15 Small And Easy Welding Projects For Beginners
Welding doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when you start with small and easy projects. In this guide, we’ll share our handpicked collection of top 15 small, easy welding project ideas.
Plus, if you’d like to learn more about any of them, you can check out the full plan details for that project.
So, are you ready to create awesome things and boost your welding skills? Let’s make it happen!
15 Best Small And Easy Welding Projects For Beginners
1. Tow Bar
Difficulty level: 2/10 (Very Low)
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Time Required: 1-2 days
Skills Learned: measuring, cutting, welding, making strong corner welds
Selling Potential: 6/10 (Moderately High)
A tow bar is a strong metal triangle that hooks to the back of a vehicle. It lets you easily pull trailers or anything on wheels.
Making a tow bar is a great starter welding project because the design is so simple.
You’ll either need metal bars or hollow tubes. Measure and cut three pieces – two for the sides and one for the middle. Then just weld the pieces into a big triangle shape. The wide part hooks to your vehicle and the point holds the trailer.
Beginners can handle this project with simple cutting and welding skills. You’ll learn how to make clean, strong welds at the corners. And guess what? Seeing the tow bar take shape as you build it is truly amazing!
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2. Metal Coat Rack
Difficulty level: 1/10 (Extremely Low)
Time Required: 1 day
Skills Learned: cutting metal pipes/rods, welding, attaching hooks/pegs
Selling Potential: 8/10 (High)
A metal coat rack is a stylish and practical addition to any entryway or mudroom. It provides a dedicated place to hang coats, hats, bags, and umbrellas.
You can customize a DIY coat rack to fit your space and show off your personal style. To build it, all you have to do is weld a tall metal rectangle with hooks or pegs attached. You could also experiment with bending metal rods into curvy, artistic shapes.
The small scale nature of the project means you can finish it off quickly.
Building a coat rack will teach you fundamental welding techniques. You’ll learn to cut metal pipes or rods to length and weld them together securely. If you add hooks or pegs, you’ll learn how to attach smaller pieces so they’re straight and sturdy.
You might also get some metal bending practice if you opt for a fancier curved design.
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3. Rocket Stove
Difficulty level: 3/10 (Low)
Time Required: 1-2 days
Skills Learned: transferring measurements, cutting sheet metal, welding air-tight seams, bending sheet metal
Selling Potential: 7/10 (High)
A rocket stove is a small, efficient device for outdoor cooking and heating. Its clever design increases fuel output while decreasing fuel use.
The main components are a vertical chimney and a horizontal fuel holding chamber that meets at the right angle. The fire burns cleanly in the chimney, drawing in air to create a hot, concentrated flame.
To make a rocket stove, just a few pieces of sheet metal or steel tubing is enough to get started. The simple “L” shape structure is easy to cut out and weld together making it beginner-friendly.
Assembling a rocket stove provides great fabrication practice. You’ll learn how to transfer precise measurements onto metal and cut out the pieces.
Furthermore, welding the parts together will teach you to create strong, air-tight seams. You might also get experience bending sheet metal and attaching legs or handles.
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4. DIY Rolling Tool Cart
Difficulty level: 2/10 (Very Low)
Time Required: 2-3 days
Skills Learned: measuring, cutting metal, welding at right angles
Selling Potential: 9/10 (Very High)
A rolling tool cart is a portable storage unit for organizing tools and supplies.
Constructing a rolling tool cart is a fantastic welding project for beginners. The design is basically a rectangular metal box on wheels – simple enough for novices to take on. You can customize the size and number of shelves to fit your space and tool collection.
While making a rolling cart, you’ll learn to measure and cut metal pieces accurately. You’ll also get practice welding the frame together at right angles for a square, sturdy base.
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5. Wire Mesh Bender
Difficulty level: 1/10 (Extremely Low)
Time Required: 1-2 days
Skills Learned: cutting metal bars/tubes, welding, shaping wire mesh
Selling Potential: 7/10 (High)
A wire mesh bender is a handy tool for shaping wire fencing or metal mesh into curves. It’s basically a sturdy metal frame with two uprights and a curved cross piece on top.
