how thick do we really weld, what welder to buy?

I use my trusty Craftsman 120volt MIG I bought in 1990 or so. Has served me well and I weld a good deal with it. It easily handles 3/16 and will do 1/4 with double passes. My wife does notice the increas on the electric bill when I do a lot of welding, like on the roll cage recently, so I dont know how motivated I am to get a 220. I alos place an extra cooling fan in front of it to keep the heat down and help with the duty-cycle problems of a 110-115.

One place I differ from the guys here is I primarily use flux-cored wire because I weld outside a lot. While working on the cage the winds were over 20 mph, so any sheilding gasses would have been getting blown away anyhow, so the cored wire works well for me in this application,, just enjoy a few beers as you're spending the extra clean up time from the spatter.

 

I forgot I started this thread.

I found a Lincoln 140 mig on clearance at Lowes for 300 so that's what I got. So far I'm happy with it. I'm still in the learning stage. I built my first project out of scrap....a cart to haul the recycling bins down to the curb.

I feel fairly good about tacking stuff and I'm starting to run a decient bead. And my cart has not fallen apart yet.

But I can tell I'd like to eventually get a 220V machine..............

For now, I'm happy.

 

Don't rule out a Dual Voltage machine... I've owned a Miller DVI for 3 years and love it. 115/ 220 with a simple plug change; I've welded from 18 ga to 5/16 (single pass) with no problems. IMHO, the perfect machine for the home auto hobbiest... Next will be a Plasma Cutter and THEN a TIG.

 

Some opinions about welding machines:

-For most jeep guys, the 110 v machines will suffice.

-Only in certain situations (primarily, beveled butt joints) should 1/4" thick be attempted with a 110V mig welder.

-Even though the manufacturer states, in the literature, that you can weld aluminum with a 110V mig welder, you can't. The wire's too soft to make it through the gun. You can't push a rope!

-Mig welding (all welding, for that matter) can give a false sense of security. The weld may look ok, but be weak.

-The key to welding is to practice, practice, and practice some more, until you really understand what is happening. Take a welding class, if available.

-The true definition of welding is knowing how to read the puddle.

-Anybody can get lucky, and lie down a weld that will hold, no matter how bad it looks, but, some day their luck will run out. That's why it's good to REALLY know what you're doing.

-Just like painting, or anything else, where the bonding of materials is the goal, cleanliness, and metal preparation are key.

-Big Box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) welders are NOT the same as welding supply machines, but for the hobbyist, they should be fine. Just make sure that you can get consumables (tips, cups, conduit cables, etc.) for whatever machine you decide to buy. You'll need them.

-A 220V mig welder that came from a welding supplier, is a joy to use. I've welded 1 1/4" thick steel with my ESAB Mig Master 250, and also 22 gauge sheet metal. Nice machine.

-For those of you that desire to have an "inexpensive" T.I.G. setup, you can tig with an ac/dc buzz box. If there's enough interest, I'll do a write-up on it. Either respond here, or PM me.

Rich.

 

Rich, I'd be interested in that information on using a buzz box as a TIG.

 

When you get a chance Rich, i would like that information also.
Thanks in advance
Matthew Haver

 

Give me a little time, and I'll post a thread with pictures. For starters, though, you'll need a welding machine (plug-in, or gas drive), that has DC capabilities. This setup will not be for welding aluminum, though. We can talk about aluminum, later.

 

Yes! I'd like to know how to tig with a stick welder. I have an old 220 buzz box that will weld a tank. I just suck at it. Really suck.