This is the next installment of a monthly Welding Resources series. In this series, we’ll be covering key topics relevant to welding and welders. Rather than providing one narrative article detailing a specific tip, procedure, or issue, these Welding Resources posts are meant to serve as a consolidated list of the top online resources for the given topic.
Introduction
One of the benefits of being an Internet-savvy welder is that the Internet can serve as a place for ongoing discourse and exchange among welders of nearly all ages, skill levels, interests, and locations. Discussion forums have been a staple of Internet discourse for decades, and the recent boom in social media has exponentially increased the Internet’s usefulness to welders. Social media – social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and social bookmarking sites like Delicious and Pinterest – have revolutionized the way people communicate, and as a result, welders have a vast array of new resources at their disposal for asking, learning, chatting, and exchanging ideas.
Welding Forums
WeldingWeb, http://weldingweb.com/ – WeldingWeb.com is one of the highest ranked welding forums on the internet. Anyone can view the content on this forum, but to post new topics or replies, you must register.
Shop Floor Talk, http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25 – Another popular welding forum, ShopFloorTalk.com offers discussion categories ranging from metallurgy and equipment to shop safety and business. There’s also an interesting “show and tell” category, where welders post pictures of their projects.
Miller Welding Discussion Forums, http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard/ – The forums at Miller offer discussions on a broad range of welding topics, not just Miller merchandise.
WeldTalk, http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/ – Hobart’s welding forum, WeldTalk, is another popular welding forum covering every imaginable topic relevant to welding.
Social Media
Twitter is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get news updates about welding and related industries. The first five entries on this list are relevant, regularly updated Twitter accounts.
@BakersGas, https://twitter.com/#!/bakersgas – Follow us on Twitter for immediate notification of site updates.
@GetWeldingJobs, https://twitter.com/#!/GetWeldingJobs – If you’re looking for a welding job, follow GetWeldingJobs on Twitter for lots of links to welding jobs opening around the country.
@DIYWeldingPlans, https://twitter.com/#!/DIYWeldingPlans – As the name suggests, follow this Twitter user for links to DIY and custom welding plans, project photos, and other useful information for hobbyists and creative welders.
@FFJournal, https://twitter.com/#!/FFJournalUpdate – The FF Journal is a magazine focusing on metal fabricating and forming technologies; the Twitter stream offers a steady dose of useful and interesting information about what’s going on in the industry.
@WeldDotCom, https://twitter.com/#!/WeldDotCom – Weld.com’s Twitter stream offers welding industry news and information relevant to professionals and hobbyists alike.
Channel Kevin, http://www.youtube.com/user/kevincaron – YouTube offers a wealth of welding videos. One of our favorites is Kevin Caron’s “channel” of videos. Read more about finding welding channels on YouTube here.
Facebook, http://www.facebook.com – Do you have a favorite welder, manufacturer, or organization? See if they have an active page on Facebook, and join the discussion there.
Welding Boards on Pinterest, http://pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=welding – Pinterest is a relative newcomer to social bookmarking, and it could be especially useful for welders because it provides a place to “pin” images, rather than links or text. A search on Pinterest for “welding” will generate hundreds, if not thousands, of images of welding projects and ideas. And what’s more, each photo is linked to the original site where that project was posted on the internet, making it much easier to find a way to create the project for yourself.
Now it’s your turn. Do you ever post on welding forums? What are your favorite welding-related social media links?