handyandy
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 09:56 PM |
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welding equipment
Hi all.
sorry if this has been covered before, i did try a search but couldn,t find a link.
anyway my question is this...... i have free use of an "Arc welder", would this do the job?
basically i can borrow this machine for as long as i would need it, i am about to embark on my first build from chassis to finished car ,i know the
most common welder used is the "mig", sorry if its a dumb question.
cheers
andy
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austin man
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:03 PM |
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arc shouldnt be a problem as the tubing is a good gauge, MIG is by far the easier, same rules apply ensure area is clean and rust free if I recall a
2mm rod should be more than ample just make sure you keep the weld pool moving
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
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thunderace
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:05 PM |
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sorry if its a dumb question
dont be sorry to ask thats what this forum is for
i would use a mig ,but not sure if you could use an arc.
i cant see why not ?
good question if you ask me and i have been welding for over 25 years now.
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MikeR
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:07 PM |
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generally what i read is arc is possible if your good, if your trying to learn - MIG is far easier.
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BenB
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:09 PM |
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You can use arc (as long as the arc welder can do material as thin as 1.5 thick box section- some units are rather more agricultural spec'd) but
you'll spend longer cleaning off all the slag afterwards and it's a trickier form of welding to learn.
So if you can arc weld already and have a ready supply of chipping hammers and the welder goes down to lowish amps then fine. If you're learning
from scratch I'd be tempted to buy a MIG welder cos it's easier to learn on and quicker in practice....
Turning down free loan of equipment might be difficult but you could be making life tricky for yourself....
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handyandy
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:09 PM |
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ok thanks for the tips,
tho i,ll be honest & admit i,ve never arc welded before, i,m currently doing a 11 week welding (learn to weld) course at my local tech college,
i,ve concentrated on learning mig but arc is also available to learn,
shame as i,ve got the hang of the mig now & enjoy it but the free use of euipment is tempting otherwise only other option is to buy my own mig for
approx £200 or so, hmmm.
andy
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:11 PM |
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I think it depends on how good you are with a stick welder!
I have seen an instructor make a perfect weld in 1mm sheet steel - but afterwards he said "that's what 30 years practice can do".
It also depends on how good your welder is - how stable it can keep the voltage/current. The instructor used an Oxford welding transformer that
probably weighed a quarter of a ton - VERY stable!
If you're a beginner with a cheapo DIY welder - time to look for a MIG.
David
(BTW - I like stick welding - I find it very satisfying. I also find it good for welding in those thicker sections that stretch the abilities of the
average MIG welder).
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clairetoo
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:12 PM |
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It sounds like you are not familiar with welding..... in which case , since arc welding (on thin metal and tight spaces...) is a lot harder to do (and
even harder to learn ) - I would say go for mig , and practice A LOT before doing it for real .
Its cuz I is blond , innit
Claire xx
Will weld for food......
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handyandy
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:20 PM |
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wow this forum is amazing ! so many responses in such short time, i left it till late before i asked as didn,t want to clog the forum with a mundane
(albeit) relevant question, THANKS.
no i,m not an experienced welder, had never held a welding torch until 4 weeks ago,
tho my instructor has said i,ve "got the knack" ( sorry to blow trumpet  )
so taking all your points/suggestions i think i,ll just bite into the budget & buy a new mig,
what size amps do you think would be the minimum?
again thankyou for all your help.
andy
ps. i was thinking of a mig 150amp, would that be ok?
[Edited on 16/2/09 by handyandy]
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caber
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| posted on 16/2/09 at 10:33 PM |
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Another option is TIG. you can get inexpensive inverters. I am a reasonable gas welder and was going to do my chassis with this until introduced to
TIG. it has all the control of gas without the hassle and heat distortion. Onceup to speed you can do wonderfully flat clean welds with full
penetraion. It really needs clean metal but it is possible to fix oopsies with a bit of practice!
Caber 
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