My main hobby for years now is welding. I believe that it would continue to be my main hobby for years to come, and that is because I am enjoying it so much. My love and passion for it today is much, much more than what it was when I first started out. I believe that it came to be that way since welding is a very useful skill to learn. It is not like other hobbies might not be as practical or useful to learn. Well I don’t have anything against hobbies that are geared more towards providing fun and enjoyment rather than any practical use, but that’s just not within my own taste. I’m actually all for skills cake woodworking and carpentry, which I have enjoyed for years and was actually my main hobby before I got involved in welding.
The technical processes and techniques involved in being able to weld just interests me no end. One of the first jobs that I did was to attach a piece of our metal side door that has broken off. Ever since I have become more and more familiar with I can accomplish using my welding skills. And that is also why I have endeavored to learn the major processes, even though I may not be an expert in each one I believe I am competent enough to do a good job. It’s such a joy for me to use any of these: Shield Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) or Manual Metal Arc (MMA) welding, or simply stick welding; gas metal Arc Welding (GMAW), also known as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding; Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) or Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding; Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), are the main processes that I have learned and utilized so far.
Books about Welding
Since I have been busy with my welding hobby for a few years now, a few friends have also shown interest in learning the skill. They’ve asked me to teach them some of the basic skills, to which I readily consented. They’ve also asked me to recommend to them what I think is the best welding book, that they can use for reference. I was glad to learn that because it signified their seriousness in learning how to weld. And because of that, I was happy to suggest a couple of welding books that I used and learned from myself.
• Welding Essentials : Questions and Answers (Expanded Edition) – This book is a definite must-have for welding beginners, as it excellently teaches the process and gives great explanation and examples. This expanded edition has additional pages devoted to repair tips and an illustrated chapter on fabrication. Buy this for about $39.00.
• Welder’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to MIG, TIG, Arc, & oxyacetylene Welding (revised and Updated) – One of the most authoritative books on welding, this book has been in high demand ever since it first came out. The latest edition features a completely revised and updated version that is filled with the latest information on welding. Sells for around $16.00.