I see lots complaining of the cheap tools , mike is just handing tips to the home hobby person , starting out , you can spend thousands on tools , but are they good tools if a person doesnt know how to use it ? I started out this way , as i got better i bought better tools keep up the good videos
Thanks Timothy! You completely get it 👍 It’s surprising how many people can’t understand the video, it’s just to get someone going on a budget, from there if they like fabricating they can always upgrade there tools. Take care 🙂
Sometimes cheap tools are all you need. I've got a full on machine shop in my garage and I still have my little 4x6 Grizzly band saw. Just wish it had variable speed.
I went horse back riding with a welder once and came upon a Knight with broken armor. I welded his armor and he said the difference was like knight and day. True story!
Like you said I am inclined to disagree with your choice of welder stick is a great way to start and much more flexible, too much to go wrong with wire feed
When Coronavirus started I decided to teach myself how to weld and went to Harbor Freight and bought that Titanium 125. Its awesome, built a 80x48 roof platform for my Isuzu Trooper and now I'm making rock sliders. You can't go wrong.
Michael, you have no idea how helpful this type of stuff is. Makes me think a graying middle ager can still try to learn something new, like my chance to do so hasn't passed me by. Thanks so much.
SluSharkND Thanks! These comments are what keeps me making TH-cam videos 🙂 I always really enjoy hearing that I’m encouraging and motivating people to get out and build things 👍
4:44 I was working in a small welding shop years ago. The owner's 9 year old came in on his bike one day, flipped it over, grabbed a welding helmet then turned on a MIG machine and started welding. I told his dad how impressed I was and he said, "Here's the kicker: his 7 year old brother is a better MIG'er than him!"
As both a joiner in wood and a metal fabricator in my home shop I really liked your approach. Get some basics without breaking the bank and get going. You might find it wasn’t the passion you thought it might be and ... no worries. But if it is, then you will gradually upgrade each thing as your needs dictate. The approach Mike suggests for a starter is exactly right based on my real experience. Grow into your metal working. I had an abrasive chop saw but now a portable bandsaw and a smaller (Trajan) carbide chop saw. I started with a flux core welder but now have full mig with gas bottles. Love the cleaner welding. I had the exact same orange HF angle grinder and have beaten the crap out of it and it still goes. My second one is now a DEWALT 20 volt unit. Old orange usually has the flap disc for weld flattening. I have a 6” belt disc sander (Grizzly) from 1995 for woodwork but also use it for metal. An HF heavy vice. Floor standing drill press (Grizzly) also from 1995 when I started in wood. Probably does more metal now in truth. Great review Mike. My experience almost matched your approach. I’m really WANT a Titanium plasma. Not sure about NEED though. Hell, I’m 77 and love doing metal in the shop so maybe WANT is going to win out!
I think a lot of people failed to read the title of "6 AFFORDABLE tools…". It’s a great list and most hobbyist don’t need top tools. I’m disabled so only do small projects and when buying tools I look for the best priced with a robust 3 year guarantee. OK, it will be a miracle if I’m still here in 3 years myself due to the nature of my disabilities, especially if I get Covid19. Even if I am I’m sure everything will still be giving me good service (except Bosch, the only tools I've had problems with). I’m also totally with you for getting better quality consumables like blades etc. I’d also say the same about hand tools, ever tried to sharpen a cheap chisel? Or used cheap files? Or cheap screwdrivers? For your non-power Tools may I suggest a tap and die set? There again is somewhere it’s worth spending the extra on some decent quality even if you just buy 2 taps and a die at a time. A really good video, thank you.
If you get an angle grinder, don’t take the guard off If you get an angle grinder with an on / off switch absolutely don’t take the guard off It spins at 10,000 rpms and the worst injuries and deaths in metal or woodworking involve defeating the safety guard
I used to build truck bodies.. one of a few people that allowed to cut chassis and put extend them put them back together again . I think there were only 3 or 4 of us...but I'm telling ya , idiots takin guards off... skipping safety absolutely amazed me...chop saw never belongs in a metal shop.. ever... band saw.. go slow
I definitely agree with never taking the guards off of angle grinders, I don’t but there a lot of people that do and like I said in the video, plan on cutting more then your fingernails if you do.
Sean Farrell so you are saying a metal chop saw does not belong in a metal fab shop? They are awesome, I ordered a 14” Slugger cold cut chop saw for the fab shop at my work and it cuts excellent.
@@Mikefestiva I have a 14" cold saw and it's phenomenal. Propoint I think from Princess Auto. I use Milwaukee blades. Never even plug in the abrasive disc saw anymore.
I’m a structural engineer working in steel fabrication. Recently decided to actually start doing some fab in my garage. Bought that little flux core welder to get started. Love it so far.
I got the 90amp Flux core machine (Chicago electric) about 6 years ago. I didn't even go to Harbor Freight with the intention of buying it, however they were running an insane package deal on them (Hood, spool of flux wire, and the machine for $100 +/- $20). My first project was welding in the muffler on my daily driver at the time (it was clamped in at the time). Long story short, I abused the life out of that welder. It sat in the back of my truck for days at a time, been rained on, pushed to its limit building various things, etc.. It Never. Let. Me. Down. It did everything I ever expected it to (within its obvious limitations). I recently upgraded to the Titanium Unlimited 200 for tigging stainless exhaust (Recently finished my first turbo kit). Worth every single penny. A band saw is a must in my opinion, for the price of a cheap one, your cuts will be MUCH better quality, without the biproduct of abrasive cutting (Grinder dust). My 3 budget tools I couldn't go without (and suggest no one else does, either) would be a set of 90 degree welding magnets ($5.99), Caliper ($9.99), and Speed square ($5.00). Those 3 tools properly used make for proper fitment, and proper fitment is critical to a proper weld (Or at the minimum will make your job easier and cleaner)
I'm a professional fabricator, I started learning welding and fabrication in 1972 in the high school shop. Sadly schools have pushed young people away from working with their hands. By the way I an still learning new tricks to the trade. Don't be afraid of learning new skills and tricks to make things simpler for yourself. Anyway I think your pick of tools is good. On the welder I have mixed feelings. I will say get a welder your budget will allow. For most things a 135 to 160 amp wirefeed will do the job with hard wire. With the fluxcore wirefeed you can get away with less amperage because the arc is more like stick welding.
Kriss Femmpaws Thanks Kriss for checking out my video 👍 there’s definitely a lot of other welders I could have recommended, but for the $150 price of this one it gets someone starting easily. I’m all for MIG or even a multi process MIG, Stick, TIG machine, but I didn’t want to discourage people on a budget like when starting out. It is sad that kids get far less opportunities to build stuff these days. Hey Kriss check out this video, it’s a project I’m building at the moment, it’s a mini 4x4 articulating dump truck. th-cam.com/video/vFphyNUhsaY/w-d-xo.html
@@Mikefestiva I understand where you are coming from, I also understand the why. Someone that has not done metal work and doesn't know if it's for them what you have suggested works. My go-to welder for portable work is my Thermalarc GMS 130 that I picked up used for 250 dollars off Craigslist. When it was new it was a high dollar unit. I got it mostly for welding aircraft tubing. But found it packed a lot of punch in a little package. Runs 1/8 7018 like a champ... add my genset and heavy extension cord I'm portable anyplace I can back my Toyota to.
Here is the thing about tools. And put this deep in your mind when shopping for them. The price usually reflects the abuse they can get without braking. So buy tools base on how much you will abuse them. Yes a really expensive drill will last longer than a black and deckers. But expensive drills are desing to last a year under industrial conditions of constant use and abuse. So they will last you 3 lifetimes if you work on small projets 3 times a year. A walmart drill will last you 10 years under those conditions so don’t spend the extra money. Leve expensive tools for industrial use, for them is better to invest top dollar on a tool brand that doesn’t really make any sense for a weakend warrior.
Thanks for checking out my video Albert! Yes I started out with almost no extra cash to buy tools, I made due with what I could scrape together. I try to keep it real about this stuff, we all aren’t loaded with money most of us have families and don’t have a lot of extra cash. Take care 🙂
there is a wood working guy, wood working for mere mortals, on youtube. You are the metal version of him. I like that you can enter this with 600 bucks just to play around in ones garage that is good enough.
Yes that’s non power tools, all that stuff is coming in the next video! I decided to cover all that in the next video so this one doesn’t become to long. Thanks for checking out my new video and commenting 👍
100% on these tool choices. I haven't done metal fab in years, and when I did I had access to a full shop. I'm working my way back in, and your list hits the tools I am currently acquiring (or already had). Love the tip on the jigs with the vice, think I found me an early project to work on :-)
I definitely agree with starting out on a mig welder, it's easier to learn in my opinion and it's more versatile because you can weld thin material (sheet steel) opposed to a stick welder where you have to stay relatively thick, this is especially true with 110 volt welders because you aren't going to weld really thick material anyway so the mig gives you a much larger range of thicknesses.
tool #1- A place to use your tools All of these tools are great, but I live in a mobile home and have no garage, also in the cold north so outside is not an option most of the year. While I own most of these, it requires me to load unload it all like a tetris game. If I had a shop, I would work on cars while building stuff with spare time, day and night Someday soon!!!!
