NoExpert - Welding for the First Time (Testing a cheap Stick Welder for DIY Projects)

#noexpert #welding #diyprojects
In this video I am unboxing and testing my new Einhell stick welder, a cheap welding machine which I am going to be using for home and garden maintenance and DIY projects. I am really exited about getting started with welding, it is something I always wanted to do but I never got the chance to try it. So when me and my friends decided to start a project that involved welding it was the perfect opportunity to get one.
Initially I had ordered a MIG welding machine, but it never arrived and the refund process took over a month. So while waiting for my money, I stumbled across this welder, which only cost around 60$ and I thought I might give it a try. My intention was to start with MIG welding, but someone told me it is better to start welding with electrodes so I did. Eventually I will upgrade to a MIG welder and hopefully a TIG welder in a few years, but for now this stick welder is what fits into my budget.
I am a complete beginner and have never welded before, so this is actually the first time I ever welded. Unfortunately the amp setting for the welder is unreliable, so I had to try different settings before it actually worked. Whenever I took a different electrode or another sheet of metal with a different thickness I had to figure out the new settings just by trial and error. In general think it is alright for simple DIY projects and for getting started with welding, but it does have a steep learning curve and is certainly nothing for professional welding applications.
EDIT: I have now released the next project where you can see it in action, so if you enjoyed this video head over to this one: [LINK]
A big thank you goes out to Cornelius Katz, a young music producer for allowing me to use his songs in this video. I have used two of his tracks, you can check them out here:
1. Cornelius Katz - Sunny Days [ • Video ]
2. Cornelius Katz - Everyday Life [ • Video ]
If you have any tips for me to improve my skills leave a comment and I will read it. I hope you enjoyed this video - see you in the next one.
Greetings
NoExpert

[@Zanderman2000]

For all the keyboard doctors out there. I have had this machine branded different over 10 years. It is very sensitive to amps and stick position because it doesnt have any assisting properties like modern dc inverters. Once you learn to weld this you will master rest of the welders. Its like riding a bike without balance wheels first time.

[@robertward8037]

Keep welding young fella, we all began the same way, welding is a skill that you will use the rest of your life

[@robertblackshear8963]

Amen to that. How true.

[@websibaer]

Thanks, that was for me, as I am a beginner, already top info, just watching ..

[@alijanahabdullah]

Stick welding on a super thin metal for the first time is not exactly a moral booster. A thicker metal would be an easier learning experience. Good job for trying.

[@woozhi9218]

Yes hes right thught i got a bad stick but realise thick is what it does

[@dolphincliffs8864]

Learn hard and excel!

[@matthewtanner9823]

I've never welded but It looked like you did well for your first time. Thanks for the helpful video. I now feel that I could also manage to weld.

[@vikmoj2426]

Haha I completely understand the music :D I would feel just like that. I have been choosing my welder for a few past weeks, I don't need to weld anything at all, I just WANT so bad!

[@richardc.8214]

Your video was exactly what I was trying to find. A first timmer. There for I learn how to bilt my confidence. Thank you

[@adeh503]

That's a great first time effort buddy well done

[@jcagam3811]

For a first time welder, that’s remarkable.

[@no-expert]

Thank you!

[@shovelheadseven]

Not that bad for very first time. You actually laid a fairly straight bead. Your gonna want to get a chipping hammer to remove the slag soon as your done welding it. Then hit it with a wire brush. Then if need be use your grinder to clean it up. Also always prep the surface like you did on your second attempt.

[@no-expert]

Thank you, and yeah I really missed that hammer. After this video I spent a lot of time welding different pieces together and slowly improved, after everything fell apart multiple times. Good advice!

[@dolphincliffs8864]

Burn through is better than no penetration. You can fix burn through.

[@nathanroy2130]

A very good beginner level welder and very good try a Lincoln tombstone welder very adorable and very good welder

[@DIMTips]

Nice work. Thanks for the video

[@mehanicar00]

I have the same kind of the welding machine for 6 months. It turned out great for hobbyists. In my opinion a quality tool for little money. For my projects as can be seen in my KZbin video's and more than good, but it has a drawback, because it heats up quickly , I think they could have installed a fast cooling fan in the factory.

