Welding for Beginners Learn Everything You Need to Know to Weld, Cut, and Shape Metal

Learn to weld, step by step, with this beginner’s guide.

Welding for Beginners, adapted from Stephen Blake Christena’s Learn to Weld, has culled the absolute basics that are required to build a successful welding hobby and illustrated them in these pages. Both practical and inspiring, this book teaches you the basic equipment you will need, setting up your work area, techniques for beginners with project ideas for practicing your skills, dos and don’ts, and welding safety.

If you are inexperienced and want to start out strong—whether working in a home workshop, school workshop, blacksmith shop, or auto shop—this is the perfect reference. The projects illustrate the basic foundation techniques that every welder needs to know, while also helping you tackle problems and fix mistakes as well as shortcuts and level ups. Photographs and illustrations teach welding and clear, concise, easy-to-read text takes all the confusion out of the learning the processes. 

This easy-to-use book includes:

• Welding techniques for simple practical repairs and small artisan home projects 
• Safety and protective gear
• Workshop set-up plans
• Basic equipment and upkeep
• Basic welding types, including arc and MIG
• Common mistakes and troubleshooting
• Project ideas
• Instructive photos showing process details for successful results 
• Tons of quick tips and welding hacks to give beginners a strong foundation to improve upon

Get welding!

Stephen Blake Christena is the owner of Midwest Metal Works in Chicago, IL. MW2 offers custom fabrication services and a learning center for hobbyists interested in MIG welding. Christena teaches small-size courses designed to cover the basics and explore students’ projects and interests. He is also a spokesman for Miller welding equipment. Originally from Flint, Michigan, Christena moved to Chicago in 1998 after graduating from Western Michigan University with a degree in art. During his time at WMU, his primary focus was directed toward metal sculpture, photography, and painting. He opened his first custom metal sculpture studio in August of 1998. His studio’s website is midwestmetalworks.org.