Welding Starter Info

["Joseph Michael Shaw, II" <MikeIIDC@domain.elided>]

Another question:

I have been contemplating getting a small welder ever since the last
discussion on it that raged through the digest a few months back.  An
important point to note is that I know even less about welding than I do
about mechanical things, so those of you with welding knowledge will
probably want to discourage me-otherwise, you will spend ALL of your
time answering stupid inquiries from me!
Anyway, if I want to learn more about the capabilities of the different
types of welders, different levels of power of welders, etc, is there a
good book or something that someone could recommend that covers this?  I
know we discussed a lot of this before, but I figure in a book like
this, it will also give some advice/beginning steps on learning how to
use the thing well.
This is currently hot on my mind, as my new Scout 800 will need some
body work, my wrecked '68 T'all may have recently found a donor body to
swap onto it, and I figure if I take my time, read up on proper
procedure, and remain patient with it, it may pay for itself in money
saved from the mechanic and body shop.  Also, when you guys have talked
about replacing body mounts in the past, were you having to cut the
bolts out that hold these together?  Melt/cut the old "pucks" out?  I
can't recall what exactly this was all about.  For this, did you need a
big industrial tank torch, or did one of the small portable hand-helds
help out at all?

Thanks!

Michael