Fair enough. Basics, like frames to build a small table or fix a metal playground.
Just get a welder, scrap metal and start messing around?
essentially, yeah! for small house projects and hobbyist work, you can find youtube videos on anything you'd want to know. If you buy a nice brand named welder, they often have full instructional videos on how to operate the whole machine. You should look up a list of "fabrication shop tools". someone out there aught to have made a video going over basic shop necessities, which can be niche if you want to build certain types of things (ex: large vs. small projects). A welder is just an awesome tool, and knowing how to weld is pretty badass, but without other basic tools like tape measure, channel locks, level, square (speed square, combination square), soap stone, knowing what you want to make or do, etc, etc, you wont be doing much with the skill.
Do you partake in hobbies, crafts, or any kind of garage construction? What kind of tools do you already have?
I have quite a regular wood working toolset, sanders, handsaws, table saw, chop saw, chainsaws, drill press, etc. Build stuff around the house, chicken coups, pig housing, garden fences and doors etc.
The metal side just seems more daunting.
thats cool you have your own wood shop! Adding metal working tools to your shop might be a little tricky. As you do metal work, like weld/grind/filing, just like with wood working, metal dust gets everywhere! That dust is harmful to breath, and if you do not keep the dust contained, it will eventually rust on whatever surface it's laying on. Copper dust is common if you're doing alot of soldering, but it can accelerate Alzheimer's or something like that if you touch or breath in the dust too much.
All my clamps are metal, but I was a metal worker before I was into wood working so i started off with metal tools. The biggest problem of overlapping tools is cross contamination and strength/quality. (ex:) My metal clamps/vicegrips can be used on wood, but plastic woodclamps cannot be used as easily on metal (though you can technically, avoid putting them under a heavy load or near heat). Wood clamps are cheaper and open up much wider. For the same sized metal clamp that serves a similar function, the price goes up ALOT.
You should definitely get a welder and metal working tools though! Being in a well ventilated area and using proper safety gear you can keep a clean safe work area. I wanted to show you a fun small shop/garage welder that can be upgraded later, it was like 700$ 4 years ago but got damn, this one is same/similar and its 2k without all its attachments. What made this welder cool is that it has two outlet options for pulling more or less power. so you can hook it up into a wall in your garage, or a special circle three pronged port.
https://serviceweldingsupply.com/product/lincoln-power-mig-210-mp-multi-process-welder-k3963-1/
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