Welders

[Rickracer]

Re: Welders

That's one place where "practice makes perfect", the more practice you get, the better you weld. 8)

[squirrel]

Re: Welders

I've welded exhaust pipe with a stick welder, because that's what I had....I think it's called "hot rodding"

[jdustu]

Re: Welders

I've welded exhaust pipe with a stick welder, because that's what I had....I think it's called "hot rodding"

Having a stick available for exhaust can be a plus, you can bend the electrode to get those hard out of the reach places ;D I've even had to break out the mirror at work a few times.

[Smack]

Re: Welders

I've had two wire fed Lincolns, still have an old arc from lincoln, but working as a welder for awhile, I grew to love the Miller and Hobart welders, my Hobart 140 has been much more trouble free than my Lincolns were. I had several gun and drive spool issues from the Lincolns. I believe that the Hobart is a little better than the Miller line (also made by Hobart.) When it comes to portabibility, the gas bottle isn't a necessity, just use GOOD quality flux core wire and hit the welds with a wire wheel or cleanup wheel on a small air sander. The 140 is about the biggest 110 volt welder that you are going to find, anything bigger than that will be a 220 volt.

[MadmanMark]

Re: Welders

I have a 220v Lincoln (Weldpak 175) that seemed like it did a better job doing thick stuff with the flux wire than with the gas. The welds weren't prettier, but they seemed to get better penetration. I resleeved the gun and set it up for aluminum and it went only so-so. My torch with an Al stick seems to be easier to master than the mig for Al.

I've seen people do wonders with an oxy-acetylene setup, but working with the flame in certain areas gets a bit scary.

[TC]

Re: Welders

I have a 220v Lincoln (Weldpak 175) that seemed like it did a better job doing thick stuff with the flux wire than with the gas. The welds weren't prettier, but they seemed to get better penetration. I resleeved the gun and set it up for aluminum and it went only so-so. My torch with an Al stick seems to be easier to master than the mig for Al.

I've seen people do wonders with an oxy-acetylene setup, but working with the flame in certain areas gets a bit scary.

The reason the welds got crappy with the gas is because when switching to gas you can only weld about half the thickness of the metal that you can do with the Flux core wire. So if your welding 1/4" steel with flux core and it's working don't expect switching to gas is going to go as nice, not to mention it won't penetrate as far into the metal.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Welders

brazing exhaust sucks -it melts

[Barry Donovan]

Re: Welders

I go about it differently. My first sight of weld was tractor trailer sized, I watched a very very expensive machine die.
I shrugged it off...and knew not to look.
Later on, I learned anyone could do it, could not stand the prices, and neither did some pros (shop teacher). I learned then to look for specs. He had a theroy welders would stay in the typical small package, some even have a shoulder strap, that can do .25 inch easily. I never forgot the advice, this was over 20 years ago..Reels, hanging sideways can be at the top, it can go through the swinging motions, getting banged into etc. By chance I looked for a newer one on ebay, this past year, I could care less about brands. I wanted a big transformer in a shoulder strapped little package. Sure enough, a 115volt, .25 capable, reel laying flat machine, fan cooled, cheaper than I expected. The handle grade is normal, but plastic tubing inside is cheap, and that is about my only complaints. I have never seen the 115v mig welders with good grounding clamps, an old set of jumper cables of the heavy duty kind has four more "new" ones to choose from.
Recently on streetfire.net this video popped up, thought I would share. The guy teaching tips taught himself, as most do not know they can do, if to inquire for the first time.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Learn-How-To-Weld_703724.htm

I myself am up to about 120 hours, 5 reels, from just under .25, to 1mm, to 3 ply slam-it-alltogether (rocker seam) and exhaust work. it really does just take a few hours to feel out each machine, regardless of branding. there is a means to kill these things, and it happens all at once. they simply do not work anymore. I go for "acme" stuff

[98ciHemi]

Re: Welders

Personally, I would go with a gas setup. Not all that hard to learn, and it is usefull for so many other things, such as making things smaller, breaking loose rusted in bolts, making things smaller, oh, and did I mention you cut stuff up with one? That being said, I can't mig or stick weld for crap. In fact, I can't gas weld all that great, either.

[Caveman]

Re: Welders

My pop's got a Lincoln v-twin gas powered arc welder that he mounted on a trailer.... thing wouldn't start last spring, dammit.

We changed the plugs, oil, cleaned the carb, new plug wires, a shot of starter fluid, it finally fired up after killing a battery once. Oh, and the muffler on it is shot.

When it fired up, two field mice that had made their winter condo inside went hauling ass out from underneath, and right out the barn door with half the contents of their 'condo' getting blown out with them from the cooling fan. I think I heard them screaming.

[milner351]

Re: Welders

DERNED RODENTS!
mothballs are your friend when it comes to protecting your good junk from vermin.

those old construction type gas powered arc machines are killer - my bro in law has the lincoln bronco or something like that - and it's a BEAST! I've seen him put some crazy good beads on crazy thick structural steel with that thing... it's amazing how fast you go through a welding rod when you're welding on really heavy material.

Since my thread asking about such things got very little response - I'll ask it again here....

ANYBODY HAVE A HENROB/COBRA TORCH?