MIG Welding Basics For Beginners

Everything you need to know from setup and settings to technique.
Learn faster with an online welding course:
courses.timwelds.com
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:21 How MIG Welding Works
1:07 Things You Will Need
2:24 How to Set A MIG Welder
5:46 MIG Welder Settings
9:49 MIG Welding Technique
14:08 Where to Learn More
Other Helpful Videos:
Tools to Start Welding: • Tools to Start Welding...
How to Buy Gas Cylinders: • Welding Gas Cylinders:...
More on Transfer Modes and Arcs: • MIG Welding: What's Ha...
How to MIG Weld Aluminum: • How to MIG Weld Alumin...
MIG Welding Settings In Depth: • Perfect Mig Welder Set...
Gas Shielded Flux Cored Welding (Dual Shield): • Gas Shielded Flux Core...
Common MIG Welding Mistakes: • 5 MIG Welding Mistakes...
Thanks for your support!
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), also known as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is the best welding process for many different applications. This full video tutorial explains everything a beginner needs to know to get started with MIG Welding.

[@davidmanley3780]

My Dad was a welder and pipefitter. He taught all 5 of us boys how to weld, when we turned 7 yrs old. I too was a welder and mechanic. Your video is spot on. Kudos to you sir. Great teaching.

[@waheeddoesstuff]

Very manly of your dad, David.

[@gregoryc9087]

Jeez. 😂

[@sonnyc3826]

my uncle has a welder and my dad has all his tickets sad thing is none of them teach me anything i had to go to college myself and spend money to learn how to weld i cant stand when peopel ar elike that..pass on your knowledge ffs

[@cerealsauce6968]

Your a bad ass

[@thankyoufather5779]

Nice

[@statostheman]

Each time you weld, you honor my late father. My father invented the current mig/mag nuzzle with the patent nr: 4956541. RIP my dad, Ossi Hiltunen.

[@soaktinbleech1106]

Oh wow, your father has my respect

[@statostheman]

@@soaktinbleech1106 Thanks. He would be rich, but his inventions was often stolen and copied from greedy corporations. He died as a poor man.

[@soaktinbleech1106]

@@statostheman you know how this world is, when someone has a great idea everyone else wants to steal that idea

[@MrKamei]

daamnnnn bro... that's a very dark story. i hope you are living better(of course financially) than your father was😊😊😊

[@statostheman]

@@MrKamei I'm not rich, but I manage. I'm happy that I don't have any debt. I wish that someone would do a story behind this invention. At least people will remember by him.

[@saints4025]

My guy, you've literally taught me more than my teacher in college did, you're a freaking life saver my guy.

[@ethanmurphy131]

Just had my first day of class and that mf didnt teach me sh*t. So here i am. Whats up with these instructors 😂

[@user-bi2ki6hs9b]

I was a ironworker apprentice for 3 years. I learned how to carry shit for a bunch of lazy old tough guys and that the "board" spends more time n effort into running students off then teaching them anything useful the local actually does.. like not build skyscrapers.

[@tonymichaels5592]

I've been welding 27+ years and there's a ton of great information in this video, all of it spot on. One minor thing I'd like to mention, your nozzle should never be more than hand tight. I never use my welpers to remove or install the nozzle, even if it's hot. Here's why: What I'm seeing at work is younger welders being told to tighten a hot nozzle using their welpers. When it's hot, the inner diameter is slightly larger and doing this causes the threaded insert to get pushed into the nozzle. This results in your contact tip sticking further out and the gas circulation to be incorrect. In the end you run into the contact tip dipping into the puddle and potential porosity. It only stood out to me because of what I'm seeing from inexperienced welders being given the wrong information where I work. Other than that, great video.

[@xsenpai5179]

I’ve been welding for 87,000 years and I can assure you ,you are correct sir

[@jamesjohnson8661]

As a certified master jb welder, I can state this is all way too complicated

[@KiLlAzOe14]

Right! I get so annoyed having to bow up getting the nozzle off and the damn diffuser being stuck to it

[@MovieFan13]

Appreciate this video, I haven't welded in over 8 years and I have an interview for a welding job in the morning and your video has helped me gain my confidence back and re learn some things I had lost.

[@Evadingmoto]

Did you get it

[@davidhandyman7571]

Throughout my life (all 68 years) I have found that if I understand what and why I am doing something, I can usually master it quickly. In teaching others at my various jobs, others appreciate explanations of what is happening and how it is happening. This is what you are doing, and I appreciate it greatly. I have just bought a MIG welder and will soon be learning how to use it.

