welder question

[thingy]

I could probably set you up in a brand new chinese tractor,,,,cheap!!!,,,plus give you a few welding tips for free! thingy,,[just joking here,no need to get all excited]

 

[MossRoad]

I thought it would be better in the Build-It Yourself area. Please continue the discussion here. Thanks.

 

[toolaholic]

One tip, if the machine is of low amperage. preheat with a rosebud,this will let you handle a little thicker iron. pickup a 200 degree temp crayon at the welders supply. anything thicker than a pencil should be preheated to around 200 degrees. Tool

 

[bcarwell]

See the thread I started a little earlier on the same subject. I've been wondering the same thing about whether I can get by with a 160 amp mig doing multipe passes for 3/8 or more. I too didn't want to get stuck with a machine and then wish I had 200 amps DC.

Bob

 

[swines]

I'm looking for a new welder and wonder if the 175 to 180 mig units are really the best machines for fabbing stuff out of 1/4" plate and above. I like the ease of a mig welder over stick but it seems that, unless you get into the 200+ amp range (more $ than I can justify), the limit for the smaller machines is around 1/4" without getting into multiple passes and/or using flux-cored wire. Would an AC/DC stick be a better choice? I'd like to have one welder that would work well for most of these heavier projects. My understanding is that flux core wire welding ends up being just about like using an arc-stick unit.

The key to welding successfully is correct weld joint preparation - not max Amps with no preparation. You can easily weld up to 1/2-inch metal with a 180 Amp welder. It will take multiple passes to fill the joint after the root pass - but, that's how you do it.

I can weld 1/2-inch in a single pass with my 300 Amp MIG using .045 wire. But, I still have to prepare the metal at the weld joint to accept the weld metal properly - it's the only way to guarantee penetration AND provide the bead size (fill) required with a single pass.

Welding technique is just as important as the machine used for welding. If you can only afford a 180 Amp welder - that's fine, you adjust the weld joint preparation and technique for that machine.

MIG welding outdoors is only a problem if you are using gas shielding and there is a breeze/wind. The moving air will cause the shielding gas to be blown away from the joint and welding becomes erratic, and the finished bead looks like ....(fill in)...

If you want to weld outdoors regularly with a MIG, then you change to flux core wire. The flux core in the wire serves the same function as the flux coating on a welding rod. As the wire / rod is heated the flux burns and provides an oxygen-free atmosphere for the base metal and rod / wire to fuse together.

 

[thingy]

Swines,,10-4,nice to hear from you,,,,,thingy

 

[MossRoad]

I was always told that MIG is with gas (Metal Inert Gas) and flux core wire is not MIG, because there is no gas.

Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)Click here

Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)Click here

I know it's a technicality, but some folks get messed up on the terminology. If you are going to buy a wire feed welder, you may want to consider one that comes with the gas attachment so you can do MIG later on if you want to an not have to hunt down the gas parts later.

 

[tcarter1]

I agree that amperage isn't everything. A good 175-210 grade machine will do most anything you need at home.
More importantly is prep work. You should bevel thicker pieces and make sure to get a good root pass.
I prefer MIG over arc or flux core. The main drawback to MIG is that you have to have a clean workpiece. Also, if you are outdoors you have to be in calm conditions so as to not lose your shielding gas.

 

[swines]

I was always told that MIG is with gas (Metal Inert Gas) and flux core wire is not MIG, because there is no gas.

Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)Click here

Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)Click here

I know it's a technicality, but some folks get messed up on the terminology. If you are going to buy a wire feed welder, you may want to consider one that comes with the gas attachment so you can do MIG later on if you want to an not have to hunt down the gas parts later.

Technically - you're correct. I should have said "using wire feed welding..."

But, many people will also "get messed up" using generic terms like wire feed welding because they don't understand that both wire feed GMAW and wire feed FCAW can be done with the same machine - if the machine has a gas solenoid.

OR, that you can add a wire feeder to many FCAW machines and do either flux core wire or solid wire with shielding gas...IF you choose a wire feeder that includes the gas connection and solenoid.

But, if I say MIG - then people immediately think of a wire feed welder. The substitution and use of flux core wire with a MIG machine is as simple as loading the wire into the machine and then not opening the valve on the gas bottle.

 

[swines]

Swines,,10-4,nice to hear from you,,,,,thingy

..and back at 'ya...