To use it, you simply insert the wire mesh between the uprights and bend it around the curved part and it’s done. You’ve got a perfectly arched piece of mesh for garden beds, patio projects, or whatever else you dream up!
The design of the wire mesh bender is compact and uncomplicated, with just a few metal pieces to cut and join. You can use thick bars or steel tubing in whatever size fits the mesh you want to shape.
Making a wire mesh bender is a quick and easy project for DIY hobbyists. You can complete a basic bender in just a day or two once you have the pieces cut out.
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6. Welding Cart
Difficulty level: 3/10 (Low)
Time Required: 2-3 days
Skills Learned: measuring, cutting, welding various joints, working with different metal thicknesses
Selling Potential: 8/10 (High)
A welding cart is a small, portable cart designed to hold your welder, gas tanks, and other welding supplies.
It makes it easy to move your equipment around the shop or to different work sites.
Welding carts are relatively simple to build with just some basic square or rectangular steel tubing for the frame and expanded metal for the shelves.
This is a great starter project to practice measuring, cutting, and welding together a basic frame structure.
You’ll get practice with various welding joints and working with different thicknesses of metal. You can add wheels, handles, and other features as you like.
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7. Truck Ladder Rack
Difficulty level: 2/10 (Very Low)
Time Required: 1-2 days
Skills Learned: measuring, cutting, keeping things square, making fillet welds
Selling Potential: 9/10 (Very High)
A truck ladder rack is a useful addition that lets you carry ladders and other long items above your truck bed, freeing up space inside the bed.
The design is essentially a simple rectangular frame that attaches to the top of the bed rails.
This is an ideal beginner project since it involves mostly straight cuts and simple fillet welds to join the frame pieces.
You can use either aluminum or steel square tubing depending on the weight capacity needed.
Building a ladder rack will give you great practice with measuring, cutting, and keeping things square.
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8. Scroll Bender
Difficulty level: 4/10 (Moderately Low)
Time Required: 2-3 days
Skills Learned: understanding leverage and clamping forces, basic metal forming principles
Selling Potential: 7/10 (High)
A scroll bender is a simple but super useful tool that allows you to bend flat metal stock into decorative scrolls and curves. It’s used often in ornamental ironwork and metal art.
The main components are just a couple pieces of heavy wall pipe or solid round bar for the scrolling dies, plus a flat bar frame to hold them.
Building a scroll bender will teach you about leverage, clamping forces, and the basic principles of metal forming. These skills can open up many new possibilities with metalworking.
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9. Fire Pit
Difficulty level: 3/10 (Low)
Time Required: 2-4 days
Skills Learned: measuring, cutting, layout, tack welding, full welding of longer joints
Selling Potential: 9/10 (Very High)
Making your own fire pit is a fun way to practice a variety of welding and fabrication techniques while ending up with an awesome backyard spot to relax and enjoy.
The basic design is just a metal cylinder or ring to contain the fire, with legs to keep it off the ground.
You can go with a very basic design using sheet metal or even salvaged materials like an old truck wheel or propane tank, which is great for beginners.
Or you can get more elaborate with fancy cut-outs, grates, spark screens, etc. It’s easy to customize however you want.
Building a fire pit from scratch will give you tons of practice in measuring, cutting, layout, tack welding, and full welding of longer joints.
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10. Post Pounder
Difficulty level: 1/10 (Extremely Low)
Time Required: 1-2 days
Skills Learned: cutting pipe, capping ends, welding rebar handles
Selling Potential: 6/10 (Moderately High)
A post pounder, also known as a post driver, is a heavy steel tube with handles that slides over a T-post or fence post to drive it into the ground.
It allows you to safely pound posts without swinging a sledgehammer near your hands.
The design couldn’t be simpler – it’s basically just a large diameter pipe with one end capped off and some rebar welded on for handles. While this post pounder is best used as trail post driver for snowmobiles, it’s also useful to have around the farm or the construction site.
