Welders! Should I learn it?

[Celestialsailor]

Is the interior foam insulated?

 

[man n black]

I found this video helpful. Watch all the way to the end for some good tips. Vancouver is not all that far from SoCal if you are looking for a class.

Ch

 

[dannc]

Is the interior foam insulated?

Been wanting to make this comment and your comment gave me a good place to hang my comment. Thank you.

Years ago, I was reading about a metal boat build. The hull was mostly complete but they had not installed the port lights yet. A welder was working outside the hull and a spark went through the port light opening and landed on the insulation which then caught fire. The damage was such they had to rebuild the forward part of the hull, the boat was aluminum, and as a result of the build, the owner got a boat a little big longer than planned.

 

[LeoKa]

Is the interior foam insulated?

Some areas are, some are not. I have seen insulation around the PH, but none in the bilge area. I have limited access, so it is possible that the upper walls are insulated. I just can't get to it.

 

[LeoKa]

I found this video helpful. Watch all the way to the end for some good tips. Vancouver is not all that far from SoCal if you are looking for a class.

Ch

Pretty cool video and the guy is funny. Laughed few times at his jokes.
I will continue searching for a local course, or individual, who could introduce me to the basics. My options are limited, since I do not have a shop, and there is so much I can store on my boat. If I buy a welder, it will be the basic model only. It will be enough for basic steel welding, but nothing fancy. I do not want to mess with stainless or aluminum.

 

[LeoKa]

If your boat is a high quality yacht, I would suggest leaving the welding to a seasoned pro.

No, my boat is pretty simple, nothing fancy. I use coal tar paint on the hull. Pretty forgiving material. My welding needs are mostly very low quality projects, so I do not need super special welding. Either way, if I need a weld, where structural integrity is very important, I will not try to do it myself. It will be hired out.

I love steel boats from Holland. I wish I could bring one over here.

 

[Rsysol]

I have a steel boat and I like it very much. She is a great coastal cruiser. If I wish to take her to blue water, additions and modifications would be necessary. Being steel, this would require lot of welding of tiny projects (hooks, etc), some bigger ( paravane, rolling chokes, mast additions ). What if I learn how to weld? Mainly steel, some aluminum.
I suspect, local colleges/trade schools offer courses on welding, but will that be enough to do solid work, to make my boat more secure and seaworthy? I suspect, some of the work like this can be done only by certified welders. Small one maybe not.
I am sure we have welders here on TF, so please chip in.
I am retired, so plenty of time to go to school again.

Thanks.

I’m late to the thread but I’m also a steel trawler and was quoted $3,000 to repair a rusted out hatch.

I decided to learn to weld via a local shop class ($250) and bought an Arccaptain MIG welder and accessories for $500. Some practice first and tada, I have a decently repaired hatch.

So yes, do it.

 

[LeoKa]

I decided to learn to weld via a local shop class ($250) and bought an Arccaptain MIG welder and accessories for $500. Some practice first and tada, I have a decently repaired hatch.

How did you find a local shop, which was willing to train you?

 

[gettaway]

I used to fabricate for a living, if you can find a local trade school, take an intro to welding class to learn the theory of welding. If you don't have anything local, find some classes online. Learn why you need to do certain techniques to weld strong welds and what a strong weld looks like, when you understand what you are trying to achieve when welding then the proper heat setting, striking an arc, weld speed and a proper puddle will make sense and you'll not only make a strong weld but it will help you make a good looking weld faster- and reduce the need for a grinder.

A couple of important aspects to remember.

Prepping the weld area is just as important as is with painting.
Proper penetration for the thickness of the metal is key to the strength of the weld- penetration is more important than beauty, (that's what she said -sorry had to say it)
Study the heat settings on your welder - there should be a basic guide for metal type and thickness
Look at the duty cycle of the welder - a 115V welder may say it can weld 1/4" or greater but for very intermittent cycles (check the amperage requirement as well)
Depending on the steel thickness of your boat projects, the 115V Harbor Freight / Tractor Supply welder may not be adequate, they a great for tube fences and sheet metal up to about 14-12 ga. I have found that you really need a 220V welder to make consistent strong welds for anything over 1/4"
MIG is the easiest to learn, TIG the most difficult - Stick welder somewhere in between, and the best and cleanest MIG welds are made using shielding gas.

 

[LeoKa]

Prepping the weld area is just as important as is with painting.

Meaning, you will have to remove everything from the surface to bare metal, before welding? If I wish to attach something to a painted hull, I need to grind it off first?

Yeah, I think I heard that in the past about the penetration and beauty things..... Lol

 

[GLRawley]

Retired ASME welder with 35+ years. KAPND is correct the welders I worked with became Journeyman in three years, the other mechanics/maintenance crafts took four years because the welders started welding first day but the other mechanics were paid as helpers the first year. I maintained that you were paid as a Journeyman in three/four years but were not a Journeyman until about ten years of being in the maintenance crafts.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE and more PRACTICE makes you feel better about your ability to do a job correctly

 

[gettaway]

Meaning, you will have to remove everything from the surface to bare metal, before welding? If I wish to attach something to a painted hull, I need to grind it off first?

Yeah, I think I heard that in the past about the penetration and beauty things..... Lol

Yes, a good clean and solid surface to weld to, there are or used to be some welding rods that would or could burn through paint, but the smoke and fumes were horrible- don't weld galvanized without a proper respirator!

 

[dutch-barge]

NAH...not needed . wasted. .
we have a steel boat from the 1930.

There are always welders around, and you just learning to weld, you will do a beginner job.

yes we did many modifications to our steel boat, but unless I was going to put in many many hours I knew I was only going to do a mediocre job, versus a welder who does it daily

More important is an angle grinder, so if things need to be changed/adjusted you can do all the prep work and you hire a welder to just do the welding. We built out a cabin, a different covered seating area. I did all the grinding , cutting work, effectively reducing the welders hours with about 70 %

 

[LeoKa]

There are always welders around, and you just learning to weld, you will do a beginner job.

I kinda like your approach. Although, I enjoy learning, I have limited space and no shop for serious modifications. Maybe I'll just do both. Learn to weld for small and not critical items, but hire an experienced welder for sensitive jobs like a bilge keel mounting. I am not sure what a welder would say to this. They all work for money. We'll see. I will offer my assistance for the prep work, which I don't mind doing it. It might work, and I can save money on the labor cost. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[ronobrien]

I have a steel boat and I like it very much. She is a great coastal cruiser. If I wish to take her to blue water, additions and modifications would be necessary. Being steel, this would require lot of welding of tiny projects (hooks, etc), some bigger ( paravane, rolling chokes, mast additions ). What if I learn how to weld? Mainly steel, some aluminum.
I suspect, local colleges/trade schools offer courses on welding, but will that be enough to do solid work, to make my boat more secure and seaworthy? I suspect, some of the work like this can be done only by certified welders. Small one maybe not.
I am sure we have welders here on TF, so please chip in.
I am retired, so plenty of time to go to school again.

Thanks.

I would talk to someone that welds. They could probably give you short intro to get started. The rest is practice, "time under the hood." Get a copy of the Lincoln Handbook for Welding. It is the time tested bible for all welders and covers everything. Practice, screw up, read why and try again. It doesn't take long before you will get pretty good. If money allows, I would get a cheap stick welder to learn. If you can weld stick on a cheap machine the rest gets easier. Kind of like learning to drive on a stick shift. The holy grail is TIG. I've been welding for decades and still haven't gotten the time to practice much at TIG. It is the hardest discipline in welding. To weld aluminum you will need either a spool gun to be really useful or TIG. TIG is better. Go for it. Good luck.