Right on 👍 It seems like everyone that tries out these Flux 125 welders really like them, for the price $150 to $200 I think there’s really nothing that beats them in that range. Take care Ian
I bought multi process welder first up. I'd never welded before. Multi process I think is great because you learning curve is much faster with the mig...I was sticking things together right from the start making small projects (flux core) with the mig. In between I was practicing with the stick function learning. Another cool aspect of it was that when the spool of the mig decides to play up on occasion, you just deal with that later and flick over to stick welding and can finish your project there and then. Welder I bought was a unimig viper 185. Since I started welding I've actually bought another stick welder that has a few more features...I think if I had started with stiick welding on all the small projects that I made with the mig, I think I would have been blowing holes in all the tubing I had bought and not enjoying the learning process as much. My opinion, start making projects right from the start with the mig whilst you get more confident with stick. Before you know it you'll have a prefence on when to use either.
I have the that little titanium 125.it runs very well and it's DC. They way flux core should be. Welds 3/16 plate and I have welded 1/4 plate without any issues on a dual pass. I run blue demon e71 flux wire. Absolutely the best flux core wire out there. As for my big boy welder I use the omni pro 220. I work in the oilfields and use this welder all the time. Never once had problems with it. Welds just as good as the lincoln and Everlast units we've got.
Right on thanks for commenting 👍 This little flux welder is a pretty good little machine, especially for the price. It’s good to hear you also own the Omnipro, they are solid welders, I bought one within the first month they came out, i did some reviews on the Omnipro and the Titanium 200, I ended up keeping the Titanium 200 mostly because it was more compact and lighter, I ended up selling the Omnipro and buying the ProTig 200 so I could learn AC TIG, I think the Titanium line is good, the Vulcan line is really solid. Take care
my trick for tools while building a collection is to buy cheap in bulk, replace with the highest quality you can buy as they break. this is primarily about bits, but if your cheap circular saw dies after a few years clearly you need a higher quality circ for your usage. don't do this if you are trying to make money on your tools (although if you are you should already know WHAT tools you need to do the job so deciding what tools you need in high quality is pretty easy), but for putzing around in the basement or the garage, cheap tools are fine, you should already expect shit to break or go sideways, so going basic with cheap toolkits is a good way to start. everything you get is going to break, but you KNOW it is going to break, so as it breaks that is where you bust out the wallet. because if you break it that must mean you use it, it automatically increases the value of the tool for you.
You can buy brushes for your grinder, even if they don't fit, you can sand thrm to shape to fit. It's worth cleaning the armature contacts with some fine emery paper too, less sparking makes the brushes last longer
Kind of agree with you on the stick vs mig welding. For beginners, mig is the easiest to learn. However, it is a case of the right tool for the job. If you're welding clean steel, mig is great. If you need to do repair welding on rusty steel, you should probably consider a stick welder. Also, really hard to weld thin gauge steel with a stick welder.
There are reasons, and good ones for beginning with the stick welding or even the gas welding process. MIG welding is very easy to get good looking welds on very early. Stick welding on the other hand (not to mention TIG and gas welding) takes some finesse and learning. If you begin with MIG and go on to try learning say TIG the learning curve is, for some steep enough to be impossible. I had and have a great guy who back in the late '90's started me on gas welding and it has made learning the other processes much easier. The point is, start with the difficult process first. It is cheaper and you can learn much more and the more difficult things are behind you. MIG welding is the easy mode of welding honestly. If you want to really learn to weld take the hard stuff first it pays off in the long run.
I started my business with a stick welder. It was the biggest pain in the ass to weld railings with. I only use stick now with my generator welder on my truck. You video is great. I would probably recommend a stronger amperage welder if you want to make railings,gates,fence etc. But none the less great video.
Thanks Mike, I've been fabricating for 30 plus years. Great advice for starters. I agree, learn mig and forget stick and gas welding (although that's where I started).
Thanks David 👍 I really appreciate it. I have wanted to put this video out for some time now, basic affordable tools to get people started in metal work. Take care
I like your starter selection. I prefer a belt/disc sander over the angle grinder for prepping metal for welding because I find I have more control over it than dealing with a wandering grinder. Oh, I do use those grinding discs because my welding skills suck! My Shopsmith Mark V has done double duty for me over the years and where the drill press setup is at best inadequate for drilling steel, that belt sander attachment is rock solid for making bevels and for grinding off the burrs and scale! Thanks for the video!
PPE. Get a good mask, an auto darkening helmet that you can use for angle grinding, and get a good pair of gloves. That's the absolute basic amount of equipment needed to get started. As you will have one blade break on you and land an inch away from your head near your eye. You only ever make that sort of mistake once!
Thank you so much for this. Because I don't have 2 phase, high voltage at my work area, I was thinking about running an extension cord from the basement washing machine. And if that wasn't higher voltage, I was just gonna give up on welding, and just drill, tap, and red Locktite motorcycle frames and other parts together. But I didn't know normal plug welding kits existed. I want to build my own motorcycles, because I will not tolerate dealerships and the BS. Thanks again for this video. I'm already deep into electrical-engineering. Now I just need to get into structural & mechanical.
Wouldnt it be single phase and three phase only? I studied electrical for 2 semesters but that was 3 years ago and I'm rusty on my electrical and actually i only studied single phase :( but here are my 2 cents. If you only have 120v single phase at home Harbor Frieght has these little green and orange welders (the once you see in this video, Titanium & Vulcan) and I'm planning on getting the Titanium DC Stick welder 225. It runs on 120v single phase up to 70 or 80 amps to weld with but has an extension to weld on 240v up to 225amps, plenty of amperage to weld your motorcycle frames. And for an extension depending on the length you need, if my memory is correct when running extensions longer than 50ft you need to go on size thicker in AWS cable. So for example: I'm gonna make 2 extensions. I only require 25ft here at home so when running on 120v on the 20amp breaker & I'm assuming my house is wired with 12 gauge wire so just to be on the safe side I'm gonna use a 10 gauge cable for the extension. For the 240v its a 50amp breaker so I'm gonna use a 6 gauge (I cant remember if a 50amp breaker 240v uses an 8 or 6 gauge) so whatever it is I will use a gauge thicker than what I have in my wall just so the chord doesnt over heat. I am also gonna use SO cable for the extensions. Check out the Titanium DC 225 Stick welder. Stick is harder to learn but once you got it mastered you can learn any other process easily (except TIG, that one you practice with Oxyacetaline welding). If you wanna go the easy route pic up a MIG welder of the same brand or Vulcan but only if you weld indoors. If you weld outdoors get a flux core welder. I hope this helps. Oh another thing, if you decide to go with stick welding stay away from the 6010 & 6011 rods, those are deep penetrating rods so you'll just blow holes right through and they arent very strong anyway. For your motorcycle frames you should be fine with the 7014. If your frame is really thin go with 6013 on DC reverse polarity. If it blows holes through switch the polarity to straight polarity. I personally would use the 7014 or the 7018 but even the 7018 might be over kill for just a frame, it is the strongest rod though so your welds will never break and they'll be really hard to grind off smooth. 7014 leaves beautiful welds. You could be just starting and have a nice looking welds. Thats all I got for now. Sorry for the long ass message lol
240v, strictly speaking, is two phase. It’s two 120v lines that are 180 degrees out of phase although it’s commonly referred to as single phase power. Also: never plan to use more than 80% capacity of a breaker’s rating. That’s why 15 amp circuits (i.e. breaker size) are only intended to provide 12 amps of power (twelve outlets consuming on average 1amp each). Never use an extension cord thats heavier than the house wiring. If the breaker failed for some reason, you could melt the house wiring without ever knowing anything was wrong (until the fire department arrived). It would be much better to have your extension cord start smoking.
Really appreciate your enthusiasm and charisma. I don't have a lot o money but I have a big desire to be a better man. I'm recovering from surgery and watching your videos help me heal. Thanks
Thanks for checking out my video and commenting 👍 if you look back on my first video of building a sawmill about 5 years ago I was working with only a few basic metal tools, I was on a shoe string budget so I completely understand. Little by little I have built up my shop and I know you will be able to definitely do the same 🙂 I’m glad I videos are getting you though your healthy process after your surgery. I hope you recover soon! I have been thought 2 surgeries so I can feel for you man, hang in there and I hope to hear some updates on health and tools. Take care
I would buy cheap welder that can do both - flux and MIG with gas, it will cost similar as flux core only welder. Once you save up for co2 or mix gas bottle, you can use MIG functionality. And if you want go cheap - 100% co2, solid mig wire is much cheaper to run and cleaner too(less fumes and cleaner weld). Flux core wire is 5 times more expensive than solid core wire.
Harbor Freight, a poor man's store. I totally agree with you Mike. If it wasn't for HF, i wouldn't have over half the tools i have. A man can do a lot with a little : ) Good video
In a few places I worked it's cheaper to buy a 20 dollar HF grinder use it till it dies then get another, over rebuilding a worn out expensive gringer. Buffing compound eats up grinders no matter the brand... oddly the 20 dollar HF grinder held up as well as the Milwaukee's did.
Thanks Greg I’m glad you enjoyed my video 👍 I like to keep it simple, with these affordable tools one can do a lot with them and there’s no reason down the road you can’t upgrade when you have a better understanding of what needed. Thanks again and if you get time checkout some of my other videos 👍
I found your videos from a Harbor Freight email that redirected to your TH-cam entries. WOW Mike. Thank you for intelligent and useful information. You really presented in a clean, clear fashion and so many guys don't do that on TH-cam. Thanks for your time!
It's nice to see someone recommending MIG welders instead of shunning them to no end and trying to force people to stick welders. MIG is easier and looks just as good, only thing is they arent as powerful but what 95% of people do, a MIG is more than enough.