[@brian6391]

And that's an issue with a lot of guys who are great welders but aren't great at teaching but become instructors in their off time and they have a hard time relaying their knowledge so it's nice to hear it from a different voice from time to time.

[@BonaldDrump]

Have been doing welding for my first time in my life at a technical college lately. I love welding but I really suck at it, although I know what i'm doing. I am a slow learner when it comes to learning and mastering things I enjoy. Any tips or advice?

[@davidcarpenter9234]

​@@BonaldDrump maybe fly fishing? Or crochet?

[@jackhodges2571]

I'm just a home shop hobbyist with a Miller 180 Mig. Being a self-taught welder I am able to learn proper techniques & what to look for, & how wire speed & voltage effect welds, from your videos. You have a great way & manner of presenting the info also, so it's easy to follow along & understand. Thank you for your videos.

[@3DAstroTC]

I appreciate the sacrifice letting the spole undo itself. Great video!

[@mikewagner8216]

Ok. I've been welding for roughly 30 years, and I have found that if you drag a weld, it does NOT give better penetration in your base metal. Pushing your weld cuts a channel for the filler metal to fill, as the filler will build up behind the arc. Think of the electrode flame travel as an air arc gouge machine. This is especially prominent for copper clad, or "hardwire". Flux core is a totally different animal. Especially dual shield. You can run dual shield in either push or pull, but I still prefer push, due to the electrode flame travel.

[@breebw]

THis is one of the best summaries on any topic I have seen. Absolute perfect ratio of information vs simplicity.

[@reloadnorth7722]

Saying thankyou just doesn't seem enough for the information and knowledge you are sharing with us. But, Thankyou very much. Absolutely the best welding channel I have seen on KZbin.

[@jaydupuis4103]

Thank you Tim for producing quality videos on a consistent basis. I check you tube everyday and am super happy when I see a new TimWelds video! I'm just a new hobby welder and your advice is awesome. Thanks again and keep up the great work!

[@thamez88]

You're awesome man, and your videos are very very informative. Thanks for taking the time to provide high quality content. I have 0 welding experience and your videos are helping me every step of the way.

[@freestyla101]

Thank you for touching on bead manipulation. I feel like I was always told to weave my weld but I had doubts and you’ve confirmed that for me. I think a short video specifically on this topic would be very helpful to the people that search for this info. At the moment it requires a lot of digging.

[@DD-ex9gk]

I have a job now because of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart❤❤

[@maritahartmann591]

I love how every profession has their own language. I like learning what things are called. I plant to watch this 100 more times to try to understand how welding even works. Thanks for making beginner videos. I am considering taking your course. Thank you again.

[@igorbaldo]

I can´t thak you enough. Really, it´s been quite a long time since I´ve been trying to learn how to weld, and you gave me exactly what I needed in less than 15 minutes. Again, THANK YOU!!!!

[@mrdelioncourt8226]

I just got back into a welding job after years. This info brought everything back. Great work.

[@rickb2267]

I have never welded, but I plan on learning and this video was incredibly informative and, most of all, scientific in that you laid out your reasons and established methods for achieving consistent results. Thank you!

[@paulradford4100]

Thanks for that. I've just started a welding course and there's a lot in your video that is helpful.

[@theFriskybusiness]

Great instructional video. Well thought through and detailed. I’m not a welder, but I found the info very useful. Thanks for putting this together.

[@eans19]

I'm amazed at the quality of this video! The information covered was exactly what I was looking for and I loved the experiments.

[@andresransom2839]

The wrist curling thing is exactly what everyone does at my shop. That was spot on for that mention!

[@mooremaceo]

That was a nice tip about gripping the wire so it doesn't unspool. I've watched several other welding videos and it was never mentioned, so thanks for the tip!👍

[@Ahkmedren]

I'm approaching 40 faster than I'd like, and it's a very sheepish thing to try and seek knowledge for skills I've always wanted to acquire! After decades of working in retail and struggle-bussin' to survive, I'm finally starting to just dive into learning what I can even without financial capability. It took me 30min to watch through while taking notes and I plan to rewatch this and your other videos. Thank you so much for the straightforward introduction. You're phenomenal

[@robertarguello1115]

Thank you! This video was informative, understandable, and helpful. 👍

[@RicHairPIE]

Thank you for this and explaining the why. I havent welded in close to 3 years and i needed a refresher before i go take this weld test in 30 mins. Thank you!

[@thomaskehoe1473]

Thanks for the great videos, I'll be buying your course this week. Can't wait to try and put down my first MIG weld.

[@mariovitela8065]

I love this guy,learned more with this guy then everyone else I looked at for beginners in welding. He explained it like nobody else has I learned a lot today. Thank you for taking the time to educate us/me.

