GENERATOR-welding

[weldingisfun]

Here you go flINTLOCK: Hobart Champion™ 10,000 Engine-Driven Welding Generator
Have fun!

 

[schmism]

,,,Schimes,said you need a 170 amp welder to weld 3/8 inch steel??!!What would you need to weld 1 inch thick steel than schimes?? A 350 amp machine??

going off of specs i see listed on MIG (not stck) welders.

Miller - MIG Welders Product Guide

Clearly states up to 3/8" on the 170 amp machines. One would deduce that the max SINGLE PASS thickness is at the max rated amps.

TO look at it from the other direction, does that mean you can weld 1.5" plate with a 110v mig "just use 20 passes"

You also have to keep in mind duty cycle. Nothing like trying to weld 3/8" plate that is at the very exteam bleading edge of a welders capaiblity, with mulitpasses and preheating vs useing a welder that was more appropratly sized.

So while you can bust out that buz box, You have to ask is the amount of time spent welding, chipping slag, welding a second cover pass, and chipping MORE slag worth it?

(not to mention the poster specificly mentioning want to MIG weld it)

 

[schmism]

To be honest i dont know how i would go about finding the perfect solution to this situation.

1)do you go PTO genny to supply power for the entire shop includeing welders?
2)go with a box store 6K portable genny and limit the amount of items you are useing when welding.
3)Go with a stationary propane powered 10K for the entire shop?
4)Go with a 10K welder/generator knowing that it will supply power to the rest of the shop, and be portable?

1) pro-its cheep, large enought to supply all reasonable demand, con-got to tie up the tractor for the entire time you want power.
2) pro - its cheep, portable, con-might not be big enough to supply your entire demand, not to mention serious long term maintaince/service/upkeep issues
3) pro - your own mini grid power, can supply all shop needs within reason, con-non portable and expensive
4)pro - all in one solution, portable (within reason), meets power demand con-expensive, bulky, cant use welder on grid power

-so you could get a solution (welding 3/8") for like $1200, $500 tombstone, $600 box-store 6K genny

-a all in one welder/generator seems to be about 3-4K (depending on size, brand features etc)

-a MIG sized to handle that (MM210 or simular) sets you back about $1200, a 10-12K propane powered stationary genny runs ya another $2500

If it was me and i was wanting to do it "right" Id go 250 class MIG (MM or hobart) and high quality construction grade honda genny)

id budget $5k for the project by the time you figure a nice helmet, gas bottle, other misc stuff

 

[thingy]

Schisim,,,,thats just an advertisers way of selling you non welders a machine.
If I was buying a mig machine would look for amps at duty cycle,,along with what size wire I would be running.,,,120-140 amps,19-20 volts,thats about the range for .035 wire,,,,would want a high duty cycle at that amperage with a mig,60 percent or more.

And yeah,thats how you weld thicker stuff,,multipass,,with above set up.

Chipping slag?,,you act like you are welding for a living here.I've probably cleaned more slag off in half a day than you have your whole welding career.
You seem to be saying,yeah,I don't know how to,,but I'm doing it the right way anyways,,man,,it don't take some people long to be old hands at this welding stuff,,,it seems??!! thingy

 

[schmism]

If I was buying a mig machine would look for amps at duty cycle,,along with what size wire I would be running.,,,120-140 amps,19-20 volts,thats about the range for .035 wire,,,,would want a high duty cycle at that amperage with a mig,60 percent or more.

a "250 class" machine show 100% duty cycle at 120-140 amps.

even a smaller "210 class" welder can hang with those amps and duty cycle.

 

[Highbeam]

The poster's question was simple enough, I don't think he wants to get into the "arc vs. stick" or even the "which MIG welder" debates. Just the best way to get power. My experience with my arc welder was used because it is powered by a generator and I thought it would apply.

Thanks to Schmism for a good pro/con approach.

 

[AlanB]

I think this is much like a trailer and shop debate. It is very, very seldom that you ever hear of people saying thier XXX is too big.

I run a Miller Trailblazer and dad runs the newer model, if I remember correctly, his runs at 1800 RPM generating.

The Honda generators are very nice, and I know in the smaller ones, you can link them together (very unusual feature in generators). That may be something too look at as well if you want to buy in slowly.

 

[thingy]

Yeah,mig welding,,duty cycle is the thing,how much a weld you can put down with it in one pass,,nonrelavent,,,,if you want 80 to 100 percent duty cycle at 120-140 amps,,you gotta go big,,thats just how they make them. And thats what you want with a mig,,high duty cycles more than anything,with the amps you plan on running. Not saying you can't get buy with way less,,just take your time is all,,,,but duty cycle at amps you plan on running is the key to figureing out what machine you need,,not if it will weld 3/8 inch in one pass,,that one pass stuff is all bullcrap,,,what,,you reckon you can weld them amps overhead,,or uphill??? See,,it don't make any sense,,,just a gimick to try and relate to nonwelders,,,welders don't go into welding something that way,,,they run the amps they need for what postion and material they are welding,,and they make more than one pass if nessacary,,and it generally is unless you are welding sheet metal,,,don't limit your selfs,,,this one pass thing just limits you to what you can weld and in what postions,,,,thingy

 

[Ford960]

Unless you're welding in a fixtured operation that rigidly holds the work then you need to use a multipass welding process. Otherwise the heat and shrinkage of the single pass weld can and will pull your work out of position and all the time that you saved by doing a single pass will be wasted by trying to get the work back in position. The correct way to weld thicker materials is with a multipass system of at least three passes. Therefore all this talk about a machine big enough to single pass weld a 3/8" plate is just bunk. I can and do easily weld 1/2" plate with my Lincoln 225 AC/DC tombstone using an 1/8" 6013 rod at 120 amps. This follows the wisdom afforded me by a master welder, using the minimum amount of heat for a given weld will make the strongest weld. He should know as he held 13 certifications in his wallet most of them for experiemental welding on aircraft gas turbine engines. He had to recertify every day he went to work at Pratt and Whitney which he would do consistantly without any practice. He was my dad and he taught me to stick weld when I was about 10, heli-arc aluminum and stainless steel when I was 25, and I had to teach myself mig since he wasn't a fan of mig.
My mig spool gun is portable and has a 100% duty cycle for welding flux cored steel, solid steel, aluminum, and stainless steel.

AlanB, I've got a pair of the Honda EU2000i generators and made a cable to connect them in parallel to supply 30 amps for my 5th wheel home. They are inverter type generators and have the ability to syncronize the phases and allow a parallel connection. Plus they are very quiet and fuel efficient.

Also, I have the perfect generator for powering everything that a well equiped shop could want. It puts out 347 amps, 120/208 volts, 3 phase at 1800 rpm and I've got $305 for parts and lots of hours of work invested in it. Plus if I wanted I could pick up some 3 phase equipment at a real savings and lathes and mills operate much better on 3 phase. It's pretty good on fuel too and not very loud even without a muffler.

 

[Casey1]

It seems to me that if you have say a 150 amp welder (preferably dc)with a decent duty cycle you could weld just about anything using multiple passes with a 1/8 or 5/32 rod. The last two posters make a lot of sense and could save us a few bucks and some aggravation with their advise.