Welding Suggestions

[ToddW]

So right off the bat I'll confess I haven't done any welding since High School, but I do know the basics.

I need to do repairs on about 12 dog kennels which consists of 1.25 galvanized tubing with 8 gauge 2x4 welded wire. They have holes rusted in them, likely from males lifting their legs on them. I'd like to weld some patches over them after cleaning up the rust and spraying with a zinc based spray paint.

I understand the health issues of welding galvanized metal. I will be welding outside with good ventilation and will wear a respirator as well.

Here are my questions for you welding pro's.

What home / hobby type welder should I buy to do this job? I will use it for other jobs as well, but not on a daily basis by any means, likely a couple times a month. Can I do this with a stick welder or would I be better served with a wire welder? I'm not against buying a new hobby type wire machine like the Hobart Handler 187 at Tractor Supply. However, if I can do this with a stick machine there is a gently used Lincoln AC-225 for sale near me for $140. If I used a stick machine what type of rod is best for this?

I have a 220 40A outlet in my barn and of course a bunch of 110 20A.

I welcome any and all useful suggestions.

 

[DaveOmak]

Todd, Rusted metal is probably too thin to weld to. Can you turn the kennels upside down and put the good metal to the ground? Spray paint the rusted stuff and call it good.
A MIG welder would be best for thin metal. I would go with a 220V CC CV stick/wire welder for versatility. I believe there is wire designed for welding galv. Your local welding shop should give you the best advice. Dave

 

[flusher]

So right off the bat I'll confess I haven't done any welding since High School, but I do know the basics.

I need to do repairs on about 12 dog kennels which consists of 1.25 galvanized tubing with 8 gauge 2x4 welded wire. They have holes rusted in them, likely from males lifting their legs on them. I'd like to weld some patches over them after cleaning up the rust and spraying with a zinc based spray paint.

I understand the health issues of welding galvanized metal. I will be welding outside with good ventilation and will wear a respirator as well.

Here are my questions for you welding pro's.

What home / hobby type welder should I buy to do this job? I will use it for other jobs as well, but not on a daily basis by any means, likely a couple times a month. Can I do this with a stick welder or would I be better served with a wire welder? I'm not against buying a new hobby type wire machine like the Hobart Handler 187 at Tractor Supply. However, if I can do this with a stick machine there is a gently used Lincoln AC-225 for sale near me for $140. If I used a stick machine what type of rod is best for this?

I have a 220 40A outlet in my barn and of course a bunch of 110 20A.

I welcome any and all useful suggestions.

Unless you really really want to learn how to weld thin gauge metal and are itching to buy a welder, for this job, I'd bond the patches on with JB Weld epoxy and maybe use hose clamps to be sure the patch stays in place.

 

[pipejaw]

Actually IHMO:thumbsup: I would opt for the Lincoln stick machine and use some 1/8" 6011 at about 100 amps or so to weld on some patchs made from cutting off long enough pieces of pipe to cover the area and then splitting the pieces verticly and hammering open the radius to get a good fit. It will spatter like the devil til the galvy coating is gone.

 

[GT2]

A mig welder is much better for welding thin material because you can "spot, or stitch" weld the area by pulsing the trigger. This allows you to control the heat much better.
Thats a bit harder to do with a stick welder.
That said, I have to agree that this may be the job from he**!
Thin, rusty, galvy. You have just about the worst conditions.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Between the health hazards of welding galv. and the fact that it sounds like the tubing is shot to begin with, I'd say its probably not worth repairing and I'd buy new tubing and go from there...

 

[lostcause]

My preference for most - but not all - welding projects is the one that seems to be disliked by most people who post in these types of forums. I would reccommend getting a 120V wire feed welder with flux cored wire. I have several reasons for this:

1. They are very easy to come by. All of your big box home stores (and some large department stores) sell them, so you can pick one up anywhere for $300-$600 new. Also, many people buy these and find they don't need them, or never use them afterwards. You can find them on craigslist for half price quite often. I recently saw one for $125 that looked to be in good condition. Many of these welders are MIG capable, so you can convert to gas flux if needed.

2. Weekend warriors always run out of consumables on the weekends, when most specialized welding stores are closed. You can buy 0.35 flux cored wire anywhere. Running out of CO2/Argon on the weekend buts a damper on the projects.