[@chriskinnersley5384]

Just signed up for your online course. Thanks Tim, I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

[@Truth-will-set-you-free]

Hi Chris, can you post to this thread how you like the course? I have watched several of Tim’s videos and find them to be excellent. I am a total newbie to welding and am ready to pull the trigger on the course. Only wanted to get some feedback from someone who has made the commitment. I am going to speculate that you are not disappointed by just reading all the positive comments people have written about this channel. Thanks

[@boon7564]

You are a hell of a teacher and an inspiration

[@Chiton10]

The best beginners guidance I see on KZbin 👍. This guy is awesome. ! I recommend watching it ! Thank you ! You are good men . God bless your business and brings you more money . You will remember this posting soon when that money increases .

[@Calimadeninja]

The BEST video on “how to.” thanks, you’re awesome bro, I just subscribed.

[@Chevyguy-Ray]

I have learned more from this channel, than any other, when it comes to being a diy welder/hobbyist. Thanks Tim

[@lothairelauwagie8758]

Me too from Belgium ;-)))

[@NoName-be5ir]

Appreciate the info and breakdown of it. I’m a sign maker and I need sign base built from 1/4 plate with 2x2 square tube 10 inches tall welder in the vent of the plate. This job was passed on to other that always seemed to be busy. So I’m taking on the challenge of just welding them my self. We have a nice miller mig welder and huge metal work table. So I’m here looking for tips on how to correctly weld. It’s just sign post nothing fancy but I still wanna be able to say yep I did those. I have 8 of these to do next week and I spent some time this week practicing on scrap. I see a few things I was doing wrong and have a better understanding of the settings thanks again. And hopefully the welders at work won’t give me to hard a time when I’m done👍🏻

[@junjunmulleda5467]

Thanks for a great intro into mig welding. I’m just starting to get acquainted with my dads old Hobart welder again.

[@user-dw2me5um8u]

Very good info sir, thank you for simplifying and explaining the relatively complex idea of mig welding. You are making all the variables involved much easier to understand and implement.

[@ian7583]

Thanks for taking the time out 👍

[@michaelmiller2833]

Awesome content. I learned several key welding points from this video. Thank you for sharing.

[@LubomirFotev]

Tim you're a blessing from the welding gods, thanks.

[@Adogsmate4267]

When you ran your ideal push weld at the end of your video, I saw the wee bubble I look for in a decent weld, lovely and smooth and directly in the centre, running directly behind the lay back, beautiful. The only time I use patterns is overhead or vertical welding. Great video, loved it, even for an old timer.

[@bryanjohnson8833]

GREAT VID! I needed a serious refresh and this has done it.

[@andrewford80]

This is great quality tuition. Thank you

[@CM-km3hx]

Wow! Finally good information presented clearly without a bunch of nonsense like petting the dog, telling a lame joke and spewing a lot of fluff etc. This is Great info that is presented well, to the point and with excellent illustration. I subscribed and look forward to learning more from your videos. GREAT JOB !!!

[@steelwood74]

This was really good, there are a lot of other "how to" videos by others, but this has gone into detail which has helped me a lot

[@TruthSeeeker777]

Thank you so much for your very easy and to understand and apply, video. I'm just starting out with welding and your tips and advise are very helpful! Thank you sir.

[@graysmith9496]

Thank you for posting this, it will definitely help me.

[@TalkSteer]

Flippen stoked to start welding. Getting my mig 200 pro soon.. can't wait to get my gear and start a new life around welding! Studying your videos like a mad man right now

[@martysherrygriggs8136]

Thank you very much for posting these!

[@KarpucMotoring]

What a great simple to the point video. THANK YOU

[@samasiimwe324]

This video has been very helpful. Many thanks 😊

[@patrickstich4121]

Thanks man. I take my tack test tomorrow. You do a good job explaining things.

[@OtaraCowboy685]

I have not done any weldng since high school. 10 years later i want to pick it up again. This video was very well presented and very informative. Remembered a lot the points about the tendencies to turn your wrist and why we need to learn to prop up when firdt starting out. Thank you for this video.

[@davidjessee7701]

Great video!! I use to mug weld at a gate factory 2nd shift when I was a senior in high school!!!! Yeah no manipulation needed in most cases!! Shielding gas is so important!! When it runs out you will know! It will leave holes in the weld! Wire speed is crucial ! When I was learning how to weld , I would have my hand on the wire speed controller and turn it up and down as I was welding with the other hand , just to see and feel what the optimum speed was!!!!!

[@de2079]

phenomenal video. from start to finish just aced it. Well earned a like and subscription

[@Jason-fg1vn]

Bought your course, haven't welded in about 15 years...a little refresher never hurts.

