M.I.G or T.IG

[weejock]

Oryt am new to this sort of stuff, i am thinking of making a buggie it will be based on a Rage buggie. i was thinking of making it out off 3mm tube and was wondering which would be stronger to weld with a MIG or TIG i can do both, i am also looking for a MIG or TIG welder so if anybody has any suggetions on a cheap but good TIG welder i would be gratefull the tig would have to be acdc current

Cheers JOE

 

[KTMMICK]

Oryt am new to this sort of stuff, i am thinking of making a buggie it will be based on a Rage buggie. i was thinking of making it out off 3mm tube and was wondering which would be stronger to weld with a MIG or TIG i can do both, i am also looking for a MIG or TIG welder so if anybody has any suggetions on a cheap but good TIG welder i would be gratefull the tig would have to be acdc current

Cheers JOE

If you can do both you shouldn't have to ask surely.

 

[weejock]

I shouldnt but i dont belive tig is as strong as mig

 

[ngt]

Tig welds are more ductile thus more suitable for frames. (less prone to cracks)
I think homologated roll cages are strictly tig'ed too...

 

[Wozzaaah]

If you can do both you shouldn't have to ask surely.

Not a particularly helpful answer KTMMICK.

Whether the OP can do one, both or neither he's asked a question to which he'd probably quite like a sensible answer (like ngt's ).
A lot of people can do both techniques quite satisfactorily but haven't studied the ins and outs of them for different applications.

Me personally, I'd probably tig it. You don't get the cold start issues with tig that you do with mig, neater welds, no spatter.....nice, relaxing process.
Regarding machines, do you really need AC? It adds such a lot to the cost of a machine and if you're just building steel frames then a DC machine will do fine.

 

[runnach]

Ditto to Woz's reply, re; ac/dc purchase, myself I feel it is better to push the ££ boat out that bit more, just in case weejock want to broaden his horizons at a later date............

 

[weejock]

cheers for the replys i am still wondering if it is worth getting an ac tig, my old man says it will take to much time tig ing the frame but i think it will be worth it + i am going to be welding cars and manifolds up so i will need a tig at some point and i have always wanted to make a aluminim cross meber and sump gaurd. I have been looking at this tig
http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/welding_equipment/Tig_Welder
is it just cheap and cheerfull tho
I have just come out of my time as a fabricator so thougtht i would spend a bit off cash

 

[Wozzaaah]

They're a bit of an unkown really, they're chinese machines but I believe R-tech 'personalise' them. They certainly seem to give good backup on their machines, there a few who have bought from them and rate them as a very good company to deal with.
Have you thought about an older transformer machine? I picked up a miller dialarc with foot-pedal, water cooler, rods, tungstens etc for under £300.
Needs a beefy power supply and is non-portable but was an absolute bargain.

 

[weejock]

Yer i have but i need single phase i think i will get a d.c tig just for the meantime till i make enough money or need to weld aluminim cheers for the advise tho JOE

 

[Wozzaaah]

Noooo, lots of those big old machines are single phase .
They are often sold as 3PH purely because the owners have had them connected to an industrial 415V supply, mine has a jumper block for different input voltages.

 

[weejock]

oryt well i will look about for 1 cheers JOE

 

[weejock]

what about something like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/jasic-tig-wel...in_3?hash=item518cff6ed0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[piman]

Hello Woz,

"They are often sold as 3PH purely because the owners have had them connected to an industrial 415V supply"

This issue seems to cause a lot of confusion, from what I've seen here.

A single phase machine is single phase whether it is connected to 240 volts or 415 volts. If there are two terminals (Earth excluded) then it's single phase.

Alec

 

[Wozzaaah]

what about something like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/jasic-tig-wel...in_3?hash=item518cff6ed0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Hmmm, it's a bit 'flied lice' but if the price is right then it might be worth a go. Don't pay over the odds for it though, you can get them delivered from China for not too much more and at least you'll get a warranty with it.

 

[weejock]

Yer i was looking at the ones from china with the plasma aswell becouse i have just got a huge compresor but i dont think they will be any good like JOE