Ok, after a sugestion in my other post, I've decided to look into buying a welder. My question is, what type do I need? Arc, Mig, something else? And how good do I need for just bodywork and maybe some other light stuff if I get bored?

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Justin Kramer
kman1@ptd.net
1968 Chevelle 300 Deluxe Sport Coupe 350ci
1978 Malibu Classic 305ci
"Goes real slow with the hammer down!"

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Moloko:
what type do I need? Arc, Mig, something else? And how good do I need for just bodywork and maybe some other light stuff if I get bored?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> If most of your welding is thin gauge metals go with the MIG, it will do a much better job than Arc.



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Undee's70SS (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/undee70ss02.jpg)

The average person can't get by without a MIG when doing body and sheetmetal work.

Yup, for body work a mig. I got a miller 130xp(I think are the 2 letters, it used to be called a cricket) It will run off house current and weld some pretty heavy stuff. It can use flux core wire or gas. I love it. I'd recomend buying either the miller or lincoln makes one similar. I used a friends century pos and didnt care for it, so I'd recomend spending the bucks. I paid 800 or so I think for cart welder wire gas and some other small misc. stuff to get me started. Or you could buck up and get a TIG http://www.chevelles.com/forum/cool.gif Man I want one bad. A good mig will do you great though.

I've also got a Miller MM130 and love it! As stated above, it runs on 110, and that can be a big issue!

If you shop around, you should be able to do better than $800 for the unit, bottle, and regulator. I think I paid around 500 several years ago. Of course, you will have to have one of those special electrical welding masks, etc., and that adds up real fast.

Get a Miller or Lincoln due to availability of service should it break!!!!!!!

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Wes. Vann
Technical Reference section
Gold Member #5

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Wes V:


If you shop around, you should be able to do better than $800 for the unit, bottle, and regulator. I think I paid around 500 several years ago.

Get a Miller or Lincoln due to availability of service should it break!!!!!!!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Either I got a bad memory or I got ripped off http://www.chevelles.com/forum/eek.gif Cart was 100$ and I did get a mask and some other small items but it wasnt a speed glass(used a friends and I am VERY spoiled now, mine just aint the same) Spend the extra cash and get a co2 argon mix, not needed but nicer. Great piont about miller vrs lincoln, but if you can get both serviced locally then I am kinda partial to Blue http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

And while your spending $$$ a torch is nice to for cutting and heating stubborn bolts, bending metal ect. and for roasting marshmellows in a pinch


[This message has been edited by ratlover (edited 07-09-2001).]

I bought my Hobart 135 for under 500 and it is perfect for bodywork,comes with every thing except the bottle,got that from harbour frieght for $80.If you plan on working on cars you WILL need a welder.

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70 chevelle,400cid turbo400.blue with silver stripes.
http://members.spree.com/entertainment/ochrisl/

If you have the facilities for it, go with a 220VAC unit. It's not that much more expensive. But the 110 machine is much more portable. You'll be able to weld light or heavy materials. Once you start welding a few sheetmetal panels, you may want to work on some heavier projects around the home/shop.

Definitely use the gas. I welded with flux-core for a while before I got the hang of the gas. Welding with the inert gas is SWEET!

TIG is nice, but you have to practice quite a bit to be coordinated enough to maintain the arc and feed the rod at the same time. It takes both hands. I've been practicing with oxy/acetylene welding to get the hang of this. A twisting motion on the rod helps. I'm not very good at it, but I'm getting better.

The auto-darkening lenses are getting less expensive. I like them, but I'm unwilling to spend the extra dough for such a luxury at this time. People welded without them for decades. Of course, they got more flash burns too.

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My Elky Page (http://www.geocities.com/chadjlandry/index.html) (updated 5-15-01)
"Think for yourself. Don't let popular opinion make your decisions for you."
Chad Landry
TC Member #643
ACES Member #04556
'68 El Camino

[This message has been edited by cjlandry (edited 07-09-2001).]

Ratlover;

I didn't want to say that you got a bad deal. When I got mine, I got a great deal on the main unit and shopped around a fair amount for bottle (argon co2) and regulator. I didn't figure in the cost of other "stuff" that you would normally need. (I built my own cart using the new welder)

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Wes. Vann
Technical Reference section
Gold Member #5

Wes, no biggy. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif Making a cart would be a good project to get used to things....the miller one was so nice and I was already dropping some $ and figured for the 100$ why not, I didnt have a good way to make cuts at the time. All I got now is a torch. I want a band saw but space is kinda limited so I might just get a chop saw. Hopefully that will do what I need, but I have heard they arnt as nice as a decent band saw. Any one have experince with delta chop saws? I aint going to spend the $$$ for the metal blade by the way http://www.chevelles.com/forum/eek.gif

In my opinion, a mig is a good all around machine. With minor conversion, it will weld steel, aluminum, stainless. It will do thin metal. check out http://www.daytonamig.com/

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Make it the way you like it, forget what the other guys say!
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/al's64elky-1
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/al's64elky-2

Hobart is made my Miller. I bought a Hobart 130xp for $350 complete with gas regulator. The parts for the Hobart and Miller are identical. Companies do this to avoid brand degradation when competing on price. I believe century is made by lincoln but I'm not sure.

The 110V Hobart is a great buy. You will need a cart in my opinion. Don't get the flux core wire. Use the 75/25 argon mix and make wonderful welds.

RLK

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70SS LS6 coupe
71SS LS5 elk
72SS LS5 convertible
Member #918

Good advice on welders here! Besides a torch, welder, grinder(with sanding and cut off wheel accesories), a portable band saw has been one of the best tools to have around for metal fabrication projects. Milwalkee and Porter cable make good ones that will last the DIYer a lifetime.

