Advice on economics

[Buc]

Hi,
I am kind of new to MIG welding.
I have welded stick while I was working and a little bit of MIG at school.

I am looking into buying a MIG welder specifically something that can run on 13Amp since that is the only connection I have available.

I thought about these ones:
http://www.wholesaleweldingsupplies.ie/index.php?route=product/product&path=43_81&product_id=3285
http://www.wholesaleweldingsupplies.ie/index.php?route=product/product&path=43_81&product_id=1232

And I believe the R-Tech is better since it has a better dutty cycle.

Now my question is what are the economics of welding.

Like how much will it cost me to weld for one hour. And how much distance can be welded in one hour? How much electricity consumed?

I can get gas and wire for about 150€.
http://www.wholesaleweldingsupplies...duct/product&path=406_516_603&product_id=1107 which supposedly provides 8 hours of continuous welding. What about the wire, how much will a 5kg last.

Basically my problem is I have the money to spend, but don't know if I can justify the purchase since I don't have a garage, it will all be done in my bedroom or backyard, I will be doing car restoration and some light fabrication mostly on steel and stainless steel. Sometimes I might want to weld Alu.

 

[rtbcomp]

Welcome to the forum, and the best of luck with welding car parts in your bedroom.

 

[daleyd]

Both those machines have their plus points, though ironically duty cycle is the one thing you probably shouldn't get hung up about, unless you are planning on serious production work.

If you don't have a garage then you will be welding outside (Not in your bedroom, that wouldn't be advisable...) so the machine would need to be as portable as possible for carrying in/out, for my money that means the r tech one.

The other bonus of the r tech is that it can be used for stick welding, which is more suited to outdoor welding (Gas tends to blow away on windy days if you don't shield the work with mig), and means you don't always need to lug about the gas bottle with you if you don't need the mig function. It also allows you to work with thicker material than the Mig function alone.

 

[super noob]

 

[BrokenBiker]

Welding in a bedroom? Heard it all now...

 

[Buc]

With that gas bottle (9l @137bar) you're looking more like 2.5 hours of flow time at around the 'average' of 8-9 lpm for mig.

Electricity usage in units per hour will vary with what technology the unit is and how you have it set. Maybe you could start with thinking it's going to draw 2-3 units per hour.

Wire usage per hour will vary with how fast you feed it...

The 'free' wire that comes with that bottle is 2 hobby rolls totalling 1.4kg.


Unless you're doing it as a business, it's imo not worth trying to figure out the economics of it - my old welder paid for itself on the first job compared to shipping out the work and anything after was "profit".

Bedroom welding? Budget for a few fire extinguishers.

I expected the ad to be not realistic but not that unrealistic.

I am looking at other options but the size of my house is small, on the other side I have a concrete backyard where I keep the car. But can't build anything since I am rented.

Welcome to the forum, and the best of luck with welding car parts in your bedroom.

Thanks

Obviously I won't put the car on my bedroom, in my bedroom I will do the light fabrication, with proper ventilation and protection for the walls.

Another option is purchasing one of the small wooden sheds.

There is little that can be done in a city like Dublin where there is no space, rent is prohibitely expensive and you have hobbies that you want to keep.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Welding in a bedroom? Heard it all now...

Many years ago I had a Myford lathe in an upstairs bedroom of my first house! For welding, though, I carried the kit downstairs and worked on the patio. That was MMA / Stick / Arc welding, so no issues caused by the breeze.

 

[BrokenBiker]

along with protection form the walls, you will need protection for the floor...the bed...any other furniture...extraction (not just ventilation), probably a lot more lighting that you currently have (lighting is important with welding to be able to see through the mask) and most importantly when (not if) there is a fire any house insurance you have will almost certainly be voided by the fact that you were welding in a domestic bedroom...

this is not a good idea...seriously, this isnt just me saying it might be a bit dull, this is by no means a good idea...there are so many things that will easily catch light in a bedroom and you only need one spark to get past the protection measures and you dont notice until you lift your mask and the whole room is on fire (no matter what anyone says you will not notice a fire through a welding mask and you wont smell it until its well established...ask me how i know)

your house will stink of welding fumes too, you will forever be finding grit in your bedroom from grinding and welding and the noise of grinding in a bedroom will be horrendous

 

[skotl]

I expected the ad to be not realistic but not that unrealistic.

I am looking at other options but the size of my house is small, on the other side I have a concrete backyard where I keep the car. But can't build anything since I am rented.


Thanks

Obviously I won't put the car on my bedroom, in my bedroom I will do the light fabrication, with proper ventilation and protection for the walls.

