Building welds with a MIG

[Strangelymade]

I use an arc welder quite a lot, and find it handy especially when I want to build up welds on thicker plate. My question is, can you do the same techniques with a MIG as you can with an ARC?

 

[keith19]

Broadly speaking, yes. But it takes a great deal longer, so nobody does it unless they have no choice. Think about how long it takes you to build a given area to say 15 mm using 2.5 or 3.2 mm rods, then calculate how long it will take using 0.6 or 0.8 mm mig wire. Even allowing for changing rods, it's still much quicker with arc.

 

[aametalmaster]

Mig builds up pretty quick too. Plus you don't have to chip slag between passes. I do build up everyday with stick on stamping dies and wish i had the same wire for my mig because i would be done sooner...Bob

 

[matt1978]

I disagree that its not as quick, you would just have a higher wirespeed rate for a smaller wire diameter.

I know lots of customers who build up wear pads and caterpillar tracks etc using the Mig process.

 

[keith19]

Matt, some of you guys are professionals, and use pro mig machines with a much higher output than the usual hobby machines discussed on here. If you are using a hobby arc welder to build pads with 2.5 or 3.2 mm rods, you'll do it quicker than using your hobby mig welder using 0.6 or 0.8 wire.

I'd agree that with a pro machine and a piecework-paid operator, with heavier-duty wire size, the mig would be quicker, no doubts about that. I figured the Op was discussing hobby m/cs, so gave my reply along hobby lines.

 

[matt1978]

Hi Keith,

I wasn't having a pop or anything

But even though the forum began life as a Hobby/DIY forum, more and more 'pro welders' are frequenting the place aswell nowadays.

The OP question was just can it be done by Mig and the answer is yes, very succesfully, but then as you say, the rest will depend on what equipment he has available to him and what the finished item will be used for.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[keith19]

Hi Matt,

Yeah, I agree. Perhaps I should have been more specific about under what circumstances mig takes a great deal longer. Most little hobby migs would get killed by their low duty cycle long before the hobby arc gave up, unless it's a real cheapie, and if the hobby arc welder was an inverter it would lay rods all day from a 13 Amp supply.

Conversely, some industrial strength migs will run flat out 24/7 at 100% duty cycle if necessary, and of course they were invented to be faster than arc in many industrial operations.

So I guess it's horses for courses.

Regards,
Keith.

 

[Strangelymade]

Cheers guys, that's answered my question beautifully. Should have said really, that I'm just a hobbiest, still I appreciate the info about Pro machines. I guess I'll be looking for a new arc machine, might even look at one of those new fangled invertors

 

[keith19]

There's a few good inverters right here, the two at the top of the page look well strong enough for regular use. I fancy the little one at the moment, but don't tell the missus. The others below are rather expensive pro machines, but very nice.