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Elcaminos are special!
I'd rather walk around with a Chevrolet hubcap in my hand than drive a Ford


work in progress
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On Tiliman St. Heading fo Kunsville Pro Bass
fisishing Shop.After lincon Tech and Just B-4 rt22 is MSG. A Welding supply house. Thay sell Miller and other lines. You can take a look at the models the guys have told you about. Then shop for price. Thay are good guys there.
I then would go back with your best price and see if thay can come close to it.
buying locally has it merits if something go's wrong.
Later

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Wayne
ACES 1556
TCG 186
So many Mustangs
So Little Time

Theres one in E.Stroudsburg too.Your going to need them to fill your bottle when its empty.They had a Hobart 135 on sale for$395 or so a while back.

I work at the True Value on 309, so I can get a big discount there. My one co-worker said that I shouldnt buy the welder I was looking at because its only 110, he said anything under 220 I wont be happy with, is this true?

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Justin Kramer
kman1@ptd.net
1968 Chevelle 300 Deluxe Sport Coupe 350ci
1978 Malibu Classic 305ci
"Goes real slow with the hammer down!"

Justin, I have both; Lincoln weld-pak 100 and weld-pak 155. The 100 is 110v and the 155 is 220v. The 100 is flux set-up and the 155 is gas shielded. Consistantly I get better performance from the 155 with gas. I use the 100 for portability ( plug it in anywhere )
I'd agree with the other posts that shielding gas is the way to go. But there is the added expense in setting up ( and remembering to turn the D%#N gas off ) http://www.chevelles.com/forum/redface.gif
One thing to look for when selecting a small welder is the duty cycle, the higher the percentage the better the (performance/weld consistancy/and welder life span) a small welder with a 10% duty cycle is only designed to continously weld one of ten min. where as 20-30% duty cycles increase this time (efficiency) 2-3 of ten. Granted you may not ever weld 1-3 min continous but this is a measurement of the welders abilitys in laymans terms. For sheetmetal welding this is equally important as amperage spread. ie. 20-88 amps or 20-130 depending on welder. I have been very pleased with both of the Lincoln welders I have. I purchased the weld-pak 100 about ten years ago when they first came out, I believe, the price at that time was around 400$. Recently I've seen them sell for 325$ at Sams Club ( here in AK ) I sure they're less in the lower 48. The Weld- pac 155 I purchased for 550$ plus the gas kit and bottle for another 200$. Also get a good helmet and welding gear, you'll weld better when you can see and arn't burning yourself! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif


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'68 SS-396 1/4 stroker "54" (soon)
'99 GMC 7.4 Vortech
'01 T-Cat 1404 Hooper 2X156"
"no replacement for displacement"
-2 Below Custom Automotive
Fbks, AK.

Go with a 110.I have a 110v and for sheetmetal I only use it on the #2 setting(goes to 5 0r 6 )I have used 220 machines and it can be more difficult to weld sheetmetal for a beginner.You can weld up to 1/4 inch steel with the 110 units that should be plenty.also 220 is going to be more $ and the hassle of running a 220 outlet.

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70 chevelle,400cid turbo400.blue with silver stripes.
http://members.spree.com/entertainment/ochrisl/

I've got a 110v. Hobart Handler 135 with the gas setup. It's worked well enough for me to replace all the floorpans and I've never welded before. I'm running .023 wire on the lowest voltage setting and a wire speed just under 20 on the dial. Gas flow is about 20cfh.

It will weld anything up to 1/4" thick with the right wire and settings. You can find them for $425-$450 with a little bit of looking.

Very good advice here guys.

I agree with the others that a MIG is the most versatile welder a home shop can have. ANYONE can learn to weld with just a few minutes of practice. One word of advice...buy the biggest machine you can afford...you never know in 5 or 10 years what you might be welding and may need a higher amp unit. I myself woulf like to upgrade to Lincolns 250 amp Mig someday.

I have had a Century 105amp 110v Mig machine for about 8 or 10 years now. For what it cost, it works great, but is limited to about 1/8" to 3/16" steel.

Just last year, I bought a Lincoln Squarewave 175 Pro TIG machine which I had wanted for years. I decided to build my own cart as a first TIG project and saved the $150 that Lincoln wanted for theirs, plus I built mine with storage below for the pedal, gloves, cables, etc. I have pics of the cart on my web site...addy listed in my profile below.

It was a kinda costly machine as there were several extras needed, but I wanted to get the right stuff the first time as it should last me a lifetime. The machine cost $1250 from an online dealer...shipped to me for free. I got a top of the line Speedglas auto darkening helmet with sidelites & a larger window for $260, TIG gloves, and I built a 50' 6 awg extension cord which cost another $140 in parts. The raw steel materials for the cart cost about $125 including the casters. I just provided this info for anyone here who might be considering a similar machine down the road.

BTW, I also got a Dewalt chop saw at the same time and found the cuts are not as accurate as I had hoped...not very pleased with the cut quality...I think a band saw would make a cleaner, tighter fitting cut/joint without the need for extensive grinding to fit gaps closed.

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Malibumotorsports (http://www.Malibumotorsports.cjb.net)
79 Malibu, 414 ci BBC, 3550 lbs.
11.12 @ 122 mph, 1/4 mile
6.99 @ 103 mph, 1/8 mile (new best)
1.55 60'

[This message has been edited by Todd Geisler (edited 07-13-2001).]

hey, RATLOVER !! century owns lincoln, there very similar inside !