Equipment???

[HeliGav]

Hi all ive just registered on the forum! Was hoping someone could give me some advice??

I have done a very small amount of welding several years ago (TIG) 10 years ago, i consider myself as a NOOB!

i was looking to teach myself to mig weld, just a few questions id like to ask before taking the plunge!

i have spoken to a sparky about the amps the breakers would take in my house and the garage unit. I currently have 16amp breakers and the sparky says they could be upgraded to 20amp type c safely without changeing the wire because it is rated at 20amps. Is this good enough for any mig welder is am i limited with what i can buy?

The type of welding I will be doing is bench and shelving, security window bars, gates etc if you get the idea!

I was looking at the clakre models to teach myself and start out with possibly a 160 model, but have been recommended to get a larger model, but am limited with my budget as this might turn out to be a fad!! Would like to spend no more than about 500 quid getting kited out, any recommondations?

Where also is the best place to buy metal, what type would you recommend to start makeing say a work benck or shelving, is there a certain material that is better to start with?

Sorry all the questions but have been reading around and theres loads of different views, just need someone tell me straight!!! Thanks guys


What gas would u recommend i use??thanks again

 

[BrokenBiker]

you can use around 110 amps of a normal 13A socket, so 20A breakers should be fine for a 160amp welder, although dont quote me on this. if your doing your welding in a domestic environment, you can use an appropiately rated extension lead from your electric cooker socket, they are 32A sockets, according to my college tutor, and on a seperate breaker to your normal sockets. would have to be a thick well made extension though, capable of carry 32 amps over the distance required. you r spark friend should be able to sort that for you though.

there is also a list of metal suppliers on the useful info section of the mig welding tutorial on this site

if your just welding steel, then co2 is good, and you can pick up reffilable pub style bottles quite easily and most fire extinguisher suppliers and gas suppliers will test and refil them

 

[Robotstar5]

dont quote me on this. if your doing your welding in a domestic environment, you can use an appropiately rated extension lead from your electric cooker socket, they are 32A sockets, according to my college tutor, and on a seperate breaker to your normal sockets.

The cooker supply is capable of 32A but not the 13A socket found on some of them, you need (a sparky) to "hardwire" in the extension to the welder.

 

[BrokenBiker]

yeah i thought so. i changed mine to a 32A socket for my arc welder, but im an apprentice leccie engineer, and i got one of the guys in work with 17th edition and all the relative docs to do a test sheet on it for me, so i know its all safe and legal, and the council cant moan about it either cos its been tested by a registered installation engineer

 

[HeliGav]

What size gas bottle should i buy and what gas? Argon or co2, or a mix. Where the best place buy one cheap,