Question for the welders and metal heads

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drallan81

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So I'm trying to get into welding. Nothing structural, but figured its time for a new hobby and something to throw my money at. I've got a stick welder that I got marketplace.

Figured I would start simple with making a griddle or grill grate for the fun of it (after practicing). We have a scrap yard near by that will sell scrap steel, but I have no idea what to ask for. I know there are various #s and grades of steel. Where should I start?

Still need to do more research and practice. Have been reading up online, but want to know what I should be looking for in terms of scrap that is food safe and will hold up on a grill and be easy to weld.

Might go to lowes and get some angle iron and expanded steel and do a basic rectangle grate. But I'm always up for taking on too much for my 1st time.

Eventually if I get good enough I'd like to make a custom smoker for the fun of it. But I've got a ways to go on that.

Any suggestions?
 
drallan81 said:
So I'm trying to get into welding. Nothing structural, but figured its time for a new hobby and something to throw my money at. I've got a stick welder that I got marketplace.

Figured I would start simple with making a griddle or grill grate for the fun of it (after practicing). We have a scrap yard near by that will sell scrap steel, but I have no idea what to ask for. I know there are various #s and grades of steel. Where should I start?

Still need to do more research and practice. Have been reading up online, but want to know what I should be looking for in terms of scrap that is food safe and will hold up on a grill and be easy to weld.

Might go to lowes and get some angle iron and expanded steel and do a basic rectangle grate. But I'm always up for taking on too much for my 1st time.

Eventually if I get good enough I'd like to make a custom smoker for the fun of it. But I've got a ways to go on that.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I’ve known our local steel guys and they are always very helpful in offering suggestions.

Get some 3/8" plate. Don’t buy your angle from Lowe’s. I did and it’s like 2-3 times more expensive.

Ask if you can pick through some of their cutoffs or drops (waste) for a better price. If you explain your new to welding and want to practice on some waste steel you get probably pick some up cheap
 
I started with ARC welding many decades ago, it is my go to for welding for thicker steel 1/2" and up. Stick can be frustrating to learn, but it is probably the cheapest way to learn the basics of welding.

When MIG welders hit the civilian market, I learned it and never looked back. You can weld thin gauge material easily and a fairly inexpensive hobby machine can weld to 3/8".
IMO it's much easier to learn to weld with a MIG than ARC or TIG.

Search out a new steel supplier in your area. Ask for basic mild steel, hot rolled material. Most sell scrap or drop pieces. Or check out a recycling yard if you need practice materials
 
look for "free stuff" on C-list, next door or FB marketplace and practice making a cart or something from the metal.

for example, an open frame from a Genesis Silver B has a bunch of good 1 inch square tube. a weight bench that's torn up might be free.

a bike roller trainer that needs repair might also be nearly free. I had one and it had 1x2 rectangular mild steel frame.

maybe make a cart of some sort as a starter project.

edit: something like this should have a bunch of steel that can be experimented with.

01616_cLiULmJcxONz_0t20CI_600x450.jpg


edit2: metal bed frames are often being given away for free, so there's lots of angle iron.
 
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A couple things........

1. Know your machine. Is it AC only, or do you have opportunity to do AC and DC? You probably want to start with 7018 rod. This is an easier one to weld with and usually starts pretty easy.

2. If you've never welded before, there are a bunch of videos on line so check them out. Also, one thing for a newbie that is hard to teach, is that you are not looking at the electrode going into the puddle, but rather you are watching the edges of the puddle and manipulating it. That is where the business is happening.

Good Luck!
 
For anything bbq related other than a offset fire box I don’t think you will be welding anything much over 1/8”.
I borrowed an old Lincoln MiG welder with fluxcore wire and built a nice parilla style wood fired grill.
14ga. Sq. Tube, 1/8” angle iron and 3/4-9 expanded flat metal.,,.035 fluxcore wire
U can find cheap and dependable MiG welders on line that run on 110v that will do pretty much everything you would want to do.
Just my 2cents
 

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I like 7014 rods, keep em warm . remember no galvanized steel , I am thinking of making a rack to put on my round cowboy grill to make it easier to control heat and reload wood, sourcing the material as scrap to keep the cost down will be a big requirement
 
Years ago I took a night school class for arc welding. It's pretty hard to become efficient unless you do a lot of practice (hours).
Later on we got a Mig welder with a gas shield and with just a little work it became easy peazy. Have since mig welded with fluxcore and what a mess it makes!
Ed
 
I bought a Lincoln 110 volt mig welder, with shield gas. Bought a cart at Harbor Freight, also buy my wire there. They now carry some nice mig welders as well.
I have owned mine for 15 years, learned on my own. Originally bought for my offroad projects, now find all kinds of uses. Its great up to around 1/8", easy to learn, and with shielding gas gives nice clean welds. If you end up buying a Mig welder, pay attention not to exceed the duty cycle for most consistent performance. Find a local metal supplier and ask to see their scrap pile.
 
Also, try to stay away from "dirty" steel, ie painted, heavily rusted, powder coated, since the prep will be a pain. Clean steel is your friend. I've made a lot of things out of "scrap" but nowadays i'll usually bite the bullet and buy new due to less prep.

Have fun going down this rabbit hole since it gets expensive fast. I started with a Hobart 140 and a grinder but it's fun to be able to make or fix just about anything you want out of steel. I've saved myself thousands doing my own builds/repairs but that savings went into equipment to make things easier.
 
That Hobart Handler 140 mentioned above is a sweet entry point if you upgrade to shielding gas. The duty cycle is not real impressive but it will get most jobs done up to 1/4". Beyond that it really helps to pre-heat the work area using a torch - simple Mapp gas torch will suffice.

You'll want a grinder - perhaps two. One for grinding and one for cutting unless you like swapping blades out all the time. Auto-darkening shield is a real treat too. Don't forget safety glasses at all times.

I find all sorts of uses for old rebar.... makes great fire grating material. I've made some neat stuff out of electrical EMT. Once you get into it you'll be amazed at the stuff folks toss out that can be salvaged for use on the free.

Best of luck and remember to always wear your safety glasses - - - ALWAYS.
 
Jody's site is a pretty good place to start:
https://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/
Ask at machine shops for "drop" from their plasma or laser machines, offer to buy it by the pound. Hot rolled steel will have mill scale, a 4 1/2" grinder with a flap sanding disc is your friend. Cold rolled steel won't have the scale, but may be oily.
ALWAYS wear your safety glasses, even under the hood. Look for a local welding supply store: A fire retardant cloth welding jacket off the sale rack should be less than $50, keeps you from arc "tanning" and getting burn holes in your shirts and arms. I like a thinner MIG gloves for grinding, thicker MIG gloves for MIG and stick.
Have fun, be safe!
 
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