mig or arc welder ?

[nightowl226]

New to welding. I hope to embark on some metal sculpture work later this year and would like some advice. The sculptures will range from "table top" size ( If you look at the "steelman sculpture" site and imagine a larger version of those) using 4mm to 6mm mild steel rod and small scraps down to 1mm sheet... to garden sculptures using up to 5mmX20mm flat steel , 10mm square section max and 2mm to 3mm sheet. Will one machine do all do you think ? probably have around £500 to spend on a single phase welder. Thanks and happy new year

 

[Wozzaaah]

Welcome to the forum.
You need a mig welder, 180-200 amps or bigger, certainly no smaller.
If buying new your £500 is a little low, stretch it another £100 and you'll have more of a choice.
Any examples of your work to show us? We've got a few members who dabble with metal sculpture.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Yes, A good mig. But if cost is a biggy, one can manage on a a cheap stick job. Experience matters. A friend has just started on just this track. I recommended a MIG and as his use was small and cost concious, he bought a gas/gas-less 150. He came up here for a welding course (!) and got basic practice on the stick and mig. He now has probs with his mig on wire feed, so uses the stick. And manages, with curses. While my mig was u/s, I also managed with stick. But I have been using one for 50yrs, so not relevent to a newby.
Even a relatively cheap one like a Clark 150 would be good for the OP. It is not structural work, so the extra amps for a good one are less important.
Not to criticise Woz, of course!

If I sound like Methusala, I started welding when I was 10, as I wanted a better soap box/go kart.
KF

 

[Wozzaaah]

Criticise away.
One reason I wouldn't suggest stick welding for sculpture is that it can be difficult to clean the slag off, especially in tight spaces and if the sculpture is to go on display or on sale it'll need to look good. Bits of slag here and there might spoil it.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Hi Woz,
Reason the friend bought a MIG, was the ease he could weld thin stuff with it. And while his sculpture was mostly old farm tools, the odd bit of thin plate enlarged his range,think fish out of of 2CV rear wings. Lack of slag is always a plus, esp in the tight corners...
His prob with the Mig is wire feed. Correct rollers, and seems to be OK in the torch run. He is 300km south and I havn't had time to go down and check. Machine is in guarentee, but he has mislaid the paperwork....
Nice bit was a neighbour gave him an old stick unit. Unused for the last 30yrs. Proper copper wound brick outhouse.
KF

 

[Rudi McAnichal]

QUOTE "...if the sculpture is to go on display or on sale it'll need to look good."

…unless you convince the client that a slightly rough weld appearance will enhance the surface texture. This detail is from a giant sculpture of a swan that I saw in the middle of Bedford last summer. It cheers me up to look at the photo whenever my own welding is not going too well.

 

[brightspark]

QUOTE "...if the sculpture is to go on display or on sale it'll need to look good."

…unless you convince the client that a slightly rough weld appearance will enhance the surface texture. This detail is from a giant sculpture of a swan that I saw in the middle of Bedford last summer. It cheers me up to look at the photo whenever my own welding is not going too well.

hmm a problem with corvid poo there

 

[keith19]

Lovely job!

Obviously in the 'untrained artizan' style.

Some of my flux-cored thin-metal stuff doesn't look too neat at times, but seeing that I think I'll go in for metal sculptor welding, I might be in with a chance...