I got me one of these:
Harbor Freight Tools

Like you I am also learning to burn holes but hey, I am learning.

I am melting every metal I can find.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

You got to practice and practice even more.

Javy

I've got a Lincoln Weld Pak 3200HD from Home Cheapo (6 mos same as cash on the card). It's 25-135 amps and 110V. Will do 5/16" it says, which IIRC is flux and two passes. Also will MIG.

Decide what you will weld for one thing. With the little I have done now, I can do okay with flux on anything thicker and MIG on body metal as well. But flux on sheetmetal- forget it. All I do is make smalls holes, then bigger ones as I try to fix. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Haven't tried the flux on 1/4" yet. Looking to do so sometime soon to practice. Just have to remember to grab some scrap from the dumpster at work.

Welding is definitely fun. Plus it's great to have for fixing metal things you'd otherwise likely toss. Used it to fix some wrought-iron-like deck chairs at the cottage. The F-I-L wanted to toss and I said no way, I could fix them in 20 minutes...

I'm poor, so I had to buy 2 welders to do that jobs that I wanted.

Lincoln 220 buzzbox stick welder. Bought this used at a garage sale for 100 bucks. I uses it for big stuff.

Lincoln SP135 Promig mig welder. I bought this so I can weld small stuff, and aluminum(not well). I have 2 tanks. 1 argon(aluminum), and 1 ag25 mix(steel). IF you are interesting in learning how to weld aluminum, I can give you some pointers and tricks. You don't ABSOLUTELY HAVE to have a spool gun, but it sure makes it a hell of alot easier.

The MIG does okay for aluminum? I was pondering that when I made my intercooler pipes, but figured I wasn't ready for it. I do want to put bigger els on the I/C itself to match the 2" hard pipes. What will mean doing aluminum, or paying someone to do it. (Hint hint, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />)

AL is hard to weld because it has a narrow band between solid and weldable and dripping hole, and it's hard to see when you have a puddle started to weld on from.

I've excavated the wad of AL wire from the cable once, and for me, a spool gun will be a necessity. AL wire has erectile disfunction, aka a case of the bendo

exactly. With steel, you can see the puddle and back off if it gets too hot. With alum, the only way you can see the puddle and what is molten is the way the surface of the alum looks. Ive had QUITE A FEW gaping holes in my alum parts.

I cheap with a nylon sleeve, in the whip, and a broomstick zip tied up along the whip cable.



Yep. Alum wire is limp. Like trying to push a rope.

Dont forget Tag you're gonna need a 20-25 amp circuit for a 110 welder which isn't typical for most outlets.

Running a new 220V outlet off the air conditioner circuit was the easiest option for me - just gotta leave the ac off when using it.

...just about ready to pony up for the Hobart 187

I work in a freight rail repair shop, we use big ol 460v Miller machines, will do MIG/TIG/stick from 1 unit so im spoiled. At home i have a lincoln tombstone 220 stick welder, and a lincoln 125 110v mig/flux that works great. I can do any of the thin body stuff, and with flux i can do 1/4 with a couple passes, and i bevel it for full penetration. whoever said get a 4" grinder is 100% right. Also, on a saftey note, for the grinder, get a full face shield. ive had the doc pull metal out of my eye, and i was wearing saftey glasses at the time. Eye injuries suck worse than anything else ever in the history of man. I also love cutoff wheels for my grinder too. and dont forget a chipping hammer and a wire brush. As far as aluminum goes, i never weld it at home, and the average person can probably take most aluminum things to be welded, fit and prep, and get it welded fairly cheap, as compared to maintaining 2 gas bottles and getting a spool gun, plus all the practice needed to run a decent bead on aluminum. Now stainless is an awesome metal and welds pretty good with mig on the other hand...

I know just about every process there is send me a PM if you need any tips once you get started. I recommend the Millermatic 180 they're about 7-800 new but you can usually find one lightly used for around 500. It's a really good machine and priced right, you'll know where your extra money went when you use someone elses little cheapo. you really don't want to learn how to weld on a 10% duty cycle harbor freight deal (weld for 1 minute followed by 10 minutes not welding basically) Another thing on cheap welders is that the trigger only controls feed, so your wire is always live and that sets to be a pain in the ass.

9 minutes actually <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> I agree, that is a real pain. Best to get a turbo welder.



That's hasn't been my experience. On both of the cheaper welders I have owned the wire was not live unless the trigger was pulled. Otherwise it would be a real pain in the <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />