would probably be productive to ask one of the instructors there where they source their practice material. When I was in high-school I think most of ours came from Horton Iron & Metal[1], the local scrap metal recycling firm. Probably many areas have something similar? [1]: https://www.hortoniron.com/ https://www.hortoniron.com/

mikewarot 4y ago

Don't weld anything with chromium in/on it, it'll kill you!

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
bitexploder 4y ago
Well… yeah, do your research, it has non-trivial dangers to it. :) Definitely start with mild steel and or aluminum. Stainless steel is something you would graduate to with correct PPE (fume extractors, adequate respirators, etc.)
- mikewarot 4y ago
  It's much safer for everyone if you lead with metaphorical truth, let them find the details later. Humans are horrible at estimating danger. It's much better to be precautious. All guns are loaded --- metaphorically true (I.E. you live longer if you act like it's always true)