Learning welding

[tiktok]

I have an interest to learn how to weld, not for career purposes, just for personal projects. Probably stick welding will be enough for me. Does anyone have any idea how to do this in Singapore?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Buy yourself a small transformer type of stick welder for around $200. Be sure to check the amperage it draws and the load your house can take. Utube is your best bet or you can pay several grand to take one of many courses here in Singapore but that will certify you and teach you several types of welding (nice to have but only if you are going to actually use it). I was never topside certified but was fully capable of doing underwater wet welding. (Not to be confused with underwater habitat welding where a coded welder is required. (e.g., in situ pipeline repairs). I learned to weld on my own on the farm as a kid. Never had a course. When diving in-water wet welding putting temporary patches on holed hulls on steel boats or replacing sacrificial anodes on offshore oil platforms did not need coding or inspection. Or, when you get better, sheet metal welding on cars (I used to restore cars as a hobby). The last one I did was a 66 mini-cooper (that was here in Singapore in Seletar Camp where I used to live. Depending on where you live, you could run into trouble with the neighbours with the acrid aroma from welding. But it is a useful skilset to have, I must agree. I built a recumbent bicycle when I was in my 20''s down on the farm and used to ride it all over the place. Longest journey I made was 50 miles out and back on the same day.

[tiktok]

Hey thanks SMS, that's really usual advice. Yes I see some inverter stick welders for under $100, and I guess after helmet, gloves etc I could get started for a few hundred and teach myself. But my condo isn't an ideal environment, might blind some kids...

Do you know mig, tig etc? (sorry I only really know about stick)

[sundaymorningstaple]

Been around it, but never had the need to learn it as I was never interested although had I still been in the US I probably would have picked it up as mig/tig is good for car restorations (much better than stick and leading) But over here I didn't really have a purpose built garage/workshop (more like a open zinc-roofed shed or what we call a pole barn in the US. It was okay for what I did here but after buying my flat, it put paid to all my restoration work. My wall were the dark & light blue raffia tarpulins you can buy at most local hardward shops. Usually only put them up when I was preparing to paint a car. All that stopped when I bought this flat 21 years ago.

[sundaymorningstaple]

If you are planning to do it outside, e.g., on a patio or something, a couple of heavy canvas tarps stretched or hung from a framework of either wood or pipe (I prefer threaded pipe so it is easily dismantled and stored) will provide the necessary blockage from casual onlookers and wayward children. If you have the space to keep it 2 meters away from your heat zone, the same tarps work for ground sheets for painting in the house as well!