Mig / tig / arc ......

[Betelgeuse]

Hi
i'm planning to buy a welder soon to make a case for my telescope (among other things) and i could do with some advice.
i have never welded anything before but i am very diy handy (was brought up on a farm so used to making / repairing things) and there is always youtube !
i'd like to make the case from aluminium, but have heard this can be tricky to work with for a beginner, so might have to make it from steel.
is it possible to have a welder that can do both steel and ally ?
also, as i'd be using the welder infrequently, would the "no gas" welders be any good.
thanks

 

[piman]

Hello Betelgeuse,

aluminium is not the material to learn to weld on. However you can make a tidy job using rivets, and as aluminium is easy to fold would be a practical way of doing what you want.

Alec

 

[cumbriasteve]

No gas is ok and many people have such a machine but its certainly not as nice or as easy to learn with, especially on the thin steel

Obviously it would be nice to have the machine of your choice as your first purchase, however the cost is much greater than a simple MIG.

Your budget will be the big decider, if you have a grand burning a hole in your pocket then you are laughing and can get a decent TIG outfit, if its a few hundred then get a good MIG and stick to steel.

 

[Betelgeuse]

thanks for the replies.
would a arc / tig welder be a good option for me ?
would allow me to practice on steel and give me the ability to try ally when i feel a bit more confident.

 

[shenion]

Well, the thing is how much you willing to spend? A decent AC/DC TIG runs around £1000.

A DC TIG (won't do aluminum) runs around £600. There are off-brand Chinese ones that are cheaper, but reliability and service is an issue.

Then there's the cost of gas and bottle rental..

 

[Betelgeuse]

ok thanks
guess i need to stick to steel only and look at something like a "no gas" mig welder.

 

[Betelgeuse]

any suggestions for a no gas mig welder ?
say £250 ish
thanks

 

[shenion]

I'd suggest the Clarke 130EN. That is what i started with and it will do gas or gasless.

It comes with a gas reg for disposables. Using CO2 disposables is not too bad for occasional use. If you use it more often and want gas, upgrade to a refillable bottle.

Gasless works but is messy, creates smoke and is harder to see. I used it a few times but will use gas any day.

 

[Betelgeuse]

I'd suggest the Clarke 130EN. That is what i started with and it will do gas or gasless.

It comes with a gas reg for disposables. Using CO2 disposables is not too bad for occasional use. If you use it more often and want gas, upgrade to a refillable bottle.

Gasless works but is messy, creates smoke and is harder to see. I used it a few times but will use gas any day.

thanks

 

[Betelgeuse]

looking at the .pdf for the clarke welders it appears that (with the right wire and gas) it is possible to weld aluminium.
is this the case or am i reading it wrong ?

 

[keith19]

Yes, using just argon and 0.8 mm aluminium wire. I think you have to use the 0.9 mm groove on the roller with this.
Haven't tried this myself with a Clarke, so don't know if it gives a decent quality weld or not.

Don't try it on really thin stuff at first, or it will blow or melt through - ally is very heat critical. Also, if you've not done any ally welding, you'll find everything moves faster than with steel, and you have to move with it. Otherwise -sploot! - it's on the floor!

I would imagine that even with enough practice, the ally weld with a small Clarke will be more of a functional weld than a beautiful one.

 

[Betelgeuse]

thanks
having given it a bit of thought (and having had a look at the hobbyweld / gas website) i'm thinking of going for a gassed welder rather than the no gas.
would the 130EN still be a good bet for my budget (£250ish) ?

 

[shenion]

The 130EN is a good welder. I had one and had no complaints other than the short torch lead. I had a cart so it was not hard to move the MIG closer.

 

[keith19]

I'd second what Scott says. The 130EN is a nice machine, does both gas and gasless, so could be handy if you're on a farm, for the occasional must-do-it-now job outside on a windy day.

If you want something with a bit more power at the top end take a look at a 151EN, again it does both gas and gasless, up to 150 Amps in short runs. There's one here considerably cheaper than your £250, so might leave you with some over toward a proper gas regulator.

http://www.wilstar.co.uk/products/2/118/clarke_151en_mig/

The 151EN comes set up for gasless welding, so you will need a reg. for whatever gas you choose to use.