Another option is purchasing one of the small wooden sheds.

There is little that can be done in a city like Dublin where there is no space, rent is prohibitely expensive and you have hobbies that you want to keep.

We do sympathise, but the main concern is the number of flammable objects in a bedroom. What's on the floor, for example? A carpet (or curtains) won't take kindly to welding sparks or dripped metal.
If you're renting, too, I can't imagine the landlord is going to be particularly impressed!

 

[BrokenBiker]

Many years ago I had a Myford lathe in an upstairs bedroom of my first house! For welding, though, I carried the kit downstairs and worked on the patio. That was MMA / Stick / Arc welding, so no issues caused by the breeze.

no problem with a lathe, mill, drill...they dont make sparks etc...i had a pillar drill in the spare room when i was in a flat...as with you though i carted my welder outside when i needed it...mine was gasless mig so again no issue with wind, but even when running gas i found ways to block any wind if it was a problem

 

[Buc]

P

We do sympathise, but the main concern is the number of flammable objects in a bedroom. What's on the floor, for example? A carpet (or curtains) won't take kindly to welding sparks or dripped metal.
If you're renting, too, I can't imagine the landlord is going to be particularly impressed!

Ok. I see what you say.

Would making a wooden shed be a good idea? Or will that just be as bad?

 

[BrokenBiker]

P

Ok. I see what you say.

Would making a wooden shed be a good idea? Or will that just be as bad?

wooden shed will be fine...i welded in a small wooden shed for a while and only actually managed to set it on fire because i was careless with where i left bottle of flamable liquid...`

 

[Buc]

wooden shed will be fine...i welded in a small wooden shed for a while and only actually managed to set it on fire because i was careless with where i left bottle of flamable liquid...`

Thanks, will look at prices and actual space available.

 

[BrokenBiker]

you can also line the shed with plasterboard if you wnted to insulate it a bit to keep the cold out and teh plasterboard isnt flammable either

 

[GrahamGKD]

no problem with a lathe, mill, drill...they dont make sparks etc..

er, yes, well, if I was turning the corners of a lump of square it used to shake the building a bit. We were in the middle of a modern town house. The walls were thin - you could hear the click of the next door light switches on the adjoining wall!!! As you say, no particular fire risk though.

 

[BrokenBiker]

er, yes, well, if I was turning the corners of a lump of square it used to shake the building a bit. We were in the middle of a modern town house. The walls were thin - you could hear the click of the next door light switches on the adjoining wall!!! As you say, no particular fire risk though.

my walls are the same...but when i was in the flat it was a properly built and sturdy building...thick walls etc...so thick that we couldnt even hear the regular domestic abuse next door and only found out about it when police knocked on the door to ask if we had heard anything...

 

[Richard.]

The bedroom is fine for all activities Involving full penetration
............... Apart from welding.

 

[ukracer]

along with protection form the walls, you will need protection for the floor...the bed...any other furniture...extraction (not just ventilation), probably a lot more lighting that you currently have (lighting is important with welding to be able to see through the mask) and most importantly when (not if) there is a fire any house insurance you have will almost certainly be voided by the fact that you were welding in a domestic bedroom...

this is not a good idea...seriously, this isnt just me saying it might be a bit dull, this is by no means a good idea...there are so many things that will easily catch light in a bedroom and you only need one spark to get past the protection measures and you dont notice until you lift your mask and the whole room is on fire (no matter what anyone says you will not notice a fire through a welding mask and you wont smell it until its well established...ask me how i know)

your house will stink of welding fumes too, you will forever be finding grit in your bedroom from grinding and welding and the noise of grinding in a bedroom will be horrendous

If you really need to be told NOT to weld in a bedroom by an ex fireman I will try and emphasis now........DON'T WELD IN YOUR BEDROOM.

I have had 3 fires since I got my welders and I know what I am doing. OK so they were in my garage and I did not panic . I had the correct fire fighting equipment but they still occurred.

I would not sleep at at all that night if I had welded in my bedroom and I do quite a few things in my bedroom.....welding is NOT one I would consider. ..

 

[ukracer]

P

Ok. I see what you say.

Would making a wooden shed be a good idea? Or will that just be as bad?

Not the best.....BUT if it all you can afford burning down a 100 quid shed is preferable to a 100,grand house.

 

[Richard.]

The money isn't even relevent unless you get out alive. I wouldn't weld in a shed any more than I would in a bedroom. Bottom line if it goes up in smoke you've got to get out of either.