Another great video and I have most of what you recommend already and am working on the rest. You and Weld.com are definitely the best beginner welding/metal fab teaching sites on the internet. Many thanks for all you do for your viewers. 👍
Great video, Im just starting out welding. At this point I don't even have a welder but looking at the HF titanium 125 Flux core as its on sale right now at $179, i just may go grab that today. I'm also researching all the additional tools and gear i need and your videos have been a great help. I'm a DIY'er myself (automotive/motorcycle/CF/Fiberglass/Wood..ect) with a few home patio and garage projects that require small light weight metal support structures (flat/square stock). All these years I've never had to pick up a torch because I could achieve the same result with some other skill set. Learning how to Weld has always been on my mind but never had a project that justified the expensive starting cost of welding until i purchased my own home & the wife now wants a pergola with decorative vertical floral metal sun screens attached for some summer time lounging (permission to buy baby!). That said, do you have a video on stock usages and possibly slip joinery applications.. I need to go 0-100 with my metal fabrication learning. Thanks for the videos, they've been a great help. Can't wait to get pass these baby steps and get into some serious welding applications.
I’d recommend starting with a stick setup. I can do thin metals with that or oxy brazing. Stick also can handle 1/4-1/2 inch metals if need be. Flux core has its place but it’s not quite as versatile. Flux core is perfect for the weekend warrior or shade tree guy otherwise.
There's nothing wrong with the flux core prosess just use the proper wire type, use the proper polarity, and always store your wire in the proper environment like you would stick welding rods don't let moisture get to them and you will have better consistency with your welds
Scott Barlow not to be a smartass, but do you actually own flux, stick, and mig set ups? I do, and I can confirm that flux core is a hobby rig. No one serious about being a fabricator should start with that unless they specialize in very small scale repair or they want something to play around with on the weekend. Also, flux wire does not mind being in a moisture environment, I’ve used it during quick field repairs when it’s been a light rain.
@@ThisGuyWantsBeer Miller 250 AC /DC CC square wave w/water cooled TIG torch setup . . . ESAB 250 AC DC MIG w/ spool gun for Aluminum . . Thermo Dynamics Thermo Arc 186 multi process portable TIG stick unit . . . Lincoln 180 MIG. . L-Tech 120v MIG . . .CENTRY AC/DC 225 ARC BUZZ BOX . . .MILLER BOBCAT AC / DC w/ high freq. Unit . . . .HOBART Welder/Genset portable . . I think that's about it not including my Thermo Dynamics plasma torch
@@ThisGuyWantsBeer I disagree with your flux core theory it is an excellent process and you can learn how to weld with this process just like you can learn how to weld in any process with proper instruction and practice . . For instance if I was offered a good paying long term entry level with no cert. TIG welder position starting in three weeks or whatever and I had access to heliarc equipt. Its not necessary to go learn how to stick weld before you learn TIG or even MIG for that matter . . . learn the process that you will actually be doing first then learn the other processes later while you are putting food on the table there's so much information out there on the web ad it's free . . .I didn't have much information except for a few old timers that were helpful and I'm grateful for them but all they knew was AC stick using 8 or 10 yr old rods that this one farmer guy had under the seat of his pickup that didn't match being different sizes and types that have been wet every winter in New England
The red grinder looks to have a button next to the paddle to hold the trigger down. My grinder usually has a knotted wire cup brush more than 75% of the time. If you can swing a wire welder that has provisions for gas it's really sweet to use later on.
You're awesome dude. The amount of stuff you've done with limitations is pretty crazy. haha. I really appreciate your reviews. I worked as a tig welder for a year, did well and was looking into mig welders and your titanium mig 170 videos really helped me in deciding what mig welder I'd buy.
Right on thanks Agustin! Yes the Titanium line of welders are really good especially at there price point, my Titanium 200 is still working perfectly after two years 👍
The metal cutting bandsaw is by far one of the most important starting tools for fabrication. Clean accurate cuts are very hard to replicate consistently on an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. Also, I'd recommend the Everlast Powerarc 140STI over the wire flux welder. Dual voltage 120v/240v, comes with a voltage adapter, tig consumables, hot start\lift start. I personally like stick welding for heavy duty projects involving bar stock or thick plate. Once you get that down, going to tig only requires a $25 regulator and an argon bottle. I'd recommend an minimum of 85cu, 125 is preferable. The tanks can be found used and swapped out (depending on the supplier) as long as they are DOT stamped and within their inspection date.
I completely agree with you, metal cutting bandsaws are really accurate. I also agree on a multi process welder, I was making this video with a budget in mind, trying to keep the entire lot of tools in the $600 range total for someone just starting out. I have owned the Vulcan Omnipro multi process welder and liked it, I now own the Titanium 200 welder, MIG, TIG, STICK, and it’s a great welder, it cost $650 not including the tank. I would have suggested a multi process welder but I know from my own experience that I couldn’t have justified the cost just starting out. Thanks for commenting Richard 👍
@@Mikefestiva Absolutely. Flux-core wire can be used to good effect provided that the user puts more time into the prep work. Good high quality wire and running on the high side of the voltage is a must with these machines, but otherwise work very well for the budget-minded hobbyist.
I agree with the bandsaw if it's within your budget I have a Milwaukee portable deep throat handheld bandsaw that has served me well and I rely on it for all my cuts and they offer a mount that turns it into a bandsaw like the one you have on your video however it is limited and smaller but after a while you can get pretty good at cutting with it and along with a angle grinder you can pretty much cut most steel and aluminum angles tube and pipe with accuracy and if you check the pawnshops you might find one cheap
I just got a plasma cutter to insert my hitch light plug into my steel bumper on my jeep. Will still likely need the name saw for fabricating brackets etc for my off road vehicles. Pretty new to this as well but went with titanium 200, and 75/25 tank.
@@martinfletchersandiegoca7523 if possible do your plasma cutting on your bumpers off the jeep or cover up everything with those woven fiberglass blankets that are available at harbor freight or your local welding supply to divert the shower of sparks that you are going to get from your plasma cutter . . .safety first and good luck with your project
only thing i would recommend is a welders pocket reference and for people to have some respect for what they are welding, do NOT weld up a trailer and tow it down the road at 100MPH if you learned to weld last week, because you literally dont know enough to know if its safe or not.
Another great video Mike we need a lot more like this we all forget we started somewhere these videos are great help even if you have experienced you still can learn don't be a fool I think you know it all. Great job Mike
I like your attitude! This kind of video is very helpful for people trying to learn how to do new things via TH-cam. Harbor Freight, with their new upgraded lines, is clearly trying to step into the niche abandoned by Sears Craftsman--decent quality tools at a reasonable cost. They still carry some things not worth buying, so you have to use common sense when buying there, but they have become a great source for decent equipment that isn't out of the reach of hobbyists and casual users pricewise.
My orange Harbor Freight grinder needed brushes a while back. I was in the same boat and lost the replacement brushes years ago. Luckily in my friends scrap pile was one of the shity $10 Blue Harbor Freight Grinders that broke. The brushes fit in that orange grinder so keep that in mind. You could find them from other shity Harbor Freight Tools
If you don't want to spend as much on a band saw you can get the Baur porta band. Works great and you can build a simple stand to hold it vertical to do free hand work. Harbor freight's files are actually surprisingly good as well. As a professional blacksmith I use files a good bit and I am impressed how well the hold up.
You are awesome Mike !... I have always bought the best I could afford ( for my buisness )but have recently bought what will work for my little farm and I an suprised at how useful and durable some of these crappy imported tools are.
Thanks for checking out my new video 👍 I have always worked with what I had and what I could afford, usual cheaper tools. I definitely have come across some cheap low quality tools in the past but a lot of the import stuff has come a long ways. I try to do the best I can with the tools I have. Take care and keep building stuff 🙂
Center punch, Square, tape measure, metal files, Stub drill bits, tap/die set, scríbe, sharpies, welding magnets, vice grips, lump hammer, metal ruler, hack saw.... Anyone else have inputs to help the newbies?
To go with the angle grinder get a grinder chop saw fixture. You attach your 4-5" grinder with a cut-off disk and you have a great cut-off tool for pipe, bar-stock, bolts, etc. They have a vise clamp, to hold the work. I bought mine off of ebay for $21. It was cast metal and well made. I use it more than my horizontal band saw for most smaller cutting jobs.
Excellent video. Clear, succinct and to the point. I like your approach to “starting up on a shoestring” and keeping the costs down. Once a guy gets successful - THEN he can invest in some higher dollar equipment. Great job - WELL DONE !!!
Right on Kevin I appreciate that you get the point of this video! You are exactly right, work with this and upgrade when you find you need better tools as you get better with your skills 👍
I am just getting started, and am so pleased to discover that the only tool I'm missing from this list is the metal cutting bandsaw. Thank you for the advice and the inspiration!
This is quite usefull. SO many people have 'Tool Ego' - got to have 'the best'. If youre just getting started, you dont need to pay $5k on an awesome lincoln electric welder. Start with basic stuff and upgrade as you upskill
Thanks for the video Mike. I agree with your title; this is how to inexpensively get started with metal fabrication. If you find it's your 'bag' you can always go back and get the 'good' tools later if/when your HF starter tool fails.
haha perfect an he's right folks, Ive built and fabricated so many items, projects with these common tools, from car trailers, hydraulic cherry pickers. engine stands, etc...and I don't even own a vice or drill press for the past 20 years lol,,,but yeah great advice for those just starting out...great job Mike!
