First welder...?

[Big T]

Thanks for all the input guys

 

 

 

 

 

Am i not right in thinking that ARC is harder than MIG? In terms of learning etc. I have used a couple of welders in the past, one used sticks (guessing ARC) and the other had a wire feed but no gas, guessing MIG?

 

With regards to the point above about spending a little more i can see the sense, both the above machines i used were very cheap and difficult to setup as a result.

 

 

Main uses would be for general repairs, making brackets etc the end results would need to be pretty but functional.

 

ARC is not much more difficult than MIG. The hardest part of ARC welding is getting the rod to arc up without sticking to the workpiece, if the welding rods are damp this can happen alot and is frustrating! It is also scarey to the first time welder as the rod will overheat and glow red as its shorting out on the workpiece! If it does stick and you cant get it off with a flick of your wrist (ooh err...) then the best thing to do is to squeeze the handles of the rod holder together so the rod is left stuck to the workpiece, let it cool (as it will be very hot!) then pull if off with a pair of pliers. The flux coating will now be damaged and this will cause the rod to stick more than before so its best to start off with a fresh rod! after a few hours you will have mastered this and it wont be a problem! When ARC wekding you want to weld from the left of the workpiece to the right of it(if your right handed), so you are "Pulling" the rod. The idea is to leave the "slag" behind and weld away from it, if you try and weld over the slag it will be a pourous weld and not very strong. MIG welding is more tollerant as you are flooding the area being welded with gas which prevents a contaminated weld. The bottom line is that most people find MIG easier because you pull a trigger and it welds, ARC requires a bit more patience but not enough to put you off! Hope this helps!

Edited February 4, 2014 by Big T

[detritus21]

I've an inverter stick welder. I can get acceptable welds most of the time with it. Goes as low as 15amp and upto 90amp so can be used on very thin to thicker steel. I also have a gasless mig. The less said about that the better

[Mull]

I'm going to throw a spanner in the works here and look at this from another perspective.

Yes, you can spend anything you like on any type of welder and 'do' welding. BUT... you'll never be any good at it because unless someone explains the principals of joining metals together you'll always have that niggling doubt.

Vocational qualifications Welding and Fabrication Skills - Level 1 Lowestoft Lowestoft College | Emagister

This will stand you in good stead as a starter. You can progress further if you like and good welders are still in the 'hens teeth/rocking horse sh*t bracket work-wise.

Whatever you make will at least be up to a reasonable standard, not look like the pigeons have been roosting and not fail at the weld....

Just my pennies worth!

Oh and by the way, these are ok for small works;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THERMAL-ARC-175-SE-STICK-LIFT-TIG-WELDER-240V-INVERTER-/180800055263

codlasher

 

Good point!

I occasionally stick bits of metal together with a wee arc welder, but it is a science and I have no idea if my weld will last or not, no major disasters so far👍

[niftysteve]

If you want a MIG then ignore the "gasless" models, they are a pain in the a*s! Better off with a gas model and sort yourself out with a contract at BOC as the small disposable gas cylinders dont last very long and work out expensive in the long run! Try and find a model with a "Euro" type torch as these are much easier to use than the cheaper ones, less effort is required to press the trigger which leaves your hand easier to move and complete a good weld. I have a Cebora "Pocket Mig" which dosent have a euro torch but its the best non euro one I have come across, nice and smooth trigger. The same model was sold under the "Snap on" brand for ALOT more money! Another brand worth looking at are Miller, you will prob have to go second hand to get one but from memory the decent sets new started at around £400.

 

better off buying a bottle then you just pay the re fill cost and the bottle has its own regulator

heres a link to there main site

Cylinder Gases > Air Liquide UK

[scraggs]

If you want a MIG then ignore the "gasless" models, they are a pain in the a*s! Better off with a gas model and sort yourself out with a contract at BOC as the small disposable gas cylinders dont last very long and work out expensive in the long run!

 

A standard contract with BOC is an excellent way to waste a fair bit of money every year imo unless you do a lot of welding or use other gases, there are now buy-able bottles with argoshield equivalent, but I like BOC gases so

As an alternative there is this from BOC Volkzone offer probably best to go straight to the last page.

Although the deal is for argoshield light (unless they finally changed it) you can get away with using it on heavy without problems.

[peatff]

I have a Kemppi 180 minarc mig and a tig/arc welder and the mig is most used although I can use both. I have a little portapak oxy acetylene kit as well which only gets used for warming stuck nuts these days although it was my weapon of choice before mig became more widely available. I have been welding for over forty years now, a couple of factory assembly jobs and repair work. With my mig now I use Co2 mostly as it's cheap and does the job but argon co2 mix is neater. Have a read on mig-welding.co.uk for an idea of what you want and what is available and some tutorials and there are good ones on weldingtipsandtricks.com where Jodie does his bit and is very informative.

[farmer rod]

whatever you get, find the right shield and keep it as clean as possible, then you can watch what is going on at the weld.

[Suffolk-Matt]

Thanks again for the tips chaps

 

Will have a read through those sites peatff, thanks.

 

Im sure ill be back with more questions in due course!

[difflock]

£40.00 2nd hand "buzz box" air cooled SIP arc welder.

Running off a 13A plug.

A wheen of bog standard rods.

Weld most any mild steel from a long tail shovel 1.0mm thick up to 16mm/20mm thick plate(multiple passes)

Larned on rusty shitty 2nd hand iron.

Basically an intutive process.

Regards,

Marcus

[Andy4D]

If you're looking for a mig welder - I've use and recommend a Sealy Mightymig 140XT.

It'll happily do anything from bodywork to about 4mm, and thicker with the right prep. I regularly weld 6mm stuff, with either a v-prep or fillet welding from both sides with a wide root gap.

I get CO2 in a small 'pub bottle' for £20 (after refundable deposit) from my local welding supply place. I'm not sure of the volume/weight but it's waist height and about 6" diameter, for me this works out cheaper than a rental bottle as I only use 1 or 2 a year (and a f**k load cheaper than disposables).

A 'hobby' torch is superior to a euro torch as the gas flow is controlled by a valve in the torch rather than a solenoid in the machine, this means you can apply pre and post gas. You'd have to spend a lot on a eurotorch mig that allowed you to set that on the plant rather than controling it manually at the torch.

FWIW I've been welding 12 years since I bought my '71 beetle. C&G in MIG, Ally TIG, Steel Gas&Braze. Threw away a Clarke 130mig before I got my Sealy. I now work as a welding specialist at a rather large aircraft manufacturing company, providing welding advice to manufacturing and approving welders to CAA requirements (no mig there but you get the gist).