How much welding do you need know to be an artist

[scottmandue]

I have always been interested by artist who make sculpture out of scrap/recycled metal. How much training do you need to tack random bits of steel together so it doesn't fall apart if someone sneezes on it?

[drcoastline]

Just enough to make it all stick together.

[wdfifteen]

Not much. I’m teaching MrsWD to braze steel and cast iron together for one of her art projects. It all takes practice.

[908/930]

Quite easy to stick metal together, for art. The important training is to make sure you understand the safety part of it, protecting eyes and skin and not burning the place down.

[john70t]

Training?
You'll need at least a john70t Level VII certificate or better to make artwork.
Apply now for my online course and get 10% off the regular price.

[Zeke]

Lots of Lincoln 100's and 135's on CL for cheap and they are decent machines. You don't need MIG (gas) to weld up scrap based sculpture/art unless you are looking for a smooth and refined look.

Grab the best one you can find for the least $$. They use 120v. If you don't like it, sell it. There's a rotating market out there.

A guy on YT named ChuckE2009 bought a $100 wire feeder off Amazon and tested it. He's now a certified welder and said it was at least worth the money, whatever that means.

My stuff, 5 welders plus an oxy/acet set, is all decent few hundred to several hundred dollar range gear. You will come to the conclusion some day that paying more gets you a lot more.

[porsche930dude]

I taught the neighbor girl to weld in like half an hour she was welding the feet back on her giant rooster. Iv got a lincoln 100 running co2 iv been abusing for 15 years. The challenge with making art isnt the welding but making pieces of random crap fit together and look like something

[DanielDudley]

I can't weld.

With a MIG welder, you would never know that. It does the welding. I just direct it and make sure I get some penetration. I will say that no one was ever sorry that they bought a 220 volt machine, extra tips and different sized wire.

[ckelly78z]

Our local community college has a beginners welding class that was really informative. I learned Arc/MIG/TIG/Braze, and even played around with a plasma cutter.

I bought my own buzz box, and built a few projects, but now, after getting a pace maker/defib, I am not allowed to use it because of the high frequencies. When I get time, i'm going to fill my torch bottles, and learn the art of Oxy/Acetylene welding (with no electricity).

[TimT]

Someone has some talent

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by TimT

Someone has some talent

That is just showing off.

I have some welding equipment, and I can hack together some repairs, but I am not proficient at all. A friend of mine is a professional welder, that does it for a living. He has a really nice shop, and makes a decent living at it. It is buried in business.

I had a small bit of welding I needed done. I knew a tig weld was the best way. As I did not want to go buy a welder to do one piece, I took it to him. He made it look like a robot did it. Just perfect. But he gets to "practice" 8 to 12 hours per day and as many days as he can stand to work just to keep up with the workload. I felt guilty asking him to weld it, and he would not accept money so I bought him lunch and took up more of his time.

[jcommin]

I have an art family. My brother who is very creative, took a welding class at the local community college. He creates some interesting sculptures. He also helps his younger son who is an artist and college art professor - His work is very interesting.

I'm not saying it is easy but it is something one can learn and apply.

[mb911]

This was done by a novice in one of my classes. And to answer the question. The ability to stick metal together =30 minutes the ability to be a professional welder takes years and the term certified is also very interesting.. It is not all encompassing

[scottmandue]

I should say I did some oxygen acetylene copper brazing back in my HVAC days.

I also took some art classes back in H.S. and was pretty good at it... but then at graduation it was be a starving artist of go into the family business.

But no, I don't need to do the 'stack of coins' type welding just some cutting and tacking stuff together.

At this point I'm more concerned where I'm going to find scrap metal to make stuff out of with everyone being so recycle minded.

And do I go electric or gas?

Local community college has welding classes, I will check that out.

Neighbor has a HUGE Lincoln welder in his garage... unfortunately he is in a convalescent hospital and likely they will not do anything with the house until he passes away.

[rusnak]

You want to look for adult school classes. Those last only 2-3 weeks, not a whole semester.

They'll teach gas, mig, and stick welding. Tig would be advanced. Get a copy of Welder's Handbook.

Start poking around at metal recycle yards, machine shops, auto wreckers, etc. Once you start, people will bring you metal objects and give them to you. If you have a mobile (hangs from the ceiling), then I'd be interested in buying one to see if it sells. I sell artwork to support local artists in the store.

I love the mother and baby sculpture!

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by rusnak

You want to look for adult school classes. Those last only 2-3 weeks, not a whole semester.

They'll teach gas, mig, and stick welding. Tig would be advanced. Get a copy of Welder's Handbook.

Start poking around at metal recycle yards, machine shops, auto wreckers, etc. Once you start, people will bring you metal objects and give them to you. If you have a mobile (hangs from the ceiling), then I'd be interested in buying one to see if it sells. I sell artwork to support local artists in the store.

I love the mother and baby sculpture!

Thanks! I also like the mother/baby sculpture, I was surprised to see something like that because I thought this type of art was only tacked together found objects like the tractor.

[mb911]

Originally Posted by rusnak

You want to look for adult school classes. Those last only 2-3 weeks, not a whole semester.

They'll teach gas, mig, and stick welding. Tig would be advanced. Get a copy of Welder's Handbook.

Start poking around at metal recycle yards, machine shops, auto wreckers, etc. Once you start, people will bring you metal objects and give them to you. If you have a mobile (hangs from the ceiling), then I'd be interested in buying one to see if it sells. I sell artwork to support local artists in the store.

I love the mother and baby sculpture!

The adult classes you reference are run entirely different in my part of the country.. I am the division chair of manufacturing at our college and schedule all of the welding classes. We have 450 welding students 6 days a week and all of our classes run 15 weeks with a minimum of 4 hour classes and mostly 6 hour classes running from 7 in the morning until 9:45 pm.. All of our classes are for 16 year olds and above .. Our Saturday classes run for 4 hours and are typically people looking for a little bit of experience such as what you describe your needs are .. I have taught for 18 years and have art students enrolled every single semester to use the lab for projects

[Arizona_928]

start brazing/TIG some copper sheets. Make stills (big$$), water fountains, roses. ect ect

[Deschodt]

Welding is one of those rare things that looks simple when you watch it done, and is incredibly not.
I started with a flux welder - that's fairly easy and I still had bad welds there, decided to graduate myself to a better lincoln Mig with gas feed... and I still cannot weld nicely to save my life.

My attempts either go right through the metal or are not sticking... At least nothing like those nice beads, ever.

I'm sure it's just a matter of adjustments and practice, but too many parameters for my skill level, it's like throwing darts blind.. I kinda gave up for now - will try again when I'm bored or have a body work project.

[JCF]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Welding is one of those rare things that looks simple when you watch it done, and is incredibly not.

I would say the same goes for art, multiplied - and even true if you’re using a pencil.