Show off your MIG welding projects!

[HCJ]

Many times I have wished I could weld! I am thinking about buying a Miller 135 MIG as a beginning machine (I don't want to go to a 220V due to my shop limitations). So help me justify buying one! What projects have you done (or repairs) that could be done with a welder of this size? Give me some ideas of projects that could be accomplished with one. Don't limit these to tractor related things. Projects that my wife would appreciate would help sell this idea to her (to keep me out of trouble for buying a new toy ) I realize that I need to take some classes and practice, so assume that I gain some skills.

 

[GuglioLS]

Here are some links to a few of my MIG welded projects:

Dump Trailer Project

Skid Steer Boom Pole

Landscape Rake built from scratch

Grapple from scratch


Look through the pictures in the threads and you'll find some decent close ups of my MIG welds. If you have to "justify" a new welder beforehand, forget it, just go buy one and say your sorry later If you can pull it off go BIG and get a 220 volt model with at least 200 amps. I also highly recommend using solid wire with shield gas vs flux core. Since the budget and justification are somewhat limited then you have little choice but to go with a 120 volt model and flux core wire. It will work quite well for light duty and ornamental / artwork projects. Either way your first MIG is going to be fun to use.

Larry

 

[schmism]

done with a MM251 (a smig larger than your 135 )

 

[Willl]

done with a MM251 (a smig larger than your 135 )

Wow, you did this ?
Impressive.

Are u certified ?

 

[schmism]

not certified no. ive just spent a few hrs welding thats all

 

[jayste]

Well, I've got a few pics here. Some projects are complete, some not. Also, a pic of "the machine".

Jay

 

[GuglioLS]

This is not a project, it just gives an idea what to expect from a MIG at different amperage settings. These are my very first MIG welds after getting a 250 amp model. I took the ugliest rusty chunk of 3/8" angle I could find, no prep and just went for it to see what happened:



Wholly smokes schmism those are awesome! One day I hope to be that good. OK what's the trick? U pattern with a large jump between U's?

Larry

 

[mjncad]

Here is my contribution.

Picasa Web Albums - Matt

 

[Sackett2]

LOL, well here is my first ever real mig weld project...
from start to well almost finished. The truck is on hold for, well, several years.
Bought a a sears little mig welder with a tank, have done countless projects with it. would like a bigger one, but am satisfied with this one also- the 110v makes it handy to cart to others housed for projects

 

[powerstroke444e]

I would say the possiblities are limited only by your budget. Here are some photo's of my bigger projects with the miller 135. The shed is 24x33 build in 2 sections so it's portable all welded with 110v miller hooked to a generator. The back hoe bucket was done with the little mig & a stick welder as the quick attachment plates are 3/8" thick and the mig would not weld that. I use 25/75 mix most of the time. The trailer was a rebuild that I put new fenders on and painted. I do have a larger mig that I have been looking @ but I the guys @ IL-MO got me to try a plasma & I purchased it first, as I have a stick & 110v mig. I got a miller plasma that will run on 110v or 220v. Being able to run on 110v is a real plus as you can plug them anywhere.

 

[HCJ]

I would say the possiblities are limited only by your budget. Here are some photo's of my bigger projects with the miller 135. The shed is 24x33 build in 2 sections so it's portable all welded with 110v miller hooked to a generator. The back hoe bucket was done with the little mig & a stick welder as the quick attachment plates are 3/8" thick and the mig would not weld that. I use 25/75 mix most of the time. The trailer was a rebuild that I put new fenders on and painted. I do have a larger mig that I have been looking @ but I the guys @ IL-MO got me to try a plasma & I purchased it first, as I have a stick & 110v mig. I got a miller plasma that will run on 110v or 220v. Being able to run on 110v is a real plus as you can plug them anywhere.

I was looking at a used Miller 135 for my first welder, but it sold very quickly. Saw the new Miller that runs on 110 or 220 and that looks like it would be a good one to start with. It runs just under $1000. That plasma cutter you have would be a great companion to it. Whats is the thickest material you have cut with it? I think it is rated up to 3/8.

 

[CowwFace]

done with a MM251 (a smig larger than your 135 )

Schmism, Them there are some beatiful beads!! I wish I could weld like that.. I don't think a robot could lay a more perfect bead.. DANG!!!

What the heck is it by the way? Looks like a front suspention or something?

Phill

 

[CowwFace]

Many times I have wished I could weld! I am thinking about buying a Miller 135 MIG as a beginning machine (I don't want to go to a 220V due to my shop limitations). So help me justify buying one! What projects have you done (or repairs) that could be done with a welder of this size? Give me some ideas of projects that could be accomplished with one. Don't limit these to tractor related things. Projects that my wife would appreciate would help sell this idea to her (to keep me out of trouble for buying a new toy ) I realize that I need to take some classes and practice, so assume that I gain some skills.

Hey HJC,
I have a little 110 Lincoln Electric wire fed welder. It was not very expensive and pretty easy to use. Now my welding looks NOTHING like the one above.

Carry on,
Phill

 

[hitekcountry]

Bike rack I built for my renters

I checked on the net and it was going to cost me between $300 to $500 to buy a bike rack that I needed. I decided to just build it myself. I went through the scrap steel at the steel supplier and I got this 2" square tube 3/16 thick and 1/4" flat plate for about $35.

 

[Ductape]

I've got a Miller 175. I couldn't live without a welder after having one. I don't usually take pictures of stuff I make, but heres a few. First, a subframe I made to put a Woods BH6000 on my 18 hp Yanmar.

 

[Ductape]

I bought a skidsteer QA off of Craigslist that was supposed to fit my B3030 (according to the seller). I had to re-do most of it in one way or another, cutting it in the middle to narrow it..... widened the outside edges, etc. It was as much a drill press project as it was a welder project, but it came out pretty cool. It now fits my loader perfectly and is probably the best single improvement I made to my tractor.

 

[Ductape]

After fitting the QA to my loader arms, I had to cut the original brackets off my bucket. I could have bought a weld on QA plate for the back of the bucket, but decided to build mine from scratch.

 

[Ductape]

Had to add a few bucket hooks too.

 

[wushaw]

Welding is an addiction...don't do it...many hours spent in the shop with a cold beer building stuff all the time, time spent coming up with stuff to build is just mind boggling...it goes on and on....stop while your $$$$$ ahead...the welder is just the beginning to the addiction, the next thing you will want is cutting tools like a plasma cutter, band saw or saws and angle grinders....you will want/need one for cutting, grinding, sanding, buffing....

And to top it all off you will want to buy more welders....

 

[HCJ]

Welding is an addiction...don't do it...many hours spent in the shop with a cold beer building stuff all the time, time spent coming up with stuff to build is just mind boggling...it goes on and on....stop while your $$$$$ ahead...the welder is just the beginning to the addiction, the next thing you will want is cutting tools like a plasma cutter, band saw or saws and angle grinders....you will want/need one for cutting, grinding, sanding, buffing....

And to top it all off you will want to buy more welders....

It's too late. I am a hopeless tool addict! First it was woodworking-planers, jointers,saws and more saws, hand planes, chisels and on and on. Then tractor stuff- grapples, plows, rakes, blades... And now I am convinced I need a welder to fix things I have not even broken yet. And I already am convinced that a plasma cutter would really be great for my not yet purchased welder. Is there a cure?