Welding part 1 Weld done!

If you’ve never wielded a welding torch before, what do you do, how do you start and where can you go for lessons? Our own ‘Jamie and the magic torch’ went back to school…

Ain’t nothin’ new under the sun: people have been joining metals by heat for over 3000 years.

The famous Iron Pillar of Delhi (yes, we’ve even got a picture), erected some time around the year 300AD, is one example of a well-known early weldment. It was crude – metal was heated and hammered together to make a joint – but it worked. By 1900, following the discovery of acetylene in 1836 by Brit Edmund Davy, oxy-acetylene welding became the first widely used process, followed by electric arc welding a few years later. These processes are still in use today, although there are now many other methods available.

So why, as a restorer of old bikes, should you learn to weld? Primarily because it is enjoyable to do once you get it right. It need not be high on your list of priorities, but if you have all the necessary mechanical abilities, including engine rebuilds, and you have mastered motorcycle electrical systems, it is worth adding welding to your set of skills.

There are four welding processes you should consider. Here