Any welders out there?

[Guest]

I recently had a rack made for the shop and the guy used a TIG welder to build it, until then I had no idea what a TIG welder was.

Now I have the gotta have one cravings. But, my question for any professional welders out there or long time amatuers is:
What type of welder is better for the guy doing some in the shop repairs and building?
Arc, I have used, but not for aluminum or stainless, only heavy building
MIG, never used
TIG, never used

What would be the most versatile unit? :?

[brs127s]

I have alot of friends and relative who weld. I have done some myself. As far as versatility, a MIG welder would be the most versatile. With a decent welder, you can weld just about any type of metal. MIG welding is also known as wire welding. Of the three types of welders you mentioned, it probably has the lowest possible heat range. Don't get me wrong, with a good MIG welder and some experience, you can weld some fairly heavy metal. I had a cab mount busted loose from the frame of my truck. My buddy welded it back with his MIG welder. I watched him weld it. It was definitely a heavy duty weld.

A TIG welder has the highest heat range of the three. Most of the folks I know that have a TIG welder primarily use it for welding aluminum. With a good sized TIG welder and the proper knowledge, aluminum engine blocks can be welded. My buddy who welded my truck also has a TIG welder. He builds R/C airplanes. He makes aluminum mufflers and landing gear for his planes. I have had him weld my aluminum boat and outboard motor.

You have used an ARC welder, so you probably know about it.

I am in the process of looking at MIG welders. I am looking for a 220V with at least a max of 130 AMPs. I also want a MIG which requires the usage of a shielding gas. These usually have a better set of heat ranges. Also, a unit that is fan cooled would be ideal. There are several good brands to consider Lincoln, Hobart, Miller. The only problem is you have to pay for the name. I have been looking at MIGS made by Clarke. Here is a website which sells Clarke.

http://www.welding-equipment.net/

I want a MIG because of the versatility. I want to be able to weld aluminum and steel. I do not plan on welding anything too heavy, so the MIG suits my needs. A 220V is ideal, because to draws less AMPs from your breaker box than a 120V. You can use a MIG without gas, if you use flux core wire, but you are limited to what you can weld. Using a MIG with gas gives you greater flexibility.

The only problem I have now is to convince my wife why I need a welder. I dabble enough to justifiy it, but she still is convinced.

[argonsagas]

MIG is the most versatile for home use.

Decide what you will principally use it for, as that will determine what size and power output you should buy. For many applications the small ones will do the job, and the bonus there is they run on household current.

As in bikes, however, having more power available than you think you need is a good idea, but you must have the line current and voltage to support it.

I learned to play at welding( I am far from professional) with sticks, but a MIG unit with regulated wire feed is far easier to work with than sticks, and less frustrating as you don't have to stop frequently to change sticks/wire.

You won't use the gas flow for most work, but having the option is a good thing. Some home-use welders give you the wire feed only, and have the
gas connection as an extra-cost option.

Decide what you will be doing and then talk it over with folks in a welding specialty outlet......NOT Walmart, Home Depot or any other big box store.

No recommendations as to models or makes. I use a small stick unit for the limited welding I do.

[Anonymous]

If your just planning to use it around the garage, a mig machine would be the welder to get. Small size wire like .023 is great for repairs on bike frames and body work.If you get a AC/DC welder you can get a 5 pound spool gun for aluminum,these work great,and they aren't as hard to master, as say a tig welder. If you have access to 3 phase power, go with an industrial machine, more choice of settings,and a better duty cycle. Any other questions let me through e-mail,Ric.

[first timer]

i would agree with the people who recomend a MIG welder. they are easy to use and very versitile. TIG welders do very nice welds but are very difficult to master and are typicaly used for finer welds. Me personly i would buy a 110v MIG welder don't cheap out on the brand too, it does make a diffrence. A good brand 110v will handle alot of non industrail welds which is what you'll be doing. I like lincon welders myself but go with some thing that is comparable to that brand (no home depot knock off crap) and get the instant flash over welding mask. money well spent. you can also rent welders for a resonable price from welding supplie places sometimes too

ryan

[Anonymous]

anyone know of a good website that explains how to weld? we have a mig at the shop but its hard to see what im welding thru that dark mask :x which makes me bad welder

[HiSPL]

The instant darkening mask is the only way to go.... I taught myself how to weld and I don't think I could've done it with out that mask 8)

[first timer]

back and forth

metal

----/\/\/\/weld\/\/\/\/\--------break--------

metal

just make sure to keep the weave very tight together

[Anonymous]

ahh ok , i was welding like this ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) also moving the tip to fast i think

[Clone]

I am quite proficient with an arc welder on heavy stock, as most farm boys are, so I was actually leaning towards an arc welder. I have been told that a welder with a wide heat range and the proper rods can be used on stainless and aluminum. Is this true (I can't find anything on the web to confirm)?
Occasionally I get into the 1/4 inch plate and build a hitch or two, can a MIG be used for this kind of construction?
Also, what is three phase power? (is that 220 with three wires?)

[Anonymous]

A decent mig welder is the way to go. Just watch the hobbyist size machines. The duty cycle on them isn't high enough for long continuous use or really heavy plate and they'll wear out prematurely, just ask my friend Kori. He learned the hard expensive way.

[Bill + Karen]

MIG is fine for general uses and works great on sheet metal. The only drawback is it is a cold fusion process and will not give you the same strength as a stick welder. We just went thru all this at the stair place I worked at, MIG welders are not intended to be used for structural welds. Keep this in mind for what you are doing. If there is a chance of it coming apart and somebody getting hurt use the stick welder. Bill

[argonsagas]

Agreed, Bill. For heavy work, use the standard stick-type arc welder

Part of the reason is that you can use a far heavier amperage on ARC than with MIG, because of the sizes of rods used. This gives much more heat, and spreads it around, thus imparting a stronger weld.

Yes, you can do stainless and other steels with a standard ARC unit..just buy the correct rods. Again, ask at a welding shop for their recommendations on what you intend to do.


For aluminum, there are some rods that are claimed to work, but I don't know if they work poorly or not at all..

The problem with aluminum is that it oxidizes almost instantly upon exposure to the oxygen in the air. That is the reason for using the Tungsten welder with the argon flow. (TIG). The constant flow of inert gas prevents the oxidization, and allows the metal edges/seams to meld.





Rick: if it looks like )))))))))))))))))) when you are done, then you are showing a fine hand movement. Even waves are the most desirable appearance of a good weld.

As long as you use the correct heat setting, and correct size rods/wire, you are definitely doing it right.

[Anonymous]

ahh ok , i was welding like this ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) also moving the tip to fast i think

Well I must be a little more professional than you two. I always weld like this; &&&&&&&&@@@@@@&&&&&&. but hey we're not all perfect.

[Anonymous]

anyone know why my arc welds keep cracking? i have to put 2 to 3 layers on for it to stick