It pays to shop around when buying steel
Just the other day I was looking for some angle iron and square tubing for a utility trailer I want to build. Only to find out that a couple of the places I checked on were way high in price. If I would have just taken their prices and bought it, I would’ve overpaid by more than 100%. The point I’m trying to make is, once I shopped around I got my steel for a lot cheaper. I’ve written different articles on where you should should and should not buy steel from. You definitely don’t want to buy steel from a box store, but even different welding shops can be ridiculous, so you need to pay attention, otherwise for sure you will overpay.
Do you really need an auto darkening welding helmet?
One of the biggest misconceptions out there, is whether or not you need an auto darkening welding helmet (speedglass). I’m not going to lie to you, having an auto darkening welding helmet is a good thing to have if you can afford it and if you’re not going to abuse it. If you’re going to have it rolling around in the back of your pickup, you should seriously consider a standard welding hood.
Where is the best place to buy steel?
I check in on a few welding forums from time to time. There really are some great ones out there. There are some really knowledgeable people giving out some great advise. If you are looking to learn as much as you can about the welding trade, forums can be a great way to do it.
Should I build it or buy it?
This seems to be one of the biggest questions floating around welding forums. No matter what forum I look through, I always see people asking if they should build something or just buy one already built. That question always seems to get asked by some of the less experienced people, and for good reason. Since they are newer, they are not sure if it would be cheaper or even better to build it or buy it.
The theory behind keeping an arc going is, the electrical current is forced between the welding rod tip and the steel you are welding. If you want to be a successful welder you must be able to strike an arc and keep it going without even thinking about it.