Fabrication!! "Welding"

[Skyline Racer]

Hey everyone. Well I'm fixin to become a custom fabricater. Ya know like Paul on American Chopper. Does anyone know where i can get a kit with all those tools in it to start makin and learning to weld stuff? I'm gonna be in a project of building a custom tube chassis 1/4 scale MT. hehe Later guys!

 

[GilBeQuick]

Have fun. I wish I could comfortably afford all that gear....welders and the equiptment are mad expensive.

 

[El Pirata]

Welding takes a little more than a "study at home" approach. I'm not saying it's imposible but unless you've got a few grand to blow on welding I'd give it up.

 

[Skyline Racer]

Yeah, Right now I'm taking a welding class at school. Next year i am gonna take welding 2. So i'll be set there

 

[marc0490]

I hope you have a freind that can show you the way.Tig welding is hard to do at best.You would want to weld scrap peices together for about a year or sne other thing welding tubes together makes things even harder.

 

[Skyline Racer]

Yeah, Right now at school were welding together sheet metal pieces into squares... I guess thats a start lol

 

[marc0490]

Starting small is a good thing

 

[Skyline Racer]

koooo, hey marc what part of VA do you live in?? I live in VA 2

 

[hdstn]

A decent mig for what you want to do, if ur serious, will set you back $400-600. If you are serious I would be more worried about the engineering of the chassis and learning how to make a good jig.

 

[marc0490]

I live in Norfolk.I have been doing bodywork for over ten years.

 

[Waste Land]

Yeah man, just saying, OH I'm gonna weld today, is like saying your gonna jump on a 125 for the first time and cut a back flip or two. You said the same thign about photoshop, lol

 

[msly]

If you have any local company's that weld you should see if they will take you on as an apprentice. (working for free). You probably will do alot of sweeping but just watching pros at work and being able to ask questions will help in your quest. learning how to weld in school is a great start...but with any trade until you get out in the work place its a different animal.

 

[RAMTech-RC]

Go for it. You can get some cheap equipment at www.HarborFreight.com. It would be easier to start on solid rods, so you don't have to be so careful. But, you have to practice alot.

 

[nitroking]

i just started welding about 2 years ago(14 now),my dad is a commercial welder/contractor. So i am all weith the wleding gear. But if that is what your gonna build then go by your self mig welder since it is alot easyer to start with.Then work your way up to arc welding,and if you get into Arc welding invest in an auto darking helmet.(very nice).when i turn 18 i am going to get my Certs so i can work with my dad.As an iron worker

 

[rs43drifter]

dude welding takes a lot of experience especially for the project that you are talking about you will have to use a TIG welder. I'm a welder and i can tell you that a tig is gonna run you around 5 to 8 grand for one worth buying. and what r u going to make this chassis out of aluminum i hope if so you will have to get a high frequency machine I'm not trying to diss you but it takes a little more than what you think to do this unless you are a welder.
once again I'm not trying to diss you in any way

 

[newnitrofan]

Yeah welding is tough. I would love to do that in my spare time though. I used to weld in high school. It was a lot of fun and relaxing. You have to be good though and know metal really well. Like when you have stressed it too much and such.

 

[LesWV]

First thing that I notice about Paul Jr. at OCC. He is no Fabricator.

Watch the show closely. He will make a set of bars, do alittle work on a fender, add a few pieces of sheet metal here and their modify something alitlle.
99% of the bikes that they build are built by other companies. Frames, Tanks, Fenders are all brought in from the outside. Look at the Fire Bike that "he" built. Nothing on that bike was actually built by him. Why is he always waiting on parts to come in?

You want to look at a true fabricator. Look at the guys at Milwaukee Iron from Lynchburg, Va. 99% of the bikes that they build are built in house by Randy Simpson and his main man Gary Woodford .

But I quess that people who have did fabrication work look at things differently than ones who have not.

So to answer your question.

Thier are not "kits" to do the that type of work.
Machines that mill, drill, cut/shear, break/bend, weld are all machines. Not tools.

To get started. It would be best for you to attend a welding class or school that will teach you the proper technics of Mig and TIG welding. Especialy TIG welding and Plasma cutter useage. For with a TIG welder you can weld to coffee cans together and then turn around and weld two pieces of 1/4 stock without touching the machine.

Keep your Tungsten sharp. If you go with a mig welder. Do not waste your money on the cheap flux core wire models. For they are about useless.

 

[Skyline Racer]

Thanks for all of your help guys!

 

[Skyline Racer]

Actually, Thinking about it.. Paul Jr. actually did do alot of fabrication on the Comache bike, I mean he made that kick azz fuel tank and stuff.... So i guess its both even. :thumbup:

 

[ZANDOR]

Originally posted by LesWV
First thing that I notice about Paul Jr. at OCC. He is no Fabricator.

Watch the show closely. He will make a set of bars, do alittle work on a fender, add a few pieces of sheet metal here and their modify something alitlle.
99% of the bikes that they build are built by other companies. Frames, Tanks, Fenders are all brought in from the outside. Look at the Fire Bike that "he" built. Nothing on that bike was actually built by him. Why is he always waiting on parts to come in?

You want to look at a true fabricator. Look at the guys at Milwaukee Iron from Lynchburg, Va. 99% of the bikes that they build are built in house by Randy Simpson and his main man Gary Woodford .

But I quess that people who have did fabrication work look at things differently than ones who have not.

So to answer your question.

Thier are not "kits" to do the that type of work.
Machines that mill, drill, cut/shear, break/bend, weld are all machines. Not tools.

To get started. It would be best for you to attend a welding class or school that will teach you the proper technics of Mig and TIG welding. Especialy TIG welding and Plasma cutter useage. For with a TIG welder you can weld to coffee cans together and then turn around and weld two pieces of 1/4 stock without touching the machine.

Keep your Tungsten sharp. If you go with a mig welder. Do not waste your money on the cheap flux core wire models. For they are about useless.

first off paul jr is a fabricator. iam a welder/fabricator.there is some things that you just can't do in house.(ie)lazer cuts or water jet) to cut out parts.there is allways some work that has to be sent out to get made.unless your are working in a dream shop witch there is no dream shop out there. unless your bill gates. and can afford the equipment to do so.i have met both paul and paul jr. at sturgis.so don't say things you can't back up .when you don't know what your talking about ps. were i work we have a full fab shop and paint shop.we still send out poop to get lazered or broke............jack arse

talke about pissen in my wheeties