[@TimWelds]

Thanks so much for your support!

[@yosjoerd]

Thanks for the info and clear explanation! Very helpful

[@cranegantry868]

Excellent instruction, loved this.

[@stangfreak2002]

Thanks for all the helpful tips !

[@maustinau]

TIMWELDS IS BEST WELDS Thanks for yet another best in class tutorial video Tim, keep up the amazing work and I hope your channel keeps growing the way it has been. You deserve it mate 🙂

[@alexromo9091]

Very good instruction. Thanks

[@b.simmons5234]

Informative! Thanks for making this video. Keep them coming.

[@vaughnslavin9784]

Thank you! Great information that I can put to work now!

[@johnnyfrederickjohnny8381]

Ini baru teratur.. sama tarian goro saya ajar.. senang Di fahami.. my favourite kantau elang.. steady cikgu 👏💪🙏

[@rawbebaba]

So ive been learning to weld just at work, with no one who really knows how to weld, nice to have this available. Lots of just plain trial and error lead me to getting the right angle, not having the line stick out to far, i tend to weave my weld just because its easier for me to keep on my line that way for some reason. But good lord is it nice finding this to lean on because it sucks trying to learn something and having nothing to really refrence or no one to ask.

[@tcb192]

Thanks, Tim, greenhorn here, your help is making it easier to learn.

[@bartden9668]

This is a good informative non-BS video. Thanks a bunch.

[@justintasht1067]

Fantastic video and so clear and easy to follow and understand it. massive thanks to you for your time you give to help everyone learn and understand 👍👍👍

[@tomj3655]

Great info for me since Ive never welded before. SPOT ON BRO!

[@joshualathamjl]

Absolutely amazing video, thanks 🙏🏼

[@philippearce]

great start to MIG, i already do oxy acetelene and stiring the puddle seems to help bind the sides together.

[@dashbmw]

Hi Tim, Very well explained tutorial! Thank you.

[@TheGreyGhost_of43rd]

This video put 7 years of wielding experience on my resume, thanks bro!

[@racing6283]

Your video has been really helpful to me. Greetings from Uruguay and you have a new subscriber

[@bobbiterryfields1402]

Love your videos I learn a lot

[@EarlWardJr]

Great video and very helpful. thanks for sharing.

[@glenpaul3606]

Excellent tutorial Tim. Your video and audio were perfect and your explanations clear and consise. Thank you.

[@USfoolsgold]

Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@rehmangusandapiary9024]

Great video Tim!

[@terryaufranc1850]

Very good video good advice, and very good teacher. Very clear with your tricks of the trade.

[@xxjumphungry6965]

My grandpa taught my dad how to weld and now he is teaching me and my step bro hes 27 im 13 and my dad sometimes teaches me but hes mostly in the car/mechanic industry and i really like the concept of welding and i think its real cool

[@kyleturgeonfilms]

such a great video! thank you very much for making this

[@overkillth]

Love your content. im going to become a welder myself soon. Gonna buy your Course for sure. greetings from Germany

[@OzzMantiix]

Great video Tim, thank you.

[@merleborg689]

I enjoyed your video on stick welding.

[@rogerwilliams2902]

Excellent video, well presented and informative !. Just subscribed . Regards from the UK.

[@melgross]

Clear as always Tim.

[@johnjonothan6154]

Excellent instruction

[@88Frank]

So helpful thank you

[@andersonbulinda6819]

Thank you for your video ....i learn a lot as a beginner ...watching from north borneo

[@brentonkelly3780]

Thanks Tim. Much appreciated!

[@PipoCollins]

Thank you ! very helpful , sharing is caring.

[@BITTYBOY121]

Well done Tim - Awesome video showing me everything I wanted to know regarding Mig welding ! - That fillet weld at 13:20 looks amazing and something that resembles a Tig weld ! - Hope one day I can weld as good as you with a Mig welding machine 👍👍👍👍👍

[@user-yr1lt8xk2o]

Thanks for your explanation

[@mountainbearoutdoors]

very good tutorial, I think I would be happy to try it now.

[@Ohana559-7]

Really helpful I’m going to attend welding school this September

[@thelastshot9945]

Really been considering getting into welding, really just need to get my life going.

[@homesteaddiary958]

Just do it! Or as Dan Pena is fond of saying, "JUST FUCKING DO IT"

[@scout9937]

Much appreciated, great knowledgeable video.

[@thabanixaba8798]

You actually save my life broo keep it up

[@EB-Ghost6]

I started messing around with the mig welder in auto shop class, and I would make these little statue things for my mother and she absolutely loved them