Small Welding Projects For Beginners
Small welding projects are great for beginner welders, and pros alike. They are a good way to hone your skills, give as gifts, and even spruce up your flower beds. Small welding projects can be simple and less time consuming projects, but that is not always the case. Sometimes welding in tight areas and odd positions can be tricky. And just because the projects are small doesn’t mean precise measurements aren’t needed.
In this post we are going to dive into 10 small welding projects you can try out.
Small Welding Projects
1. Welding Torch Holder
Our first small welding project is a practical one: A welding torch holder. You know how it goes. You are welding away on your project and have to stop and do some grinding or cutting and need a safe place to put your torch that isn’t a floor. What better project than a torch holder for your welding table?
There are plenty of designs on the internet for torch holders, especially magnetic ones that will securely stick to your welding table.
I personally made a simple bent wire holder and welded a washer to it. Using the existing fence screw on my welding table, I can now hang my tig torch and not worry about breaking the cup.
2. Welding Gas Bottle Hook
Next on our list of small welding projects is a welding gas bottle hook. Like the previous example, this one is useful in the shop. A bottle hook goes around the top of your shielding gas bottle and has several hooks on it. These hooks are a good place to hang your welding hood, leather apron, and other items you need within easy reach.
When making a welding bottle hook there is some flexibility. You can adjust the number and size of the hooks to best suit your needs. The basic design is a ring made of steel rod that fits the tapered part of your gas bottle. Hooks are welded on the ring at a slight angle to clear the sides of the bottle. This is one of those small welding projects that can get tricky. Forming a ring can take a little patience, and getting the angle of the hooks right and consistent can be a
challenge for the beginner welder.
3. Silverware Bird
This is the first artistic piece on our list of small welding projects, and it makes a great gift. It is a bird made of silverware. All you need for this project are 2 forks for the wings, and 3 spoons to make up the head and body. There is no shortage of silverware for projects at thrift stores. Typically it is priced at 10 cents or less a piece.
If you want to get a bit more creative, you can build a base for your bird to sit on, or put it on a stake for your garden or flower bed. Check out this post for more scrap metal art projects
4. Desk Organizer
Show the office what you do in your spare time and make a desk organizer. Some round or square tubes cut to different lengths with different angles on the ends can make a great pen holder. Weld 3 or 4 pieces together in an interesting way, add a base, and there you have it. This can help beginners with layout and cutting angles, as well as welding tubing lengthwise. Be sure to smooth any sharp edges!
Square Tube instructions here
5. Candle Holders
When it comes to small welding projects, candle holders make another great gift idea. You can make candle holders out of almost any kind of metal. Scrap metal candle holders lead to some interesting designs, and the material is almost free. If you want to give bending some flat or round stock a try, a candle holder is a perfect way to practice making some scrolls or spirals. You could even make one out of nuts and bolts. The only real requirement here is that it holds a candle at the top, and has a heavy base so it won’t tip over.
6. Coat Hooks
Surely there is somewhere in your house or shop that could use some extra coat storage. With this project you can make the hooks by bending and welding round stock, or make an entire coat rack out of metal. Fabricated steel hooks painted black look great on a wood backing board. You can stain the backing board to match your decor. The hook design is up to you and your imagination. One easy way is a piece of rebar welded to a plate with mounting holes drilled in it.
7. Chain Wine Bottle Holder
For this small welding project all you need is a piece of old chain. Make a “U” out of the chain and weld it in place for the base. Extend the rest of the chain upwards and weld it solid. After that all that’s left is making a loop in the top slightly larger than the neck of a wine bottle. This one makes another great gift.
Check It out Here
8. Wall Mounted Bike Repair Stand
Turn a locking sheet metal clamp into a bike repair stand. All that is needed for this small welding project is an adjustable sheet metal clamp, a few scrap pieces of tube, and a scrap piece of plate. Weld it on and drill some holes to mount it on your wall. No more working on the ground!
9. Spark Plug Airplane
This one is a good conversation starter. It is an airplane made from a spark plug and some scrap pieces of metal. Don’t limit yourself to an airplane, people have made cars, motorcycles, tractors, and even boats out of engine parts and scrap metal.
Two different examples Jet Plane and Propeller Plane
10. Corner Jig
Our final small welding project is another practical one. It’s a corner jig that can be used for metalworking and woodworking alike. With a couple pieces of angle iron and some flat stock, you can make yourself a set of corner jigs to use on future projects. Being made out of sturdy angle iron allow you to clamp directly to your jig and free up your hands.
View it on Instructables
Final Thoughts
We hope this list of small welding projects has inspired you to get into your shop and make something. If you are interested in more projects, check out our post about scrap metal art. The sky’s the limit when it comes to metalworking, no matter your skill level.
Visit Instructables for plenty more project ideas. Visit our links page for more helpful info, and a list of equipment we use in our projects.