I want to learn how to weld?

I want to be able to tackle many instructables that involved welding, and to be able to build things like a go-kart chassis, or do cheap car repairs.

I know there are lots of types of welding, what is the best for general this-and-that stuff

thanks

Comments

[orksecurity]

Note that many community colleges and the like offer welding classes to the public at a reasonable price. As with most skills, the best way to learn is from someone who has already made their mistakes.

[Possum Living]

I recommend starting with a stick welder, preferably AC/DC and definitely at least 180 amps capacity. This is the easiest type of welder for a beginner to use, and is quite affordable. Here is an article with more info.

[NachoMahma]

.  See steveastrouk's answer.
.  Stick is your best bet for general, all-purpose welding, but MIG (good for sheet-metal welding) or TIG (especially if working with Aluminum) might be a better option.
.
.  A local Vo-Tech school probably offers (night) classes in Welding at a bargain price.

[steveastrouk]

MIG is pretty easy to do, but can be hard to make good structural welds.

Stick welding is harder, but tends to be for heavier sections than cheap MIG sets (say 1/8th inch, 3mm up)

Best results are obtained by TIG welding, but they usually cost more than stick or MIG sets, and take a lot more skill to use.