Mike, been following you since part 1 of your articulating dump truck. I thoroughly enjoy your advice, it’s reasonable, doesn’t brake the bank and comes from some one, who knows his shit! You actually got me going to buy the titanium 125 from HF... which I frequent rather normally. Them and Tractor Supply are my go to shops, to get the things I need at an affordable price! Thanks and keep rocking, all the best from Snohomish!
That’s great! I have never used that drill press so I really appreciate hearing good feedback on it. I have a old drill press from the 1940s I got from free years ago, I ended up re powering it with a 3 phase motor and a VFD. I’m still thinking of buying a smaller one from HF to have a second drill in my shop. Take care Jack 👍
I would totally agree with his list the only difference being maybe switch the welder for ac DC Tig because you can weld other types of metal such as aluminum and stainless steel but if you're just welding regular steel a flux core is fine
628 comments. Never seen that many on one video. A few days back I was in Harbor Freight and noticed some of the tools seemed to be a better quality than what HB was known for. Price was higher too. Asked an employee what was going on. He stated that Harbor Freight was stepping up to tools that were a better quality.
Thank you so much for this video! I'm currently attending a technical college to get my certificates. I've been wanting to be able to start making things instead of just passing off my welds in different positions!
Mike, I really appreciated your discussion. I have been wanting to learn a little welding. My big question was what do I need to learn the basics. This is immensely helpful. Thanks a bunch.
Thanks for checking out my video and commenting 👍 I definitely recommend learning how to weld, it’s something you will use quite often. If you get time check out that video I link of me teaching my nephew how to weld, there’s a lot of info in that video to help you out. Take care
cheap tools can definetly get the job done but if youre going to get into fab work for the enjoyment of the hobby and be doing it for a long time more capable quality tools will save you buying things two or three times over.. im after selling off cheap tools at a loss or burning up underpowered ones and buying the good tools afterwards
I have built quite a bit with affordable tools, I definitely think if you got the money why not buy good quality tools. I myself started in metal fab work with very little extra cash to spend on tools so I do the best with what I can afford. I’m not trying to be rude but Didn’t you comment earlier that you bought a $200 kicking horse plasma torch? I bought a $250 Cut 50 on Amazon 3 years ago and it’s still working, it wasn’t the highest of quality and I never posted a review because of the build quality but it definitely cuts metal pretty good. Take care
Nice video Mike. I like the color of the band saw, blood red color comes in handy when there are shop accidents. The only thing that I would mention, since I like to use all kinds of weird scrap metal, is to watch using a band saw when cutting old scrap bed frame. I've found that there are hard spots in the metal and they can wipe out expensive band saw blades or toothed saw blades. For the shitty bed frame I use an abrasive cutoff. Lot of deals on Craigslist too! I started on an SP125 Lincoln flux, it was we easier to learn that then stick. Big advantage of flux, is that the wire is being fed, stick you have to strike the arc and then keep worrying about running out of electrode. Lot of good tips here. I'm sure a lot of first timers will appreciate this video, thanks for making it!
@@BarnStangz I heard once that they are made from recycled metal so you don't know what will be in them. I have burned up a few drill bits on them! :^)
Great Video! I have never used a flux welder. I prefer MIG but think you should recomend that new DIYers learn to use an oxy-acet torch first. Learning about recognizing when metal is about to become liquid is very important. I learned how to weld with an Oxy-Acet rig 64 years ago. I was 7 years old. I learned stick welding around that same period with my Dad's homemade buzz box welder by watching him and then practicing by myself. I have no clue what size transformer he used but it worked quite well up to 1/4" mild steel. Just to encourage New DIYers, my Dad was an M.D. He taught me many "blue collar skills" while building "stuff" in his workshop. Titanium coated drill bits SUCK regardless of brand. Get a set of Cobalt Bits from Harbor Freight (about $100). Expensive? Not really. You get what you pay for and Cobalt Bits will drill anything especially stainless steel. Get Cobalt Step Drill Bits too. They are worth the investment. Learn to regulate drill speed or you will spend $$$ on drill bits.
I use that same Vulcan shield at work when fixing up broken railcars and I love it. I originally wanted a Speedglass or Miller but I can't see spending $400+ on a shield.
Right on a practical guy that doesn’t want to spend a arm and a leg on tools! I like this helmet too 👍 I have a older 3M speed glass and it’s a good helmet but I really think they are priced to high. I got mine used and it’s now just a back up helmet. I also have a older Miller but loaned it to a friend that didn’t have a auto dim helmet, the Miller is kind of dumb it doesn’t have a auto on, if you put it down for about ten minutes and go to weld again, it will auto off, I have been flashed a few times because of that poor design.
First off this was a pretty kool video to introduce tools, techniques and experience, I shared it to a true novice as I seldom have the time to teach. Second, any person that leaves a negative comment is an idiot, as no one that watches this starts off with 80,000 worth tools. As a professional, i continually upgrade tools to suit my businesses needs.. Lastly, great video man but my recommendation for #1 would be PPE. Glasses, gloves, ear protection, helmets etc.
Thanks Kyle I appreciate your comments 👍 I cover PPE in the second part of this series, I wanted to keep this video shorter and to the point. The second part covers PPE and non power tools like clamps, levels stuff like that. Take care 🙂
Why would you view a comment as negative? I started with $180.00 4x6 band saw. The 2,000 pound lathe cost me $800.00 at an auction. No one wanted an industrial machine of that size at the auction. Even though the ways had just been redone. My drill press cost $199.00 new with a morse taper. We all start with what we have and can afford. Then upgrade if we use it a lot.
I find a good set of marking out tools helps. Tape measure, ruler, scriber, dot punch, combination set square, also some engineers ink, magnetic 90, clamps etc
You can't have too many clamps tractor supply has those Bessy type clamps for real cheap also a bunch of different vice grip style welding clamps they are not name brand but the price is right and they work just fine
Hey I’m covering a lot of non power tools in the next part of this series, it would have been to long of a video to cover it all in part One. Thanks for commenting guys 👍
@@Mikefestiva yeah and if you haven't done it yet maybe a simple welding /layout table from scrap there are a bunch of designs out there and a good useful home project
I go with 4 1/2" grinder 9" grinder Oxyfuel set Portaband saw Chop saw Nice multi process welder Plasma cutter Band saw Drill press And pedestal grinder
Keep in mind my list was to help people starting out interested in home metal fab work on a budget, my list is $600 your list is good but would cost thousands
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I started welding with J.B weld.
🤣 made me chuckle
Underrated comment 😂😂😂😂laffed so hard I 💩 myself.😂😂😂😂😂😂
Ford nut lucky you, I started with Play-Doh jb weld was way too expensive
I lol'd because it's my truth too.
We all did...lol
I see lots complaining of the cheap tools , mike is just handing tips to the home hobby person , starting out , you can spend thousands on tools , but are they good tools if a person doesnt know how to use it ? I started out this way , as i got better i bought better tools keep up the good videos
Thanks Timothy! You completely get it 👍
It’s surprising how many people can’t understand the video, it’s just to get someone going on a budget, from there if they like fabricating they can always upgrade there tools. Take care 🙂
Sometimes cheap tools are all you need. I've got a full on machine shop in my garage and I still have my little 4x6 Grizzly band saw. Just wish it had variable speed.
I went horse back riding with a welder once and came upon a Knight with broken armor. I welded his armor and he said the difference was like knight and day. True story!
Haha! That’s a good one 😂
I once heard that once a king always a king but once a knight is never enough ! Lol
You guys spelled night incorrectly 😞
It must be all the arc fumes we've been huffing over the years I can't spell much either
This guy actually looks like he is a very kind human being... keep up the great work bro!
Right on Thank you Adam 👍 I really appreciate your comment! Ps have you seen my articulating mini dump truck I’m building?
Like you said I am inclined to disagree with your choice of welder stick is a great way to start and much more flexible, too much to go wrong with wire feed
Angle Grinder 0:41
Titanium Flux Welder 2:42
Drill/Drill Press 4:47
Metal Vice 6:15
Belt Sander 7:52
Metal cutting bandsaw 9:52
Some people are missing the ‘getting started’ aspect of this video.🙄 Great job explaining why you chose the tools, and brands, that you did.👍🏻
Right on! Thanks for commenting and getting the subject. I’m amazed how many people can’t understand the getting started part 😂
Practical, no nonsense advice. You have gained another subscriber. For most of us it’s a hobby so we don’t need thousands of $$$ of pro tools.
And after buying these tools the first job is to make a very strong and flat workbench
When Coronavirus started I decided to teach myself how to weld and went to Harbor Freight and bought that Titanium 125. Its awesome, built a 80x48 roof platform for my Isuzu Trooper and now I'm making rock sliders. You can't go wrong.
Nice! Welding is a great thing to know 👍 just keep investing in a tool here and there, you will be getting all kinds of projects done!
Take care Chad.
Michael, you have no idea how helpful this type of stuff is. Makes me think a graying middle ager can still try to learn something new, like my chance to do so hasn't passed me by. Thanks so much.
I second, Mike has inspired me to try a ton of new things outside my area of expertise. Way cool!
SluSharkND Thanks! These comments are what keeps me making TH-cam videos 🙂 I always really enjoy hearing that I’m encouraging and motivating people to get out and build things 👍
Hell I am in my 70s
4:44 I was working in a small welding shop years ago. The owner's 9 year old came in on his bike one day, flipped it over, grabbed a welding helmet then turned on a MIG machine and started welding. I told his dad how impressed I was and he said, "Here's the kicker: his 7 year old brother is a better MIG'er than him!"