3. A 240V welder will give you more versatility, but you are usually limited in where you can weld, due to the wiring requirements. A 120v wire feed can do anywhere - inside, outside, down the road to a friend's house, etc. Flux cored wire works fine outdoors. Using gas flux (MIG) outdoors doesn't always work well due to windy conditions.

4. In my experience, a 120V with 0.35 flux cored wire excels at welding 1/8-1/4 inch steel, but I have used mine to fabricate vehicle exhaust parts, and also weld 1/2 inch and thicker metals. Once you get used to the machine, you can vary the heat and technique used to weld very thick and thin metals. I recently repaired a 1" diameter top link where the eye had been snapped off the threaded shaft. By beveling the metal and leaving a gap to get good penetration, I repaired a 1" diameter rod with a 120v flux core welder, and I am quite positive that if it breaks again, it will be in the poor quality forging, not my weld.

5. A wire feeder is a little easier to start with than a stick welder. I think the learning curve is less. As far as appearance, flux cored is not quite as clean and pretty as gas flux, but it's good enough for most applications. If you are repairing sheet metal for a body shop, then you'd want gas flux (GMAW), but for most fabrication / repairs, flux cored (FCAW) or stick (SMAW) welding is fine.

6. Unless you use heavy equipment (and I mean heavy) you will most often weld items from sheet metal to 1/2 inch thick. A 120V wire feeder will work perfectly. A stick welder will generally be good/better for thicker metal, but very difficult/impossible to weld 1/16 inch and thinner. If you think you might want to do a little autobody work, look for a wire feeder that is gas (MIG) capable.

My $0.02

 

[ToddW]

Wow, lots of suggestions, from replace it, to use epoxy and then stick and MIG.

It isn't as bad as some think, and of course that's my fault, I should take some pictures, in fact I will later on today. What I am facing is mainly 3-4" long and maybe 3/4" wide oval rust holes, likely caused by male urine, about 3' off the ground. Replacing them really isn't an option I wish to pursue, these kennels cost over $300 each and we have 12 of them.

I am leaning towards making patches from split sections of pipe. I'll cut the rust out, and grind it down to bare metal wherever I'll be welding to reduce the fumes. After I weld it I'll spray it with Rustoleum cold galvanizing.

I'm looking pretty seriously at the Hobart Handler 187 at Tractor Supply. I know some of you have suggested a 110V unit, but really I don't have any 20A 110 outlets anywhere but in the barn, and I have 220 outlets as well in the barn. I'm thinking I'll get more use out of a higher power unit with other repairs, projects and all those fun things you get to do when you have some property and a tractor.

I want to thank you all for your suggestions.

Todd

 

[KWentling]

I absolutely agree with what Lostcause posted. Stick would be hard enough for an experienced welder and about impossible for a rookie. I would guess we are talking maybe 18 or 20 gage material? I think the flux core wire would work the best and the smaller the better. I think .035 or smaller (.023 I think is what I have used on livestock panels). The Hobart would be fine I believe but I'm not too familiar with it. Is it gas capable too? Definitely get a machine that can be run either gas or flux core. Stick with Lincoln, Miller, Hobart for brands. I have a Lincoln SP135+ and have been very pleased with it. Also have a Lincoln PowerMig 255 for the bigger stuff. Still use the 135 allot.

Kim

 

[lostcause]

Wow, lots of suggestions, from replace it, to use epoxy and then stick and MIG.

I'm looking pretty seriously at the Hobart Handler 187 at Tractor Supply. I know some of you have suggested a 110V unit, but really I don't have any 20A 110 outlets anywhere but in the barn, and I have 220 outlets as well in the barn. I'm thinking I'll get more use out of a higher power unit with other repairs, projects and all those fun things you get to do when you have some property and a tractor.

I want to thank you all for your suggestions.

Todd

i only suggested the 120v route on the basis that it might not be used a lot, and it is the easiest/cheapest way out. if you're going to go with a 240v machine, and aren't afraid to spend a few $, then check out the hobart 210. tsc is $640 for the 187 and $830 for the 210, but right now northern is selling the 210 for $899 with free shipping and throwing in the direct attach spool gun for free.

if you ever think you might end up working on aluminum, you're getting a $200 spool gun tossed in, so in effect, you're only paying about $699 for the 210, which makes it very little of a price increase over the 187 at tsc.

just some food for thought.