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11. Snow Plow
Difficulty level: 4/10 (Moderately Low)
Time Required: 3-5 days
Skills Learned: measuring, cutting steel plates and tubing, MIG or stick welding, creating custom mounting brackets
Selling Potential: 8/10 (High)
Simple cutting, shaping, and welding of common steel components – that’s all about this snow plow project.
The design typically consists of a sturdy steel blade, attached to a frame made from square or rectangular steel tubing. The frame is then mounted onto an ATV or small tractor using a custom-made mounting bracket and hitch system.
Through this welding project, you’ll learn how to accurately measure and cut steel plates and tubing, as well as how to weld them together securely using basic MIG or stick welding techniques.
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12. Portable Grill
Difficulty level: 2/10 (Very Low)
Time Required: 1-2 days
Skills Learned: measuring, cutting sheet metal, steel bars, and tubing, welding components securely
Selling Potential: 7/10 (High)
A portable grill is a fun and practical welding project that is perfect for beginners. It is one of the best small easy welding projects you can do without much hassle.
For this, you’ll need a 48-inch steel tube and a 22-inch grilling grate. The design is simple and involves just cutting and welding basic steel components.
You’ll learn how to measure and cut sheet metal, steel bars, and tubing accurately, as well as how to weld them together securely.
Creating your own portable grill will allow you to enjoy outdoor cooking wherever you go.
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13. Motorcycle Lift
Difficulty level: 4.5/10 (Moderately Low)
Time Required: 4-6 days
Skills Learned: precise measuring, creating strong square welds, integrating mechanical systems
Selling Potential: 9/10 (Very High)
A motorcycle lift is a useful project for any welder who enjoys working on bikes and automobiles.
Although it may appear complex at first, the project is actually quite simple.
You’ll be cutting and welding square steel tubing to create the main frame, which will teach you how to make precise measurements and create strong, square welds.
The lifting mechanism will introduce you to basic mechanical systems and how to integrate them into your welded frame. For enhancing welding and fabrication skills, building a motorcycle lift is a great choice.
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14. ATV Log Arch
Difficulty level: 3/10 (Low)
Time Required: 2-3 days
Skills Learned: cutting and welding arch frame, attaching wheels and trailer hitch, creating secure vehicle attachments
Selling Potential: 7/10 (High)
An ATV log arch is a practical welding project that’s fun for beginners to make. It’s designed to attach to an ATV or small tractor so you can easily haul logs and timber.
The arch shape keeps the logs up off the ground as you pull them.
This project involves simple cutting and welding to make the arch frame, plus attaching wheels and a trailer hitch.
You’ll learn useful skills like how to make a strong frame and how to attach it securely to a vehicle. If you need to haul firewood or clear fallen trees, making an ATV log arch is a great project.
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15. Utility Cart
Difficulty level: 2/10 (Very Low)
Time Required: 1-2 days
Skills Learned: cutting and welding square frame, attaching shelves and wheels, leveling
Selling Potential: 8/10 (High)
A utility cart is a versatile welding project and one of the best small easy welding projects that makes a great addition to any shop or garage.
The design is a simple rolling platform, usually with two or three levels and caster wheels, that you can use to store and transport tools and supplies.
This project is perfect for beginners because it involves very basic cutting and welding to make a square frame, then attaching shelves and wheels.
You can learn additional skills like leveling and attaching the wheels so the cart runs smoothly.
One of the great things about a utility cart project is that you can customize it to suit your specific needs. You can adjust the size, number of shelves, and even add custom features like tool holders.
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Final Thoughts
So there you have it – the top 15 small and easy welding projects for beginners.
Our top 3 picks for the easiest and most useful projects are the metal coat rack, utility cart, and portable grill. These projects require minimal materials and can be completed quickly.
Many of these projects can be made with scrap metal or inexpensive materials, making them budget-friendly options for those just starting out.
For even more ideas and step-by-step guidance, check out our online shop where you’ll find a wide range of plans for woodworking, metalworking, and other DIY projects.
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