Back in my day we only had 1 tool and it was a rock.
As both a joiner in wood and a metal fabricator in my home shop I really liked your approach. Get some basics without breaking the bank and get going. You might find it wasn’t the passion you thought it might be and ... no worries. But if it is, then you will gradually upgrade each thing as your needs dictate. The approach Mike suggests for a starter is exactly right based on my real experience. Grow into your metal working. I had an abrasive chop saw but now a portable bandsaw and a smaller (Trajan) carbide chop saw. I started with a flux core welder but now have full mig with gas bottles. Love the cleaner welding. I had the exact same orange HF angle grinder and have beaten the crap out of it and it still goes. My second one is now a DEWALT 20 volt unit. Old orange usually has the flap disc for weld flattening. I have a 6” belt disc sander (Grizzly) from 1995 for woodwork but also use it for metal. An HF heavy vice. Floor standing drill press (Grizzly) also from 1995 when I started in wood. Probably does more metal now in truth.
Great review Mike. My experience almost matched your approach.
I’m really WANT a Titanium plasma. Not sure about NEED though. Hell, I’m 77 and love doing metal in the shop so maybe WANT is going to win out!
I think a lot of people failed to read the title of "6 AFFORDABLE tools…". It’s a great list and most hobbyist don’t need top tools. I’m disabled so only do small projects and when buying tools I look for the best priced with a robust 3 year guarantee. OK, it will be a miracle if I’m still here in 3 years myself due to the nature of my disabilities, especially if I get Covid19. Even if I am I’m sure everything will still be giving me good service (except Bosch, the only tools I've had problems with). I’m also totally with you for getting better quality consumables like blades etc. I’d also say the same about hand tools, ever tried to sharpen a cheap chisel? Or used cheap files? Or cheap screwdrivers?
For your non-power Tools may I suggest a tap and die set? There again is somewhere it’s worth spending the extra on some decent quality even if you just buy 2 taps and a die at a time.
A really good video, thank you.
If you get an angle grinder, don’t take the guard off
If you get an angle grinder with an on / off switch absolutely don’t take the guard off
It spins at 10,000 rpms and the worst injuries and deaths in metal or woodworking involve defeating the safety guard
I used to build truck bodies.. one of a few people that allowed to cut chassis and put extend them put them back together again . I think there were only 3 or 4 of us...but I'm telling ya , idiots takin guards off... skipping safety absolutely amazed me...chop saw never belongs in a metal shop.. ever... band saw.. go slow
I definitely agree with never taking the guards off of angle grinders, I don’t but there a lot of people that do and like I said in the video, plan on cutting more then your fingernails if you do.
Sean Farrell so you are saying a metal chop saw does not belong in a metal fab shop?
They are awesome, I ordered a 14” Slugger cold cut chop saw for the fab shop at my work and it cuts excellent.
@@Mikefestiva I have a 14" cold saw and it's phenomenal. Propoint I think from Princess Auto. I use Milwaukee blades. Never even plug in the abrasive disc saw anymore.
@@Mikefestiva sorry Mike,, you're right of course they do... don't pay any attention to what I said...wasn't thinking... again apologies
This was the video I didn't know I needed, but I did. Your lists on the side are hilarious. Thank you.
Stopping by some pawn shops can help you by getting name brand tools on a budget too ! Thanks for the vid 👌
Dude you rock! harbor freight is great to get started then move up to the higher priced tools,you are so correct.
I’m a structural engineer working in steel fabrication. Recently decided to actually start doing some fab in my garage. Bought that little flux core welder to get started. Love it so far.
For $40 you could have gotten a makita angle grinder... hands down the best on the market
I got the 90amp Flux core machine (Chicago electric) about 6 years ago. I didn't even go to Harbor Freight with the intention of buying it, however they were running an insane package deal on them (Hood, spool of flux wire, and the machine for $100 +/- $20). My first project was welding in the muffler on my daily driver at the time (it was clamped in at the time). Long story short, I abused the life out of that welder. It sat in the back of my truck for days at a time, been rained on, pushed to its limit building various things, etc.. It Never. Let. Me. Down. It did everything I ever expected it to (within its obvious limitations).
I recently upgraded to the Titanium Unlimited 200 for tigging stainless exhaust (Recently finished my first turbo kit). Worth every single penny.
A band saw is a must in my opinion, for the price of a cheap one, your cuts will be MUCH better quality, without the biproduct of abrasive cutting (Grinder dust).
My 3 budget tools I couldn't go without (and suggest no one else does, either) would be a set of 90 degree welding magnets ($5.99), Caliper ($9.99), and Speed square ($5.00). Those 3 tools properly used make for proper fitment, and proper fitment is critical to a proper weld (Or at the minimum will make your job easier and cleaner)
I'm a professional fabricator, I started learning welding and fabrication in 1972 in the high school shop. Sadly schools have pushed young people away from working with their hands. By the way I an still learning new tricks to the trade. Don't be afraid of learning new skills and tricks to make things simpler for yourself.
Anyway I think your pick of tools is good. On the welder I have mixed feelings. I will say get a welder your budget will allow. For most things a 135 to 160 amp wirefeed will do the job with hard wire. With the fluxcore wirefeed you can get away with less amperage because the arc is more like stick welding.
Kriss Femmpaws Thanks Kriss for checking out my video 👍 there’s definitely a lot of other welders I could have recommended, but for the $150 price of this one it gets someone starting easily. I’m all for MIG or even a multi process MIG, Stick, TIG machine, but I didn’t want to discourage people on a budget like when starting out. It is sad that kids get far less opportunities to build stuff these days.
Hey Kriss check out this video, it’s a project I’m building at the moment, it’s a mini 4x4 articulating dump truck. th-cam.com/video/vFphyNUhsaY/w-d-xo.html
@@Mikefestiva I understand where you are coming from, I also understand the why. Someone that has not done metal work and doesn't know if it's for them what you have suggested works.
My go-to welder for portable work is my Thermalarc GMS 130 that I picked up used for 250 dollars off Craigslist. When it was new it was a high dollar unit. I got it mostly for welding aircraft tubing. But found it packed a lot of punch in a little package. Runs 1/8 7018 like a champ... add my genset and heavy extension cord I'm portable anyplace I can back my Toyota to.
@@krissfemmpaws1029 What gen set are you using to run this? I have not had luck with my Everlast ST140 and I think it was a 3500 Watt unit.
@@John-Adams-Can I'm using a 6500 watt unit to handle the inrush current when I strike an arc.
Here is the thing about tools. And put this deep in your mind when shopping for them. The price usually reflects the abuse they can get without braking. So buy tools base on how much you will abuse them. Yes a really expensive drill will last longer than a black and deckers. But expensive drills are desing to last a year under industrial conditions of constant use and abuse. So they will last you 3 lifetimes if you work on small projets 3 times a year. A walmart drill will last you 10 years under those conditions so don’t spend the extra money. Leve expensive tools for industrial use, for them is better to invest top dollar on a tool brand that doesn’t really make any sense for a weakend warrior.
Good point
I bought one of those angle grinders from HF in 2003, when I started welding class...it still works fine.
very helpful vid for those of US who are constantly on a budget due to paying our bills first, then go and buy what we need for our projects !! TY!
Thanks for checking out my video Albert! Yes I started out with almost no extra cash to buy tools, I made due with what I could scrape together. I try to keep it real about this stuff, we all aren’t loaded with money most of us have families and don’t have a lot of extra cash. Take care 🙂
there is a wood working guy, wood working for mere mortals, on youtube. You are the metal version of him. I like that you can enter this with 600 bucks just to play around in ones garage that is good enough.
I would add to the list... something to square and something to clamp
Yes that’s non power tools, all that stuff is coming in the next video! I decided to cover all that in the next video so this one doesn’t become to long. Thanks for checking out my new video and commenting 👍
100% on these tool choices. I haven't done metal fab in years, and when I did I had access to a full shop. I'm working my way back in, and your list hits the tools I am currently acquiring (or already had). Love the tip on the jigs with the vice, think I found me an early project to work on :-)
I definitely agree with starting out on a mig welder, it's easier to learn in my opinion and it's more versatile because you can weld thin material (sheet steel) opposed to a stick welder where you have to stay relatively thick, this is especially true with 110 volt welders because you aren't going to weld really thick material anyway so the mig gives you a much larger range of thicknesses.
tool #1- A place to use your tools
All of these tools are great, but I live in a mobile home and have no garage, also in the cold north so outside is not an option most of the year.
While I own most of these, it requires me to load unload it all like a tetris game. If I had a shop, I would work on cars while building stuff with spare time, day and night
Someday soon!!!!
I bought the flux 125 about a year ago for $150 just couldn’t resist. So glad I did, it’s a blast and well worth the dough.
Right on 👍 It seems like everyone that tries out these Flux 125 welders really like them, for the price $150 to $200 I think there’s really nothing that beats them in that range. Take care Ian
I bought multi process welder first up. I'd never welded before. Multi process I think is great because you learning curve is much faster with the mig...I was sticking things together right from the start making small projects (flux core) with the mig. In between I was practicing with the stick function learning. Another cool aspect of it was that when the spool of the mig decides to play up on occasion, you just deal with that later and flick over to stick welding and can finish your project there and then. Welder I bought was a unimig viper 185. Since I started welding I've actually bought another stick welder that has a few more features...I think if I had started with stiick welding on all the small projects that I made with the mig, I think I would have been blowing holes in all the tubing I had bought and not enjoying the learning process as much. My opinion, start making projects right from the start with the mig whilst you get more confident with stick. Before you know it you'll have a prefence on when to use either.