[@no-expert]

Yes that is true, the duty cycle is pretty short with thicker electrodes/workpieces and a fan would not have cost that much to add in. I taped a PC fan to the back to make it last longer and reduce the cool down time :)

[@Mark-gk1bu]

I bought one of those welding machines after thieves stole my Lincoln AC225. It's not bad for the price, but it only has a 10% duty cycle, as opposed to the Lincoln's 20%.

[@kenpierre7898]

Not bad for a first time wedding 👍

[@pcterm2]

keep at it

[@busara45thevillain22]

I'm no pro but I've surprised myself with what I've learned from KZbin university.

[@NikosDIY]

I've never welded (but I want to start) so I really liked the video! Watching other videos maybe if you had cleaned the pieces, from surface rust, it would be easier to start the arc. Just a though by someone that haven't tried welding yet.

[@no-expert]

Hey Niko, you are 100% right :D Cleaning the surface makes a huge difference not only for starting, but also for the consistency of the arc - I had to learn this step by step. Also cleaning the area where you attach the clamp improves the current flow. I can only encourage you to try it, it is really fun and useful and kind of addictive...

[@NikosDIY]

@@no-expert Thank you for the encouragement! I think I will start with flux core mig. I think it would be easier that stick.

[@cabanford]

I've never welded and know nothing about it... Clean the metal and use a half stick to start?

[@TheMono25]

I got my arc welder about 5 hours ago I have no luck yet I think I need to do some more research Now I understand why welders get paid so much

[@no-expert]

Awesome, just keep practicing. Last year I welded an entire steel frame with it and startet to get a feeling for the amps and material thickness. I did it the safe way, which I would recommend to you: Start with recommended amp settings for your electrode and material thickness and see if you can get an arc. If it keeps sticking, increase the amps until the arc stops stuttering and becomes stable. If your welder is as cheap as mine, the sweetspot can be a lot higher than the recommended setting. If you want quick results (unsafe way): Set it to the maximum amps and burn through some electrodes and scrap metal while turning it down every time, until you get a stable arc that won't burn a hole in your material. This is faster but be prepared for the fireworks :D Make sure you wear some good leather protection, the sparks burn through everything (I ruined my clothes and shoes like that). Enjoy your new hobby!

[@TheMono25]

@No Expert thanks man any help or info is much appreciated About 20 minutes ago I got my 1st Weld to work its not amazing but the metal is stuck together and not coming apart anytime soon

[@TheMono25]

@No Expert and its the £90 HITBOX 240V Mini ARC Welder 200A Electric Welding Machine Compact Welder IGBT Digital Display LCD Hot Start ARC Force Welder

[@brianpatrick8441]

Here is a tip, rest your left elbow makes it much easier

[@osbaldohernandez9174]

Clean and prep your metal

[@paulfallert4104]

You wrote "it has no active cooling". Does it have a built-in FAN?

[@no-expert]

No it doesn‘t, even though at first it looks like it on the back, there is no fan inside. It just gets hot. I am going to install one though, let‘s see if I can weld longer :)

[@task8089]

Good job but some things on your way your metal should be cleaned before and ever mm your material has you use 15 A or even more with cheap welding machines

[@sanjeevsaraswat399]

remove the rust first

[@steveyoung8992]

Hmmmm plastic clamps using a wooden top & thin metal with a stick welder...your not giving yourself much of a chance,but 3thumbs up 2u buddy 4hav"n a crack......👍👍👍

[@firstmkb]

Welding on a wooden table using plastic spring clamps was a gutsy choice, and I applaud your optimism! I'm trying to learn stick now on an old AC machine, and am having a hell of a tough time with the electrode sticking. Very frustrating!

