MIG welder

Dennis,

Never mind pics of the welder, show us the crossmember

Julian

Dennis if you get the gas I think you will be quite happy. There is a lot of difference in how nice they weld with the gas over the flux core.


The smallest wore most will run is ~.023. I have been using that almost exclusivly. If you find a steel shop and a chop saw you will find 1001 things to make!

Gary

Gary,
I borrowed a Miller 135 110v and it worked very well on my rust repairs on the PANTERA , I used gas with flux core. Havent done much MIG and was not sure ?? should I be using solid core with gas ??

Ron

Great thread. I beleive you use solid wire with gas, at least I do, but clearly I'm a novice welder. I bought a Lincoln 135 Plus MIG 120VAC a few years ago, been very happy with it for the little welding I do. It has infinate feed and voltage settings.

Let's see some of the welding projects!

Ron, yes try the solid. I asuming clean metal. Some say the flux core is good for dirty metal but I don't know for sure. The flux core is going to create a lot more smoke and the plain wire will give you a cleaner looking weld.


Ya gota get your own 110 mig. Everyone just gotta have one. This is my daughter weding. She layed the bead you see in the foreground:

quote:

Originally posted by accobra:
Gary,
I borrowed a Miller 135 110v and it worked very well on my rust repairs on the PANTERA , I used gas with flux core. Havent done much MIG and was not sure ?? should I be using solid core with gas ??

Ron

One more thing, with the flux core you don't need the gas. I use that when I am out working on the neighbors fence or something like that so I don't have to haul around the tank.

Gary

I was a little sceptical since the inly equip we really have is high voltage stuff and gas machines. This little 110 volt machine is great for small stuff I may ned up with this machine since my friend has it sitting in the garage doing nothing.

I was usingt he flux core to fix some rust on the frame ... worked great. Ill send you a pic when I'm done.

Ron

I'd like that.

I broke the tines on the box end for the tractor. It's the box you drag around your yard to smoth it out. I welded on some heavy square tubing/bar to support the tines.The steel in the box is very thick. I cranked it up and welded away. I was too lazy to go get some wire other then the thin .023 but it did great. I actually tripped the internal breaker a couple times. Let it cool and go again. Idealisticlly I should have used heavier wire but in doing what I did it's easy to see how versatile it is.

Gary

My welder came with the gas kit but I haven't bought or rented a tank yet. I've welded with gas before, it makes cleaner welds than fluxed. Flux wire works better in windy environments (like when I repair fence outside) since the gas blows away. I'm still an ameteur when it comes to welding, this is the first welding I've done since I used a stick welder in high school (some 25 years ago!) Luckily I have friends who are good welders to teach me. BTW Comp2, your daughter is awesome, I wish I could lay beads like that consistently!

I'm a Stick welder since I find the best penetration is with ARC. Its really hot and I like to burn in the first pass real hot and real quick. Usually its on Carbin Steel pipe. In the shop its TIG and its reall nice and clean for the first pass. The problem is we weld in unusual places. Schools Malls Office Bldgs. So we also use SMOKE EATERS. Have set off many smoke alarms. But the MIG got me thinking. It would be cool using it 110 volt I could put it up on a Scissor lift up in a ceiling little smoke ? No big gas machines with heavy leads ? I'm going to expand on this. You know some times we are creature of habit.

I also found STICHING the seem every couple inches on sheetmetal helps make the repair easier as not to burn thru.

Ron

Let me know what you think of mig as a substute for your stick. I really haven't found any penetration issues unless it's not set hot enough...But then again I am not doing what you are doing. I just came in from tig'n. I love that thing too.

Gary

You ever get a localized sun tan from welding? I have really learned to wear long sleeved clothing even in the heat of summer. My arms past my gloves and my neck under my mask always get UV burnt if I do much.

Gary

Yes, the standard WEAR of a welder is Denim long sleeve button up shirt and denim jeans. This is cotton and thick. Most other fibers will ingnite. Like standard shop uniforms or flannel shirts. I have used a cotton green welding jackets. AT this time I use a leather welding jacket which is pretty heavy but prevents burns all over your neck and arms. with full lenght gloves and hat. Ok thats at work but at home I cheat and just where leather gloves and a long sleeve aweat shirt. LOL

ROn

Doesn't anyone Oxy-accetalene weld anymore?? I always kind of liked that because it was slower paced.

I hear you Ron; some times when I set my clothes on fire I don't even see it. It doesn't show up in the helmet well but after a while, well, soemthings hot!:


I also keep my gas and other flamables far away in another seperate room. Actually, I haouled my gas out back of the barn last fall to do some welding and I am afraid the can's may have some water in them now. I'll use them as grass/weed killer for now.

DeTom, Never done it. I would like to watch some one do it though.

Gary

Well Gary, I haven't done it in about thirty years but it had it's advantagous. You had dark goggles instead of a full helmet that you can't see out of. These were more like dark sunglasses so you weren't totaly blind with them on. YOu can only do thin metal, like sheet metal, which for body work is sideal. The only thing is you do put a lot of heat in to whatever you are working on, so you have to be carefull to keep it from warping on you. Like what you do is tack the metal in place. Then instead of starting at one end and welding all the way to the other, you weld on one end between two tacks, then go to the other end and weld between two tacks there, then alternate like that until done. It is a lot like Tig, only easier. At least I thought it was easir.