Just keep doing what you do buddy and don't let the know it alls ruin your fun. Atleast you are being a positive influence in the world!
Right on thanks Joe 👍
I have the that little titanium 125.it runs very well and it's DC. They way flux core should be. Welds 3/16 plate and I have welded 1/4 plate without any issues on a dual pass. I run blue demon e71 flux wire. Absolutely the best flux core wire out there. As for my big boy welder I use the omni pro 220. I work in the oilfields and use this welder all the time. Never once had problems with it. Welds just as good as the lincoln and Everlast units we've got.
Right on thanks for commenting 👍 This little flux welder is a pretty good little machine, especially for the price. It’s good to hear you also own the Omnipro, they are solid welders, I bought one within the first month they came out, i did some reviews on the Omnipro and the Titanium 200, I ended up keeping the Titanium 200 mostly because it was more compact and lighter, I ended up selling the Omnipro and buying the ProTig 200 so I could learn AC TIG, I think the Titanium line is good, the Vulcan line is really solid. Take care
my trick for tools while building a collection is to buy cheap in bulk, replace with the highest quality you can buy as they break. this is primarily about bits, but if your cheap circular saw dies after a few years clearly you need a higher quality circ for your usage. don't do this if you are trying to make money on your tools (although if you are you should already know WHAT tools you need to do the job so deciding what tools you need in high quality is pretty easy), but for putzing around in the basement or the garage, cheap tools are fine, you should already expect shit to break or go sideways, so going basic with cheap toolkits is a good way to start. everything you get is going to break, but you KNOW it is going to break, so as it breaks that is where you bust out the wallet. because if you break it that must mean you use it, it automatically increases the value of the tool for you.
You can buy brushes for your grinder, even if they don't fit, you can sand thrm to shape to fit.
It's worth cleaning the armature contacts with some fine emery paper too, less sparking makes the brushes last longer
Kind of agree with you on the stick vs mig welding. For beginners, mig is the easiest to learn. However, it is a case of the right tool for the job. If you're welding clean steel, mig is great. If you need to do repair welding on rusty steel, you should probably consider a stick welder. Also, really hard to weld thin gauge steel with a stick welder.
Yes you are definitely right, stick and MiG both have there places and applications. 👍
There are reasons, and good ones for beginning with the stick welding or even the gas welding process. MIG welding is very easy to get good looking welds on very early. Stick welding on the other hand (not to mention TIG and gas welding) takes some finesse and learning. If you begin with MIG and go on to try learning say TIG the learning curve is, for some steep enough to be impossible. I had and have a great guy who back in the late '90's started me on gas welding and it has made learning the other processes much easier. The point is, start with the difficult process first. It is cheaper and you can learn much more and the more difficult things are behind you. MIG welding is the easy mode of welding honestly. If you want to really learn to weld take the hard stuff first it pays off in the long run.
I started my business with a stick welder. It was the biggest pain in the ass to weld railings with. I only use stick now with my generator welder on my truck. You video is great. I would probably recommend a stronger amperage welder if you want to make railings,gates,fence etc. But none the less great video.
I love my portable Milwaukee bandsaw, one of my favorites. I got it used and have owned it for over 15 years still use it all the time.
Right on! That’s definitely a great tool 👍
I need one and also a bandsaw table adapter, I think the larger surface table might work well.
BOOT I’ve looked at those but always figured I’d just build one, a few other projects to do first..
Thanks Mike, I've been fabricating for 30 plus years. Great advice for starters. I agree, learn mig and forget stick and gas welding (although that's where I started).
Thanks David 👍 I really appreciate it.
I have wanted to put this video out for some time now, basic affordable tools to get people started in metal work. Take care
I like your starter selection. I prefer a belt/disc sander over the angle grinder for prepping metal for welding because I find I have more control over it than dealing with a wandering grinder. Oh, I do use those grinding discs because my welding skills suck! My Shopsmith Mark V has done double duty for me over the years and where the drill press setup is at best inadequate for drilling steel, that belt sander attachment is rock solid for making bevels and for grinding off the burrs and scale! Thanks for the video!
PPE. Get a good mask, an auto darkening helmet that you can use for angle grinding, and get a good pair of gloves. That's the absolute basic amount of equipment needed to get started. As you will have one blade break on you and land an inch away from your head near your eye. You only ever make that sort of mistake once!
Michael Burke All this PPE is covered in part 2 👍
I really really appreciate you making this list for the layman that is interested in the topic
Thank you so much for this. Because I don't have 2 phase, high voltage at my work area, I was thinking about running an extension cord from the basement washing machine. And if that wasn't higher voltage, I was just gonna give up on welding, and just drill, tap, and red Locktite motorcycle frames and other parts together. But I didn't know normal plug welding kits existed. I want to build my own motorcycles, because I will not tolerate dealerships and the BS. Thanks again for this video. I'm already deep into electrical-engineering. Now I just need to get into structural & mechanical.
Wouldnt it be single phase and three phase only? I studied electrical for 2 semesters but that was 3 years ago and I'm rusty on my electrical and actually i only studied single phase :( but here are my 2 cents.
If you only have 120v single phase at home Harbor Frieght has these little green and orange welders (the once you see in this video, Titanium & Vulcan) and I'm planning on getting the Titanium DC Stick welder 225. It runs on 120v single phase up to 70 or 80 amps to weld with but has an extension to weld on 240v up to 225amps, plenty of amperage to weld your motorcycle frames.
And for an extension depending on the length you need, if my memory is correct when running extensions longer than 50ft you need to go on size thicker in AWS cable. So for example: I'm gonna make 2 extensions. I only require 25ft here at home so when running on 120v on the 20amp breaker & I'm assuming my house is wired with 12 gauge wire so just to be on the safe side I'm gonna use a 10 gauge cable for the extension. For the 240v its a 50amp breaker so I'm gonna use a 6 gauge (I cant remember if a 50amp breaker 240v uses an 8 or 6 gauge) so whatever it is I will use a gauge thicker than what I have in my wall just so the chord doesnt over heat. I am also gonna use SO cable for the extensions.
Check out the Titanium DC 225 Stick welder. Stick is harder to learn but once you got it mastered you can learn any other process easily (except TIG, that one you practice with Oxyacetaline welding). If you wanna go the easy route pic up a MIG welder of the same brand or Vulcan but only if you weld indoors. If you weld outdoors get a flux core welder.
I hope this helps.
Oh another thing, if you decide to go with stick welding stay away from the 6010 & 6011 rods, those are deep penetrating rods so you'll just blow holes right through and they arent very strong anyway. For your motorcycle frames you should be fine with the 7014. If your frame is really thin go with 6013 on DC reverse polarity. If it blows holes through switch the polarity to straight polarity.
I personally would use the 7014 or the 7018 but even the 7018 might be over kill for just a frame, it is the strongest rod though so your welds will never break and they'll be really hard to grind off smooth. 7014 leaves beautiful welds. You could be just starting and have a nice looking welds. Thats all I got for now. Sorry for the long ass message lol
240v, strictly speaking, is two phase. It’s two 120v lines that are 180 degrees out of phase although it’s commonly referred to as single phase power. Also: never plan to use more than 80% capacity of a breaker’s rating. That’s why 15 amp circuits (i.e. breaker size) are only intended to provide 12 amps of power (twelve outlets consuming on average 1amp each). Never use an extension cord thats heavier than the house wiring. If the breaker failed for some reason, you could melt the house wiring without ever knowing anything was wrong (until the fire department arrived). It would be much better to have your extension cord start smoking.
Really appreciate your enthusiasm and charisma. I don't have a lot o money but I have a big desire to be a better man. I'm recovering from surgery and watching your videos help me heal. Thanks
Thanks for checking out my video and commenting 👍 if you look back on my first video of building a sawmill about 5 years ago I was working with only a few basic metal tools, I was on a shoe string budget so I completely understand. Little by little I have built up my shop and I know you will be able to definitely do the same 🙂 I’m glad I videos are getting you though your healthy process after your surgery. I hope you recover soon!
I have been thought 2 surgeries so I can feel for you man, hang in there and I hope to hear some updates on health and tools. Take care
I would buy cheap welder that can do both - flux and MIG with gas, it will cost similar as flux core only welder. Once you save up for co2 or mix gas bottle, you can use MIG functionality. And if you want go cheap - 100% co2, solid mig wire is much cheaper to run and cleaner too(less fumes and cleaner weld). Flux core wire is 5 times more expensive than solid core wire.
I would agree 100% with the "Beginners Set" but I would also add a decent welding helmet
Right on Jay thanks for checking out my video 👍 the welding helmet is covered in the second video part of this series. Take care
Harbor Freight, a poor man's store. I totally agree with you Mike. If it wasn't for HF, i wouldn't have over half the tools i have. A man can do a lot with a little : ) Good video
I have a lot of tools from there I just need to now about welding thanks for your help 👍✌️
In a few places I worked it's cheaper to buy a 20 dollar HF grinder use it till it dies then get another, over rebuilding a worn out expensive gringer. Buffing compound eats up grinders no matter the brand... oddly the 20 dollar HF grinder held up as well as the Milwaukee's did.
Love this video
Inexpensive tools and most important it gets the job done
Thumbs up.
