[lendaddy]

I welded mig and tig in a production setting (thousands and thousands of welds a day) for years. I think people over think welding and get intimidated. I also think people don't keep up on equipment maintenance which leads to inconsistent results and further frustration chasing settings.

Mig welding is VERY easy to learn, tig takes a bit more thought and control. If you really want to learn how to lay a good bead buy a production welder a case of beer and just watch him through a helmet for a few hours. The settings and what not can come mostly from the book with satisfactory results. Learning how to move the gun and what angles of attack do what comes with watching and doing.