Hi
Newbie here……As with many people here I’m sure, I’ve taken the plunge to learn welding as part of a car restoration project. I’ve got three questions about set up - my choice of welder (as here) and it’s Parweld torch (separate question elsewhere). I will also happily take feedback on technique as i realise a bad craftsman blames his tools…….
After a bit of research (including this website and some forum threads) a year or so ago I bought myself an older style Cebora Autostar 180 MIG welder with a fixed torch. The welder has a range of 20amps to 145amps and six current settings which I thought would give me greater control for thin panel work than other lower power/ basic welders might offer. Early experiments with butt-welding new steel were encouraging and i was able to minimise distortion. Working on a grubby rusty chassis has been okay but blow-through and warping has sometimes been the case. I’ve got some delicate jobs to do and think that, in my inexperienced hands, my welder isn’t as forgiving as I’d hoped. I tend to use 0.6mm wire (rather than 0.8) and find myself using current setting one - or sometimes two. The wire speed controller is particularly sensitive and I’ve unsuccessfully tried to compensate for fine wire speed control with amperage and the duration of my welds - without much success…… Perhaps that technique is the cause of the blow-through? My plug welding also needs a little improvement - i keep missing the bottom panel through the hole and/ or leaving a mound of weld that needs to be ground down! That is definitely down to my inexperience…..
ANYWAY I was window shopping on Ebay for a single phase spot welder and ended up buying another MIG! Its a Cebora Apollo 215 with Euro torch. I bought it mainly because it has a weld timer feature. I realise some feel this is just a gimmick, but I’m hoping that this will give me a greater level of discipline when butt welding patches into car panels/ chassis etc (by stopping me putting too much heat/ metal in), and also enable me to use one of those two-legged shrouds that helps you to better-mimic spot welds. I was also attracted by the 8 current settings that I reasoned with give me greater flexibility and control. Ironically, given one of the reasons for replacing the Autostar, this welder has a lowest current setting of 24amps so I’m seeing this as meaning it’s hotter/ more risk on thin panels than the Autostar! Have I gone too big when my basic need is a welder for thin car panel work and is my Autostar (even with its over-sensitive wire feed) a better bet?
Newbie here……As with many people here I’m sure, I’ve taken the plunge to learn welding as part of a car restoration project. I’ve got three questions about set up - my choice of welder (as here) and it’s Parweld torch (separate question elsewhere). I will also happily take feedback on technique as i realise a bad craftsman blames his tools…….
After a bit of research (including this website and some forum threads) a year or so ago I bought myself an older style Cebora Autostar 180 MIG welder with a fixed torch. The welder has a range of 20amps to 145amps and six current settings which I thought would give me greater control for thin panel work than other lower power/ basic welders might offer. Early experiments with butt-welding new steel were encouraging and i was able to minimise distortion. Working on a grubby rusty chassis has been okay but blow-through and warping has sometimes been the case. I’ve got some delicate jobs to do and think that, in my inexperienced hands, my welder isn’t as forgiving as I’d hoped. I tend to use 0.6mm wire (rather than 0.8) and find myself using current setting one - or sometimes two. The wire speed controller is particularly sensitive and I’ve unsuccessfully tried to compensate for fine wire speed control with amperage and the duration of my welds - without much success…… Perhaps that technique is the cause of the blow-through? My plug welding also needs a little improvement - i keep missing the bottom panel through the hole and/ or leaving a mound of weld that needs to be ground down! That is definitely down to my inexperience…..
ANYWAY I was window shopping on Ebay for a single phase spot welder and ended up buying another MIG! Its a Cebora Apollo 215 with Euro torch. I bought it mainly because it has a weld timer feature. I realise some feel this is just a gimmick, but I’m hoping that this will give me a greater level of discipline when butt welding patches into car panels/ chassis etc (by stopping me putting too much heat/ metal in), and also enable me to use one of those two-legged shrouds that helps you to better-mimic spot welds. I was also attracted by the 8 current settings that I reasoned with give me greater flexibility and control. Ironically, given one of the reasons for replacing the Autostar, this welder has a lowest current setting of 24amps so I’m seeing this as meaning it’s hotter/ more risk on thin panels than the Autostar! Have I gone too big when my basic need is a welder for thin car panel work and is my Autostar (even with its over-sensitive wire feed) a better bet?