I have heard a lot of old guys do sheet metal repair with it. As much heat as it puts into the metal, would tig be better? I know I mig'd several pieces on the MG (before I learned to use the tig). I had to widen the tunnel for a Camero T-5. I had to rebuild the nose near the headlight buckets on both fenders. I had to rebuild the round part below the tail lights. The only part I had trouble with was the large pannel between the door and the rear wheel. The first time I miged it and got it too hot. It was a good learning curve. I really learned about shrinkage. I cut that piece out, formed a new piece and did it right the second time.

I watched Dream car garage where the welder did an aluminum Cobra hood. My brother and I were both comenting how; even though they tried not to show you the finish weld, it looked like he had a lot of trouble with it.

Gary

Tig is definetly faster. That way it does put less heat in. And tig is probably better, but then you are back to having the helmet on that you can't see out of until you strike an arc. At least with the torch, you can always see what you are doing.
I don't know, maybe I am just being nostalgic because back in those days I was young and hounery.

Well it deffinantly seams that those who use the torch say it's the only way, and those that use tig say so as well.

I have often said the bigest key to welding is position and visibility. I use a HF auto darkening and it works well. I still don't look right at the weld until it kicks in. There is a very slight delay. I have heard some don't have any visible delay. It is however, a HF.

Gary

Oh heck yeah Gary, the absolute hardest weld is overhead. A lot of patience involved there. STill back in the day I was certified to do even those. Now I probably can't hold my hands steady enough to strike an arc. Getting old sucks. But it beats the alternative all to hell.

Detom,

Yes I do remember OXY ACT welding, thats all I had in my Dads garage 25 years ago. We made do .. we used flux coated brazing rod. In Apprenticeship School we did some thing very unusual. We LEAD welded... we use Hydrogen and oxygen. we used a strip of the lead and welded with a pencil tip. It was for about 20 years ago ... lining Hospital Rooms and Roofs in NYC. Its a old technology thats gone.

Ron

I tried Tig'n on my back once in a cramped spot. I didn't have any luck. I had to Mig it.

You should feel 150 amps in the BUTT when your sitting on a pipe welding and you go an change the rod on an ARC welder ??? LOL oh that wakes you up ...

Yea I think TIG is great ..nice and clean but I havent tried it on the car ... the MIG seems to be it. The TIG would make for great fabrication in a shop.

The Mig is deffinantly the economical way to go. My brother and I bought the Tig. I have since told him I am buying his half. He's just going to have to find another one!

G

Yeah Ron, the good old days of toxic substances. Do you remember fire brick?? You used to set your work piece on it when you oxy accetalened?? Yeah that thing was made of asbestous. :O It is a wonder we are still alive.

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
You ever get a localized sun tan from welding? I have really learned to wear long sleeved clothing even in the heat of summer. My arms past my gloves and my neck under my mask always get UV burnt if I do much.

Gary

I always wonder why people spend so much time in tanning booths and spend so much money on vacation to warm climes. It would be more fun to go out to the shop and burn metal in your skivvies. Of course it might be hard to explain to people "No, those aren't freckles!!!"

On a serious note. Up until last august I worked at a boatyard with a BIG old Acklands tig machine and machinery lathe. To this day I sometimes wonder why I made the decision to leave. I guess sometimes you dont realize what you've got till its gone.

DETOM,

Yea he good old days .. I'm only a young chap still but I spent some time as a real young boy in NYC with my greatgrandpa, grandpa and pop in the pipe fitting industry. I can remember when I was 7 they used to mix asbestos in a pail and put it on the fittings and removing it. But of the old timers lived to 84 & 87 ? when asbestos became a big deal my Dad took his father to be tested like 5 times and he didnt have a spot on his lungs ? My Dad nothing either. But both Smoked cigars and cigarettes both of the oldtimers drank Scitch like water. Maybe it was the booze and the cigars washed it down.

I'm not so sure that asbestos and the lead thing is not just a big scam and money maker.

R

Hell Ron the medical profesion is a scam. Cholesteral bad??? Bah, humbug. Cholesteral never kilt no one. Just an excuse to sell ya pills. Phhht. Well gotta go smoke my pipe and refill my Jack Daniels. See ya tommorrow.

They say that the human body is like an engine . . needs fuel, emits waste etc. I would assume that depriving the body of cholesterol is like draining the engine of oil. Eating healthy stuff like granola is like filling the crank case with saw dust. Doesn't this lead to engine failure?

Sure it does 4NFord. And engines always need to run some alchohol now and then to keep the injectors clean.

Problem with feeding it alcohol is that it thinks its faster than it probably is, makes is drift sideways and many times ends up in crashes!

BTW, you guys notice that in my new avatar, the guy has loaded his pipes with hotdogs and is blowing them out?

I watched that Monster Garage. It was pretty funny stuff.

I bet they don't taste very good that way. Nitro leaves a bad after taste. Charcoal is better.