I see a lathe Chuck on the table
Thanks Greg I’m glad you enjoyed my video 👍
I like to keep it simple, with these affordable tools one can do a lot with them and there’s no reason down the road you can’t upgrade when you have a better understanding of what needed. Thanks again and if you get time checkout some of my other videos 👍
I've been wanting a mitering band saw now for a while. Helps to make some awesome squared up frames with angle or square tubing.
I found your videos from a Harbor Freight email that redirected to your TH-cam entries. WOW Mike. Thank you for intelligent and useful information. You really presented in a clean, clear fashion and so many guys don't do that on TH-cam. Thanks for your time!
I was looking for a welder to get to learn with and your video basically answered my question thanks man
It's nice to see someone recommending MIG welders instead of shunning them to no end and trying to force people to stick welders. MIG is easier and looks just as good, only thing is they arent as powerful but what 95% of people do, a MIG is more than enough.
Another great video and I have most of what you recommend already and am working on the rest. You and Weld.com are definitely the best beginner welding/metal fab teaching sites on the internet. Many thanks for all you do for your viewers. 👍
Great video, Im just starting out welding. At this point I don't even have a welder but looking at the HF titanium 125 Flux core as its on sale right now at $179, i just may go grab that today. I'm also researching all the additional tools and gear i need and your videos have been a great help. I'm a DIY'er myself (automotive/motorcycle/CF/Fiberglass/Wood..ect) with a few home patio and garage projects that require small light weight metal support structures (flat/square stock).
All these years I've never had to pick up a torch because I could achieve the same result with some other skill set.
Learning how to Weld has always been on my mind but never had a project that justified the expensive starting cost of welding until i purchased my own home & the wife now wants a pergola with decorative vertical floral metal sun screens attached for some summer time lounging (permission to buy baby!). That said, do you have a video on stock usages and possibly slip joinery applications.. I need to go 0-100 with my metal fabrication learning.
Thanks for the videos, they've been a great help. Can't wait to get pass these baby steps and get into some serious welding applications.
I’d recommend starting with a stick setup. I can do thin metals with that or oxy brazing. Stick also can handle 1/4-1/2 inch metals if need be. Flux core has its place but it’s not quite as versatile.
Flux core is perfect for the weekend warrior or shade tree guy otherwise.
i got a stick welder when i was 12 i still use it even though i have a big 240V miller
there are just some things a stick welder is better at
There's nothing wrong with the flux core prosess just use the proper wire type, use the proper polarity, and always store your wire in the proper environment like you would stick welding rods don't let moisture get to them and you will have better consistency with your welds
Scott Barlow not to be a smartass, but do you actually own flux, stick, and mig set ups?
I do, and I can confirm that flux core is a hobby rig. No one serious about being a fabricator should start with that unless they specialize in very small scale repair or they want something to play around with on the weekend.
Also, flux wire does not mind being in a moisture environment, I’ve used it during quick field repairs when it’s been a light rain.
@@ThisGuyWantsBeer Miller 250 AC /DC CC square wave w/water cooled TIG torch setup . . . ESAB 250 AC DC MIG w/ spool gun for Aluminum . . Thermo Dynamics Thermo Arc 186 multi process portable TIG stick unit . . . Lincoln 180 MIG. . L-Tech 120v MIG . . .CENTRY AC/DC 225 ARC BUZZ BOX . . .MILLER BOBCAT AC / DC w/ high freq. Unit . . . .HOBART Welder/Genset portable . . I think that's about it not including my Thermo Dynamics plasma torch
@@ThisGuyWantsBeer I disagree with your flux core theory it is an excellent process and you can learn how to weld with this process just like you can learn how to weld in any process with proper instruction and practice . . For instance if I was offered a good paying long term entry level with no cert. TIG welder position starting in three weeks or whatever and I had access to heliarc equipt. Its not necessary to go learn how to stick weld before you learn TIG or even MIG for that matter . . . learn the process that you will actually be doing first then learn the other processes later while you are putting food on the table there's so much information out there on the web ad it's free . . .I didn't have much information except for a few old timers that were helpful and I'm grateful for them but all they knew was AC stick using 8 or 10 yr old rods that this one farmer guy had under the seat of his pickup that didn't match being different sizes and types that have been wet every winter in New England
The red grinder looks to have a button next to the paddle to hold the trigger down. My grinder usually has a knotted wire cup brush more than 75% of the time.
If you can swing a wire welder that has provisions for gas it's really sweet to use later on.
You're awesome dude. The amount of stuff you've done with limitations is pretty crazy. haha. I really appreciate your reviews. I worked as a tig welder for a year, did well and was looking into mig welders and your titanium mig 170 videos really helped me in deciding what mig welder I'd buy.
Right on thanks Agustin!
Yes the Titanium line of welders are really good especially at there price point, my Titanium 200 is still working perfectly after two years 👍
The metal cutting bandsaw is by far one of the most important starting tools for fabrication. Clean accurate cuts are very hard to replicate consistently on an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. Also, I'd recommend the Everlast Powerarc 140STI over the wire flux welder. Dual voltage 120v/240v, comes with a voltage adapter, tig consumables, hot start\lift start. I personally like stick welding for heavy duty projects involving bar stock or thick plate. Once you get that down, going to tig only requires a $25 regulator and an argon bottle. I'd recommend an minimum of 85cu, 125 is preferable. The tanks can be found used and swapped out (depending on the supplier) as long as they are DOT stamped and within their inspection date.
I completely agree with you, metal cutting bandsaws are really accurate.
I also agree on a multi process welder, I was making this video with a budget in mind, trying to keep the entire lot of tools in the $600 range total for someone just starting out. I have owned the Vulcan Omnipro multi process welder and liked it, I now own the Titanium 200 welder, MIG, TIG, STICK, and it’s a great welder, it cost $650 not including the tank. I would have suggested a multi process welder but I know from my own experience that I couldn’t have justified the cost just starting out. Thanks for commenting Richard 👍
@@Mikefestiva Absolutely. Flux-core wire can be used to good effect provided that the user puts more time into the prep work. Good high quality wire and running on the high side of the voltage is a must with these machines, but otherwise work very well for the budget-minded hobbyist.
I agree with the bandsaw if it's within your budget I have a Milwaukee portable deep throat handheld bandsaw that has served me well and I rely on it for all my cuts and they offer a mount that turns it into a bandsaw like the one you have on your video however it is limited and smaller but after a while you can get pretty good at cutting with it and along with a angle grinder you can pretty much cut most steel and aluminum angles tube and pipe with accuracy and if you check the pawnshops you might find one cheap
I just got a plasma cutter to insert my hitch light plug into my steel bumper on my jeep. Will still likely need the name saw for fabricating brackets etc for my off road vehicles. Pretty new to this as well but went with titanium 200, and 75/25 tank.
@@martinfletchersandiegoca7523 if possible do your plasma cutting on your bumpers off the jeep or cover up everything with those woven fiberglass blankets that are available at harbor freight or your local welding supply to divert the shower of sparks that you are going to get from your plasma cutter . . .safety first and good luck with your project
only thing i would recommend is a welders pocket reference and for people to have some respect for what they are welding, do NOT weld up a trailer and tow it down the road at 100MPH if you learned to weld last week, because you literally dont know enough to know if its safe or not.
I'm not sure where you live but in my country 100mph is almost double the speed limit for trailers
Another great video Mike we need a lot more like this we all forget we started somewhere these videos are great help even if you have experienced you still can learn don't be a fool I think you know it all. Great job Mike
I like your attitude! This kind of video is very helpful for people trying to learn how to do new things via TH-cam. Harbor Freight, with their new upgraded lines, is clearly trying to step into the niche abandoned by Sears Craftsman--decent quality tools at a reasonable cost. They still carry some things not worth buying, so you have to use common sense when buying there, but they have become a great source for decent equipment that isn't out of the reach of hobbyists and casual users pricewise.
Dude I just started my first ever project car and I got my angle grinder yesterday! Thank you so much
Right on! Have fun 👍
My orange Harbor Freight grinder needed brushes a while back. I was in the same boat and lost the replacement brushes years ago. Luckily in my friends scrap pile was one of the shity $10 Blue Harbor Freight Grinders that broke. The brushes fit in that orange grinder so keep that in mind. You could find them from other shity Harbor Freight Tools
Great list!!! Don’t forget a good tape measure a combo square and a center punch
Yes for sure! That’s all coming in the next part of this series 👍 Take care Pete
If you don't want to spend as much on a band saw you can get the Baur porta band. Works great and you can build a simple stand to hold it vertical to do free hand work. Harbor freight's files are actually surprisingly good as well. As a professional blacksmith I use files a good bit and I am impressed how well the hold up.
You are awesome Mike !... I have always bought the best I could afford ( for my buisness )but have recently bought what will work for my little farm and I an suprised at how useful and durable some of these crappy imported tools are.
Thanks for checking out my new video 👍 I have always worked with what I had and what I could afford, usual cheaper tools. I definitely have come across some cheap low quality tools in the past but a lot of the import stuff has come a long ways.
I try to do the best I can with the tools I have.
Take care and keep building stuff 🙂
Sharpies and a straight edge are also good
Yes, that stuff for the next video 👍
Welder, grinder, hammer and vice👌👍
You can lock the trigger on that red grinder. There is a black button you depress while you hold down the trigger.
Center punch, Square, tape measure, metal files, Stub drill bits, tap/die set, scríbe, sharpies, welding magnets, vice grips, lump hammer, metal ruler, hack saw....
