Welders Corner

[Guest]

Well I was finally able to get a good breaker for my panel, teh old weak dual 15 amp, just wouldn;t hold, it sometimes snaps with just the little heater running off it.

So tonight I really got into this TIG welding thing, it's going to take some practice, but I believe I can get the hang of it.

There was one pass that looks absolutly perfect too, non-fill butt weld. The others look ok to good, like I said lots of practice is needed.

[RednBlack]

Cool!

[bud36light]

There was one pass that looks absolutly perfect too, non-fill butt weld. The others look ok to good, like I said lots of practice is needed.

practice, practice, practice.....

man, that is a hell of a quote there. Welding is kinda weird, I guess. You will always have 1 guy(gal) out of a bunch who is a welder. Can pick anything up and make the perfect pass. Then there are people who if they don't hood up everyday or on a regular basis it may take a pass or two to "hang with the big dogs". Now , related to this site just about anyone who needs to weld headers, brackets and stuff should be able to hold their own with the different technologies available. Stucture/saftey stuff you might want to leave to the "welder guy(gal)".

[joey b]

Since my subframe broke where the rear passenger mount is located (right below the alternator) I was wondering if it would be safe to weld that metal plate that was originally welded on back to the cradle.

[geoffinbc]

Yes its all mild steel. No problem welding it back together.

[Doubt_Incarnate]

i might have some cash to spend on a real welder soon. i have a really super cool dime store oxy/acetylene kit i got for xmas some time ago. i use it all the time since the handle leaks and fire and my hand goes together so well . there is a local store about 15 mins away im going to puruse the selection they have there and see if they can give me a few lessons. anything i should look for, arc, mig, maybe i'll just get a real handle, not sure yet. i know its alot easier to see without fire everywhere. mostly i wanted a welder to be able to make my own headers, point me in a good direction.

[Guest]

A good welder for a beginner or less experianced IMO is a MIG, but none of that flux core crap, get a real honest to goodness gas sheild welder, and get 220, or a machine that can be set-up for both.

When I replace my current MIG welder (Miller 35..... OLDE), it will be with a Miller 175. It will go well with my Miller Econotig.

[Doubt_Incarnate]

is "220" a voltage thing or an amps thing?

[Guest]

is "220" a voltage thing or an amps thing?

Voltage.

[Fierobsessed]

You can weld big stuff and small stuff with a big welder (meaning a 220 Mig) but you cannot weld big stuff with a small welder. However, a 120 welder is downright portable compared to any 220 unit. So they have there gives and takes. A good 120 unit is perfect for exhausts, sheet metal, and mount fabrication where the metal thickness doesn't exceed 1/8-3/16". Beyond that, (1/4"+) a 220 unit does far better. Personally, I have always had a 120 unit, a "Hobart Handler 120". It was the single most useful welder I have ever had. Capacity didn't ever seem to be much of a problem, but I rarely ever turned it below full power when working on the car. It layed clean perfect welds, and I would weave beautiful stitch welds that probably should have been done with a 220, and never had a problem with it. I used the SNOT out of that little welder for 11 years and it still works. I was 11 when I started using it.

[germ]

a 120 is perfect for a hobby welder, which is what it sounds like your going to be doing.


as for the "bad" rep a flux core gets, well thats just jibberish. with practice, you can lay some pretty decent beads. the only real "bad" thing about a flux core is that is produces a lot of spatter. but you can get spatter spray that cuts down on the spatter by a lot, wd40 works really well as a spatter reducer. a flux core does take practice to get used to.

i use a flux core to tack weld headers and then i take them to a welding place to have them final welded.

for other stuff, exhaust, brackets, etc... the flux has never let me down.

the key is to have a very clean surface to weld. no dirty metal, no paint, no rust, etc.... shiney metal will weld just fine


but the better choice is a gas shield 120 mig for a hobby welder


however, you can get TIG welders for a decent price nowadays that work really well for the price.

TIG is about the best you get and the most versitile. you can weld aluminum with TIG, MIG you cannot.


Harbor Frieght is a great place to pick up a welder for a beginner.

[RednBlack]

germ, you are wrong about not MIG welding Aluminum. I made a living at it for years. That's how AllWeld boats are made.

For everyday use for you Doubt, a decent 120 will do just fine. Don't even think about going 240,(220 is a misnomer), unless you are set up for high amp service. Most households aren't. Your dryer circuit won't handle it.

Get yourself a good, cheap MIG, (I prefer to call it a wire welder),




Practice, practice, practice.

[germ]

mig welding aluminum...

http://www.millerwelds.com/education/articles/articles10.html

you need to use argon, special tips, and you cannot weld anything less than 14awg.



info about welding aluminum..

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/alumfaq.asp

tig is a better way to weld aluminum

[geoffinbc]

There are no special tips. The liner is different. It is a nylon liner so the aluminum wire will not bind. Yes you do need to use Argon, same goes for TIG welding. I agree that anything less than 14 AWG would be one serious pain in the ass. You could tack weld thinner stuff if need be. There is a difference in technique when welding aluminum Vs mild steel but it is not hard to learn.

[Guest]

hmm, I used an argon mix and a spool gun on a Miller welder to weld Aluminium.