Welder for a relative novice

[novocaine]

spent 8 quid and get a fixed lens then.
https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/sip-flip-t ... -mask#tabs
or 2 quid and get a new clear cover.

one of my autodarkens was used without it's cover by mistake, that's now screwed and there isn't anything I can do about it. not a cheap one either.

 

[DennisCA]

just been and checked my suppliers costs, 3.2 are the same price as 2.5 for a 5kg pack (6010 or 7018), so not sure where you are looking that has different prices.

edit: just looked at 6013 and they are different prices, ignore me.

You can safely ignore 6013 rods

 

[heimlaga]

The clear outer glass cover in a helmet is just a consumable. I go through one glass every two months or so but real professionals are said to go through one glass a week at worst. They are very cheap at welding supply shops.
The dark inner glass in a traditional helmet is also a consumable. I go through one a year or so. They don't cost much either. There are several grades of darkness. Younger people with better eyesight generally need a darker glass.
I still use a traditional non-automatic helmet of the tupe that has a small slot with a lighter glass below the dark main glass. It is good enough for me.

The rod holder is also a consumable. I bought I new rod holder for my Unitor sopme 10 years ago and now it seemt to be a couple of years away from worn out. Rod holders aren't too expensive either.

Welding doesn't have to be super expensive!

The main reasons for using thicker rods on thicker materials are:
-On thick materials the whole workpiece acts as a heat sink which makes the melted pool of iron to small if the rod is too small. If the pool is too small the weld bead and the base material aren't properly fused together.
-It is a lot easier to build up a weld without slag inclusions if you don't make the bead too big in proportion to the thickness of the rod. It quickly becomes boring to build up a bead by making 6-10 passes with a 2,5mm rod when you can do it in just 3 passes with a 3,2 mm rod.
When welding 20mm plate even 3,2 mm rods become boring after a while.

 

[AJB Temple]

I am a novice welder and was taught by my brother, who isn't. I find using an auto darkening helmet a no brainer. By the time I have struck an arc in an old style helmet so that I can see something, my hand has moved and I've lost it again. There is no need to have added problems and auto helmets are cheap. I know everyone says learn to stick weld first, because then you can do anything, but frankly it is a damn site easier mig welding and if you just want to do it occasionally, I would by-pass stick.

 

[DennisCA]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fUAHkUfTps&t=1s