Have been reading the forums and guides here and trying to decide what to get. I have never done any welding before, but have often wished I could when I've been trying to fix things around the house and car.
Latest problem is a broken bolt that I want to weld a nut onto to get out, and a captive nut in a suspension mounting that I want to weld in place so it doesn't keep turning when try to bolt into it. I also have a garden roller where the frame (steel tubing) has rusted that I'd like to repair.
This is the car job:
http://www.diynot.com/forums/automotive-repairs/captive-nut-in-suspension-mounting-bracket.390302/
From what I've read, arc welding is good for outside use, but can't be used on thin materials like car panels. MIG is good on thin materials and perhaps easier to get a neater finish but no good for outside and no good on thick materials unless you get a very powerful one.
I am trying to decide whether to get a cheap buzz box arc welder for £60 for the jobs I need to do now, and think about a £200-300 MIG later. Or having read the arc welding guide is it really a bad move to get the cheapo arc welder for £60 and I should go for an inverter type. I dont really fancy spending £200 each on two different types of welder. Is it another option to just get a MIG and use the gasless wire for outdoors stuff.
Basically, do you really need two machines or would a MIG or Arc on its own be OK
Latest problem is a broken bolt that I want to weld a nut onto to get out, and a captive nut in a suspension mounting that I want to weld in place so it doesn't keep turning when try to bolt into it. I also have a garden roller where the frame (steel tubing) has rusted that I'd like to repair.
This is the car job:
http://www.diynot.com/forums/automotive-repairs/captive-nut-in-suspension-mounting-bracket.390302/
From what I've read, arc welding is good for outside use, but can't be used on thin materials like car panels. MIG is good on thin materials and perhaps easier to get a neater finish but no good for outside and no good on thick materials unless you get a very powerful one.
I am trying to decide whether to get a cheap buzz box arc welder for £60 for the jobs I need to do now, and think about a £200-300 MIG later. Or having read the arc welding guide is it really a bad move to get the cheapo arc welder for £60 and I should go for an inverter type. I dont really fancy spending £200 each on two different types of welder. Is it another option to just get a MIG and use the gasless wire for outdoors stuff.
Basically, do you really need two machines or would a MIG or Arc on its own be OK