[@no-expert]

If only there was a way of welding without burning down your table...but I guess thats just an expensive part of the hobby just like buying new electrodes all the time :D After this video I welded a lot more and I must say, it really took a while until my welds looked cleaner. Anyway, a big game changer for me was to turn the amps up really high to make sure I get a stable arc going. Higher amps can "power through" that stickiness. It is a bit like revving up a car engine when accelerating with manual transmission - higher revs=less likely to stall. Then turn the power down step by step until you can lay down a whole electrode without sticking or burning through the material. But yeah it takes some experimenting to find the right settings. On this machine I have an indicator for amps and electrode thickness but it is completely off and not trustworthy at all, so I had to find my own sweetspot without looking at it. One other thing that helped me with sticking is cutting the electrode in half so it is shorter and not so wobbly, so you have way better control over it and it actually goes where you want to. And if you are a bit brave (at least I was afraid at first) you can try to guide the electrode with your fingers (put on some really good leather gloves). With the right gloves on, you can actually touch the electrode while welding. A good point to hold is in the middle between the tip and the clamp. This gives you even more control, but it gets hot and I am not sure if its safe... Stay save and happy welding :)

[@danielmurzellotheunknownma7481]

Hello👋🙋‍♂️ there... Amazing and very interesting video🎥 on welding Good information and very helpful.. Super like👌👌👌 Do keep posting Warm regards and best👍💯 wishes The UnknownManCub 👍😎👨‍🏭

[@farmallred4910]

And slow down

[@GBOB68]

My window cleaner wears those gloves!

[@no-expert]

Yes they are very good for cleaning because of the rubber coating - on the other hand they are not very much suited for welding, bigger sparks burn right through them :D

[@Mark-gk1bu]

Not bad at all for a first timer. Once you get the hang of it you'll find yourself noticing other people's welding joints.... then you'll want to build everything with metal just to get an excuse to do more welding.

[@no-expert]

Thank you - thats absolutely true, I have somewhat figured out how to keep the arc stable and apply roughly the right heat and now it is quite fun and I want to do more. But first I need to upgrade the welder, this one has no active cooling and overheats too quickly which kills the workflow...

[@PlankwalkinOG]

First off , never stick weld on wood, ditch those plastic clamps, watch your surroundings shouldn’t be anything that could catch fire nearby , and most important, get comfortable and clamp down or tack weld your work down

[@javiervilla254]

Plastic clamps and wood is a No No anything that can catch fire thicker metal would be better going on 26 yrs structural we all been here everybody has who welds this is how you learn good job for trying takes time lots practice

[@no-expert]

Haha yeah, I made so many mistakes but I love to learn new things and I keep practicing :)

[@oldcountryman2795]

You can’t keep laying new beads on top without removing the slag.

[@no-expert]

Yes that's right, everything just falls apart. In the next project it will be a lot cleaner :)

[@kena658]

Try next time to rest your arms of atleast body against something, I can see you got clearly an idea how to do it, burning through is the thing in welding, to melt the weldmateria into the steel!!

[@josealeman1992]

you need to clean the surface of the metal

[@no-expert]

Yes, that is right, I had no Idea what I was doing :D

[@BLAKHARTFILM]

I have the cheapest welder I could buy and I can't weld worth a damn. I would not recommend buying something like this for learning to weld on. Better to buy a used, quality machine. There are a lot of great welding tips in your comments; clean the metal first, support your body/arms, remove slag before going over a weld. Do some research on the type of rod to use for specific applications, and get some help from a good, experienced welder. Practice is a great way to learn, but often times we practice our mistakes which will never improve ability or quality. Get help before you develop bad habits. Cheers.

[@sdriza]

hindsight

[@BLAKHARTFILM]

@@sdriza Not for those who are just beginning to learn.

[@farmallred4910]

Strike the rod stop tapping it strike it

[@dolphincliffs8864]

Tap newbie. Tap

[@HEKTOR311]

Sieht nich schlecht aus

[@no-expert]

Danke :)

[@dolphincliffs8864]

Second try,too long of an arc,choke up .

[@A46648]

Welder is weak has no power clean metal first no rust and it wil work beter i dont know why Einhell made this welder is so weak you can welt just one broken bolt or something its useless overheat shuts off

[@mergence9456]

Originale Nichtskönner!!! der Stahl muss verdichtet sein!!