Anyone else have inputs to help the newbies?
I covered all that in the second video 👍 good suggestions, Thanks Aaron
To go with the angle grinder get a grinder chop saw fixture. You attach your 4-5" grinder with a cut-off disk and you have a great cut-off tool for pipe, bar-stock, bolts, etc. They have a vise clamp, to hold the work. I bought mine off of ebay for $21. It was cast metal and well made. I use it more than my horizontal band saw for most smaller cutting jobs.
Excellent video. Clear, succinct and to the point. I like your approach to “starting up on a shoestring” and keeping the costs down. Once a guy gets successful - THEN he can invest in some higher dollar equipment. Great job - WELL DONE !!!
Right on Kevin I appreciate that you get the point of this video! You are exactly right, work with this and upgrade when you find you need better tools as you get better with your skills 👍
I am just getting started, and am so pleased to discover that the only tool I'm missing from this list is the metal cutting bandsaw. Thank you for the advice and the inspiration!
This is quite usefull. SO many people have 'Tool Ego' - got to have 'the best'. If youre just getting started, you dont need to pay $5k on an awesome lincoln electric welder. Start with basic stuff and upgrade as you upskill
Yes definitely get it 👍
Thanks for the video Mike. I agree with your title; this is how to inexpensively get started with metal fabrication. If you find it's your 'bag' you can always go back and get the 'good' tools later if/when your HF starter tool fails.
Love that you mention harbor freight's tools. I use some of them as well. Good and affordable for home use. Thanks for the great advice.
haha perfect an he's right folks, Ive built and fabricated so many items, projects with these common tools, from car trailers, hydraulic cherry pickers. engine stands, etc...and I don't even own a vice or drill press for the past 20 years lol,,,but yeah great advice for those just starting out...great job Mike!
i have the titanium easy flux 125 and it is really good. I run .035 and have no problem making very strong welds.
Hi
How are you
Are you a weldet
Don't forget the humble hacksaw and file can sometimes be as fast and accurate as the angle grinder, while being much more quite and safe.
Mike, been following you since part 1 of your articulating dump truck. I thoroughly enjoy your advice, it’s reasonable, doesn’t brake the bank and comes from some one, who knows his shit! You actually got me going to buy the titanium 125 from HF... which I frequent rather normally. Them and Tractor Supply are my go to shops, to get the things I need at an affordable price! Thanks and keep rocking, all the best from Snohomish!
Right on I’m glad you enjoy my videos! Thanks 👍 If you are talking Snohomish Wa I spent my first 9 years of my life growing up there!
Cool. I already have everything except the welder and the bandsaw. I'm better equipped than I thought I was.
$55 for a drill press wow. Must be nice to live in the US! (riots notwithstanding)
I've had the small Harbor Freight drill press for over ten years. It still works great.
That’s great! I have never used that drill press so I really appreciate hearing good feedback on it. I have a old drill press from the 1940s I got from free years ago, I ended up re powering it with a 3 phase motor and a VFD. I’m still thinking of buying a smaller one from HF to have a second drill in my shop. Take care Jack 👍
I would totally agree with his list the only difference being maybe switch the welder for ac DC Tig because you can weld other types of metal such as aluminum and stainless steel but if you're just welding regular steel a flux core is fine
628 comments. Never seen that many on one video. A few days back I was in Harbor Freight and noticed some of the tools seemed to be a better quality than what HB was known for. Price was higher too. Asked an employee what was going on. He stated that Harbor Freight was stepping up to tools that were a better quality.
A little air compressor comes in handy also.
"Miami Vice" 🤣 I have watched this before, and never caught it. Good video as always!
Harbor freight for the win
Thank you so much for this video! I'm currently attending a technical college to get my certificates. I've been wanting to be able to start making things instead of just passing off my welds in different positions!
Mike, I really appreciated your discussion. I have been wanting to learn a little welding. My big question was what do I need to learn the basics. This is immensely helpful. Thanks a bunch.
Thanks for checking out my video and commenting 👍 I definitely recommend learning how to weld, it’s something you will use quite often. If you get time check out that video I link of me teaching my nephew how to weld, there’s a lot of info in that video to help you out. Take care
cheap tools can definetly get the job done but if youre going to get into fab work for the enjoyment of the hobby and be doing it for a long time more capable quality tools will save you buying things two or three times over.. im after selling off cheap tools at a loss or burning up underpowered ones and buying the good tools afterwards
I have built quite a bit with affordable tools, I definitely think if you got the money why not buy good quality tools. I myself started in metal fab work with very little extra cash to spend on tools so I do the best with what I can afford.
I’m not trying to be rude but Didn’t you comment earlier that you bought a $200 kicking horse plasma torch?
I bought a $250 Cut 50 on Amazon 3 years ago and it’s still working, it wasn’t the highest of quality and I never posted a review because of the build quality but it definitely cuts metal pretty good. Take care
Nice video Mike. I like the color of the band saw, blood red color comes in handy when there are shop accidents. The only thing that I would mention, since I like to use all kinds of weird scrap metal, is to watch using a band saw when cutting old scrap bed frame. I've found that there are hard spots in the metal and they can wipe out expensive band saw blades or toothed saw blades. For the shitty bed frame I use an abrasive cutoff. Lot of deals on Craigslist too! I started on an SP125 Lincoln flux, it was we easier to learn that then stick. Big advantage of flux, is that the wire is being fed, stick you have to strike the arc and then keep worrying about running out of electrode. Lot of good tips here. I'm sure a lot of first timers will appreciate this video, thanks for making it!
Thumbs up on the bed frame info! They can be surprisingly tough.
@@jiminsequim3218 Dude yeah, I don't know what the deal is, but I've messed up a few band saw blades and recip-blades. Never again! LOL!
@@BarnStangz I heard once that they are made from recycled metal so you don't know what will be in them. I have burned up a few drill bits on them! :^)
@@jiminsequim3218 Oh damn! YES! I forgot about drill bits too! Damn pot metal bed frame! LOL!
Great Video! I have never used a flux welder. I prefer MIG but think you should recomend that new DIYers learn to use an oxy-acet torch first. Learning about recognizing when metal is about to become liquid is very important. I learned how to weld with an Oxy-Acet rig 64 years ago. I was 7 years old. I learned stick welding around that same period with my Dad's homemade buzz box welder by watching him and then practicing by myself. I have no clue what size transformer he used but it worked quite well up to 1/4" mild steel. Just to encourage New DIYers, my Dad was an M.D. He taught me many "blue collar skills" while building "stuff" in his workshop.
Titanium coated drill bits SUCK regardless of brand. Get a set of Cobalt Bits from Harbor Freight (about $100). Expensive? Not really. You get what you pay for and Cobalt Bits will drill anything especially stainless steel. Get Cobalt Step Drill Bits too. They are worth the investment. Learn to regulate drill speed or you will spend $$$ on drill bits.
Great video! I love the accessibility for a beginner.
I use that same Vulcan shield at work when fixing up broken railcars and I love it. I originally wanted a Speedglass or Miller but I can't see spending $400+ on a shield.
Right on a practical guy that doesn’t want to spend a arm and a leg on tools! I like this helmet too 👍 I have a older 3M speed glass and it’s a good helmet but I really think they are priced to high. I got mine used and it’s now just a back up helmet. I also have a older Miller but loaned it to a friend that didn’t have a auto dim helmet, the Miller is kind of dumb it doesn’t have a auto on, if you put it down for about ten minutes and go to weld again, it will auto off, I have been flashed a few times because of that poor design.
First off this was a pretty kool video to introduce tools, techniques and experience, I shared it to a true novice as I seldom have the time to teach.
Second, any person that leaves a negative comment is an idiot, as no one that watches this starts off with 80,000 worth tools. As a professional, i continually upgrade tools to suit my businesses needs.. Lastly, great video man but my recommendation for #1 would be PPE. Glasses, gloves, ear protection, helmets etc.
Thanks Kyle I appreciate your comments 👍
I cover PPE in the second part of this series, I wanted to keep this video shorter and to the point. The second part covers PPE and non power tools like clamps, levels stuff like that. Take care 🙂
Why would you view a comment as negative? I started with $180.00 4x6 band saw. The 2,000 pound lathe cost me $800.00 at an auction. No one wanted an industrial machine of that size at the auction. Even though the ways had just been redone. My drill press cost $199.00 new with a morse taper. We all start with what we have and can afford. Then upgrade if we use it a lot.
That little titanium works amazingly well up to 1/4 plate. I really would buy that. I have one for an emergency trail rig.
I find a good set of marking out tools helps. Tape measure, ruler, scriber, dot punch, combination set square, also some engineers ink, magnetic 90, clamps etc
You can't have too many clamps tractor supply has those Bessy type clamps for real cheap also a bunch of different vice grip style welding clamps they are not name brand but the price is right and they work just fine
Hey I’m covering a lot of non power tools in the next part of this series, it would have been to long of a video to cover it all in part One.
Thanks for commenting guys 👍
@@Mikefestiva yeah and if you haven't done it yet maybe a simple welding /layout table from scrap there are a bunch of designs out there and a good useful home project
I go with 4 1/2" grinder
9" grinder
Oxyfuel set
Portaband saw
Chop saw
Nice multi process welder
Plasma cutter
Band saw
Drill press
And pedestal grinder
Keep in mind my list was to help people starting out interested in home metal fab work on a budget, my list is $600 your list is good but would cost thousands