speedyxjs
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 08:54 PM |
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What mig welder?
Can anyone recomend a suitable MIG welder for the chassis? Preferably new and on a reasonable budget.
Thanks
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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JoelP
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:04 PM |
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clark 135 or 150, my 135 lasted 3 years of use and might walk again if i ever fix it 
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:07 PM |
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How much? (im not tight, just on a tight budget)
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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blakep82
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:12 PM |
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there was a topic light this just the other day, as a result, I'm replcaing my no gas MIG with one of
these from machine mart
good price, and recommended by others on this site yesterday
people, tell me if i'm aout to make a mistake buying this
________________________
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don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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BenB
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:21 PM |
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Personally I'd say the highest power one you can afford......
Buying a series of increasingly more powerful welders doesn't make sense in the long-run....
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JoelP
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:23 PM |
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the only thing i find really annoying with mine is the lack of current control - i have two switches, hi/low and 1/2. I really should find out what
they do, as it stands, low1 is crap, hi2 blows fuses, so i use it on either hi1 or low2 and just change the wire feed to match. You just need to
develop technique to work around the machine.
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blakep82
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:25 PM |
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http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=62058
^ thats the topic i was talking about
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:29 PM |
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Iv just noticed in the new book, in the 'Welding Practices' section that, he recommends at least a 150 amp welder. Iv seen 90 amp welders
that say they are capable of welding up to 4mm steel. Is 90 amp too weak? (sorry if im starting to sound a bit thick )
ps just noticed iv reached over 100 posts. Yay 
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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blakep82
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 09:31 PM |
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have a look through here
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk
got a calculator for working out the maximum thickness, many manufacturers over estimate the thickness
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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davie h
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| posted on 11/3/07 at 10:13 PM |
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been reading this and the other thread and i have decided that the clarke 151te looks the best bet
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zetec7
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 03:15 AM |
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I've successfully welded 3/16" plate (which is what, 4.75mm?) with my old Calarke 100E Turbo welder many times, with complete penetration
and no problems at all. Since I'm unlikely to have to weld anything much thicker than that, I don't need more power. Considering that
the new Clarke 130EN has 30 more amps available than my old one, it should be able to do anything up to 1/4" plate. Do we NEED more than
that?
http://www.freewebs.com/zetec7/
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wilkingj
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 07:09 AM |
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As bigger one as you can afford.
One good reason is the duty cycle at lower and mid range amps will be effectively higer / longer.
Welding at a machines Max current is probably only about 20% ie 2 mins welding time during a 10 minute period.
Not a lot of fun when you want to get the job done.
Investigate your local welding specialists, they may have second hand industrial welders, or bottom range industrial welder.
In hindsight I wish I had gone for something better than my Sip150amp job.
Its taken me a lot of time to get used to it.
The wire feed on the cheaper welders is taken from the main transformer, so you can wire speed fluctuations so the welding is not so constant. Good
ones use a separate transformer for the wire feed motor, eliminating this problem.
Still I cant really moan at the Sip, its done a lot of work, and the welder is the most cost efficient tool I own. Its paid for itself over and over
again.
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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garage19
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 07:59 AM |
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Heres a spanner in the works..... why not buy a tig welder and tig weld your chassis???
I know its slower but i don't know why more people don't tig up their chassis?
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Danozeman
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 10:20 AM |
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Iv got an SIP migmate 130 turbo. Its a good welder. Id buy the clark 151 if i was to buy another one.
As said get the most powerful one you can but not a cheap powerful one if that makes sense.
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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ned
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 10:40 AM |
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I built mine with this:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/upload/IMG_0795.jpg
cost just over £200 on a 10% day or whatever discount day they have.
From my experience cheaper models have inferior quality wire feeds that invariably need more fettling and produce more frustration.
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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andyharding
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 12:17 PM |
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I built my chassis with a Clarke 135. No problems with power or duty cycle. After the chassis was tacked I fully welded it in one go without taking a
break and the welder coped just fine.
The Clarke 135 is the highest power they (MachineMart) recommed running from a 13A plug. I only have a 13A feed in the garage and couldn't have
used the highest settings on the higher models without blowing things.
As it is all the lights in our street flicker when I'm welding at night.
Are you a Mac user or a retard?
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ned
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 01:46 PM |
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I have run my 160amp on full power from a 13amp socket, no light flicker in the house/garage or anything. It's on a properly rated domestic
circuit breaker and that's never gone so imho it can't be drawing the suggested current anyway.
all imho.
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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Alan B
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 02:00 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by garage19
Heres a spanner in the works..... why not buy a tig welder and tig weld your chassis???
I know its slower but i don't know why more people don't tig up their chassis?
<hand up at the back> I know, I know....
It's about twice as much to set up up for and takes about ten times more skill to learn.....
Agreed, that when learned it is a fine skill to have (that's why I'm learning right now) I'm sure that it will come easier to me,
but it is definitely an order of magintude more difficult to learn.
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davie h
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 02:52 PM |
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just been to B&Q they have a cosmo mig welder gas or gassless 130 amps for £150 do you think this would be any good
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iank
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 03:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by davie h
just been to B&Q they have a cosmo mig welder gas or gassless 130 amps for £150 do you think this would be any good
No, not really.
Do a search on 'cosmo' on the forum they don't have a reputation for reliability.
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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davie h
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 03:55 PM |
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thanks for that i will stick with the clarke 151te plenty of folk have that one on here and have no complaints about it
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Simon W
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 04:42 PM |
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Ordered myself a Clarke 151te yesterday. I have never tried Mig welding before so will spend a few weeks blasting holes in scrap steel and then pluck
up courage to start on the chassis One tip that I have PM'd to me a number of times, buy a decent auto darken helmet (throw away the free
handheld jobbie) and use Argon/CO2 mix gas instead of just CO2.
[Edited on 12/3/07 by Simon W]
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davie h
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 05:23 PM |
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i can weld but i have only ever used larger migs so i dont know anything about diy sets i just dont want to buy one and its turns out to be as much
use as a chocolate firegaurd
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blakep82
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 06:45 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Simon W
Ordered myself a Clarke 151te yesterday. I have never tried Mig welding before so will spend a few weeks blasting holes in scrap steel and then pluck
up courage to start on the chassis One tip that I have PM'd to me a number of times, buy a decent auto darken helmet (throw away the free
handheld jobbie) and use Argon/CO2 mix gas instead of just CO2.
I'm getting mine at the weekend, interestingly, Halfords seems to be selling the mini Argon cylinders cheaper than CO2, or co2/argon. cheaper
than machine mart too. the little cylinders are enough for me
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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JoelP
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| posted on 12/3/07 at 08:43 PM |
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other drawback with tig is that its a two handed job (unless im mistaken), with a mig you can hold a piece in place and tack it one handed, saves a
lot of time.
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