Customer Reviews

Welding for Arts and Crafts

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I disagree with the editorial review's claim that no experience is required. While it is good at explaining the pros and cons of various types of welding equipment, it is mostly a craft project book. Setting up an oxy-acetylene torch with was a little intimidating for me,and this book was not helpful for that.

This book is not even close to be what the title suggests. There are just a few pages devoted to a very basic review of the various methods of welding. The rest of the book is about building projects based on welding techniques that are not explained in the book.

I was very dissatisfied with this book. I was expecting a book that explained the idea of and how to do Arts and Crafts by welding. It gave very little information about which welder might be best and then a bunch of old outdated projects. I found this book mostly usless.

I bought this book thinking it would show/describe common techniques for art related projects (some do's and dont's). Or even a bit on brazing (for welding with exotic meatals like copper and brass). Instead, it is just a step by step for several really uninspired projects. And then mostly tack welding. Not much serious welding.It does cover some very basic information on the different welding processes, but you can get that online for free. I would suggest saving up for weekend welding classes at your local community college. At least you will learn proper welding techniques from pros. You can then determine what equipment is best for you for your needs.

I've reviewed this several times before, but it just never got posted. I used to feel that it was because amazon was keeping negative reviews to a minimum, but I see that others are agreeing with me now. I wish they would have posted my review years ago when I bought this. Perhaps a few people would have saved their money.

Anyways, the projects mentioned in the description are not all in the book. The heart shaped table and snowmen, for example, are not anywhere to be found. I told them about this but they never changed the description to reflect it. Not sure why. Sales reasons perhaps?

Also, if you are not a very skilled welder you won't get too far as there is no real instruction on welding. Many projects involve soldering or brazing. I've been welding for over 12 years and have never needed to do either of those to join metal.

I bought this book in 2003 and have yet to do anything with it but take it to work to show my friends how bad it was. The only project that comes to mind is lawn ornaments of dragonflies. The wings are made from hammering on disgarded MIG tips. Egad. Consider this fair warning.

I picked up this book as a present for my brother, who has made some simple lawn art (dogs, frogs etc) while learning to weld. I wasn't expecting instructions (which this book doesn't really provide), but rather inspiration/concepts to checkout. So, I was quite disappointed when I opened the package and saw a small magazine style "book". The pictures are very poor - they are black and white with really terrible shading, so you cannot see hardly any detail. When I say poor, I mean you can see the individual pixels on the pictures without even looking close.

While this book may have value if it is priced more appropriate to the printing quality, $10 or less, it doesn't have enough information to justify the $30 price tag.

I enjoyed this book as I am a beginning welder. And when I took it to class, the instructor immediately ordered a couple more to help give folks ideas.

The book had a lot of ideas for garden art, which I enjoyed, but each project uses a different welding technique and different types of welding tools. A person would have to invest a lot of money into all these various tools in order to build the pieces of garden art the book suggests. Which is highly inpractical. So even though I enjoyed seeing the garden art, it would be impossible to construct it the way the author suggests, unless a person had an entire shop of welding tools to use.

This book has some fun ideas for crafts and gives me inspiration to try some different projects. I appreciate Roy's beginning the book with different welding techniques and pointing out safety issues first. Welding arts & crafts is fun, but certainly has hazards involved. Roy addresses these issues at the beginning. I personally know D.Roy and have been in his classes. He makes the classes just as enjoyable as this book.