[TheThinkTank] Welding setups

A couple of volunteers here at the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen (myself included) are interested in getting into welding, to find uses for otherwise waste-stream parts, build tools and storage units, make art, and work on special bikes.

Do any other shops have experience with welding rigs, and if so, how useful have they actually been, and what sort of system is being used?

--Ryan S.