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NuclearWasteland t1_j0x8bnf wrote

Reply to comment by Spartacus777 in I made a honeycomb firewood rack by richriggins

welding is fun, but annoying to set up and do casually. For similar fun that also comes with toxic fumes, try stain glass lead work or plastic welding. All of these are basically just melting like materials together. it's mostly just different heat sources and materials.

Plastic welding is remarkably fun and can be done with a soldering or wood burning iron. Lots of plastics can be had for free if you learn the plastic names and materials usually printed somewhere on most plastic objects for recycling purposes.

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BloobityBloobity t1_j0y0jic wrote

> annoying to set up and do casually

I disagree. I was gifted a very compact stick welder this spring. I think it cost maybe $80 on Amazon and it plugs into a 110V outlet. Welding rods are cheap as hell, and using 6013s doesn't require much metal prep. It's been indescribably handy and takes less than a minute to set up.

I wouldn't be so quick to discourage someone from trying it. Stick welding is the best way to learn and extremely simple.

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[deleted] t1_j0y5u7q wrote

Professional metalworker here: 1000% this! A stick welder is the simplest thing. No movíng parts, low barrier to entry.

A hobbyist should keep the following rod on hand: 6011: Deeply penetrating, high tolerance for rust/paint/etc. 6013: Great for sheet metal! Anything 14ga and under. 7014: Nice bead appearance, simple to use "drag rod", better shelf life and easier arc starts than 7018.

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Lampshader t1_j0yhnr4 wrote

The annoying part is setting up a work space with ventilation, screens, no flammable materials, etc.

It's quite a bit more involved than, say, drilling a hole or using a hot glue gun.

But yeah, if you have the suitable garage space, it's not rocket science!

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NuclearWasteland t1_j12dur1 wrote

This is the "annoying" part I was referring to. Eventually I'd like to have a space just for welding, grinding, anything that will spark, all of it ventilated and away from explody stuff. That's a luxury for me, and an impossibility for many people so yeah, stick is simple, and a GREAT way to learn, but to be safe about it there's other steps involved, and with it raining most of the year and the stuff that sparks would damage in the limited indoor space, it's a hassle and checking the weather report for a good portion of the year. Summer, yeah, that's easy, just keep it away from the grass and hydrate, every other part of the year, pain in the bits.

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