RichieW
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 12:38 PM |
|
|
Welding Christmas Pressie
Hello, I am new to the forum and I am looking to start learing to weld in the new year and so I want to treat myself to MIG at Christmas. I have
looked through previous posts but would like to know how high a power rating I can get away with from the supply in my garage. I have read of posters
using anything from 100 to 185 amp welding gear. Are you all working in your garages or have you got industrial workshops for the 185s?
I have my eye on a Clarke 151TE. Is this(150amps) too much?
|
|
|
|
|
interestedparty
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 01:02 PM |
|
|
No, it certainly isn't too much. I use a Sealey 185 on a normal ring main with no problems.
Get the biggest welder you can afford, the bigger ones are easier to use on all types of welds, even including Locost chassis stuff
John
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!
|
|
|
RichieW
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 01:11 PM |
|
|
Cheers, I had read earlier posts saying that you get better results with the bigger welding gear but looking at the machine mart website it mentions
in passing 30 amp power supplies and the rest.
From what i understand I will only be using the machine at about half power anyway but I don't want to fuse the whole house with blown electrics
everytime I switch the thing on. With rusty car bits and noisy angle grinders I have to do my best to keep the peace.
|
|
|
Stu16v
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 05:27 PM |
|
|
As interested party says, get the biggest you can afford, IMO look at second hand ones with a higher power rating than a new one. If you have a
specialist welding supplier nearby, sometimes they will have trade-ins which they will sell with some warranty.
I bought a Snap-on welder off the van that was traded in which cost me two hundred beer tokens, which is rated at 150 amps, but is far more powerful
than my mates 150 amp Sealey, so I guess it's the same as most things.... you get what you pay for.
HTH Stu.
Dont just build it.....make it!
|
|
|
ProjectLMP
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 07:01 PM |
|
|
Just to add, what you also get with the more powerful (expensive) units is a lot better wire feed mechanism and more stable arc. As a general rule,
the better machine you can get the better it will make you look as a welder. It takes some real talent to get good results with some of the crappy
welders out there.
Home of the Astronomicalcost Mid engined LMP project
|
|
|
charlie
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 07:14 PM |
|
|
Get one with a turbo fan aswell. You may not need it for doing a chassis but its handy for bigger jobs.
|
|
|
Viper
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 07:16 PM |
|
|
And for my pennys worth, try to get a machine that will take 15kg reels of wire, and has a roler that has can be used with 0.6 and 0.8 wire and
preferabley has a euro connector torch, if you don't know what any of these are ask in the shop where you are intending to buy the machine they will
point you in the right direction
|
|
|
stephen_gusterson
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 08:19 PM |
|
|
my little piddly welder was fitted by me with a small internal fan and it has NEVER shut down even during intensive welding like doing the floor.
If you are serious about getting a larger output welder, make sure its single phase. If it is, your house supply will be able to give up to 30A
through the ring main - or 60a on a cooker spur.
Ring mains use a 'loop' of 2.5mm wire, effectively giving two cables to every socket. The 'box is usually fused at 30A and the plug to 13A.
If you have the right cable rating to the site of your welding, fit a suitable industrial high current socket - or wire it in the ting main directly
via a fused switched box - and you should be fine.
I am not a welder, but I woudl have thought the largest size of hobby welder (150A) would do about all you needed on a kit car. Mine is much less and
has coped.
atb
steve
try these links :
150 quid for a 150a welder?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1925298235
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2079306814
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2080504999
[Edited on 13/12/02 by stephen_gusterson]
|
|
|
Jasper
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 09:15 PM |
|
|
I bought a 135amp Sealey with fan, ex-demo. It has never cut out even on full power for long welds and the wire feed has been spot on, takes big reels
as well. I run it on a 100ft extension cable, no problem.
|
|
|
geoff shep
|
| posted on 13/12/02 at 09:39 PM |
|
|
Mig
This looks like a good price for a Sip 130 Turbo which would be enough. Lots of weldind accessories here too.
Parker Tools
What any low output air cooled machine will not do is weld at the top output continuously - but as a hobby welder you probably won't need that.
|
|
|
Hornet
|
| posted on 14/12/02 at 09:41 AM |
|
|
IMHO a Sip130 would cope well with building a chassis,, if an experianced welder of sorts was usin.. If you are new then it would be easier and give
a better weld if you got a Sip 180 min.. remember 180 does not mean 180 amps... in fact it is only 150. hope this helps.
|
|
|
jollygreengiant
|
| posted on 14/12/02 at 10:02 AM |
|
|
If you are a novice to welding then my advive would be to buy something like snap-on/sip/sealy turbo 130 (they are all made by 1 manufacturer but the
name escapes me at the moment). this welder will do all that you ask of it and it will take the big reels & hook up to the big bottles.
The money that you save would then be best spent on a speed-glass welding visor (an absolute must) and a good pair of heat resisting guantlets plus
clamps & other goodies (like a 10mm air powered belt sander for tidying up the welds after).
|
|
|
RichieW
|
| posted on 14/12/02 at 01:52 PM |
|
|
Thank you all for the excellent advice.
I have a friend who is a steel plater by trade and he is itching to do all the work for me. He hasn't grasped the fact that I want to do the work
myself. At least I will be able to avail myself of all the free tuition I need, help with the hard bits and use of a machine shop whenever I need it.
Needless to say he is on good terms with a local welding supplier and so I will take your advice with me when we visit. My mate uses all the
industrial stuff and has never built a locost before so I didn't want to go on any of his recommendations alone.
|
|
|
johnston
|
| posted on 15/12/02 at 11:19 AM |
|
|
was away lookin bits for a dung spreader (dont ask)
called into to a guy who was weldin with a 325 amp mig will that be big enough for a chassis
|
|
|
fastavatar.jpg){kind=avatar}
