I'm looking at trying welding for some of my projects.
The inspiration here is that I currently build most of my workshop fittings from 2x4 timber but if I could weld that from 20mm square tubing it would be lighter and, in a small workshop, actually save a considerable amount of space. In addition to that I would probably do some sculptural decorative work (think decorative fences / gates).
There will of course be the occasional repair jobs and oddball projects that turn up but that is the main driver for the moment. That and that I just fancy learning to weld.
I was going to look for a course and buy a cheap welder to try but Covid stopped the course idea and generally I don't like buying absolutely cheap equipment so now the idea is to forget about the course and buy a better welder. That means that I can go up to something that will do gas as well as gasless and get slightly higher power. With a lack of experience I am reluctant to buy secondhand so from a highly naive and quite probably wrong trawl through the internet I am look at something like the Stahlwerk MIG 135 ST IGBT https://www.stahlwerk-schweissgeraete.de/Welder-MIG-135-ST-IGBT.
I am not convinced that is the right machine for my needs but it seems to tick most of the boxes; gas and gasless, German QC even though I suspect its made elsewhere, range of 40 - 135A, available from the EU which will save quite a bit, 7 year warranty etc.
135A seems to be about as much as I can run from a 13A plug. 40A is a little high but I haven't found much in that price range that will controllably go lower.
So having got that far in my "research" can someone tell me ...
The inspiration here is that I currently build most of my workshop fittings from 2x4 timber but if I could weld that from 20mm square tubing it would be lighter and, in a small workshop, actually save a considerable amount of space. In addition to that I would probably do some sculptural decorative work (think decorative fences / gates).
There will of course be the occasional repair jobs and oddball projects that turn up but that is the main driver for the moment. That and that I just fancy learning to weld.
I was going to look for a course and buy a cheap welder to try but Covid stopped the course idea and generally I don't like buying absolutely cheap equipment so now the idea is to forget about the course and buy a better welder. That means that I can go up to something that will do gas as well as gasless and get slightly higher power. With a lack of experience I am reluctant to buy secondhand so from a highly naive and quite probably wrong trawl through the internet I am look at something like the Stahlwerk MIG 135 ST IGBT https://www.stahlwerk-schweissgeraete.de/Welder-MIG-135-ST-IGBT.
I am not convinced that is the right machine for my needs but it seems to tick most of the boxes; gas and gasless, German QC even though I suspect its made elsewhere, range of 40 - 135A, available from the EU which will save quite a bit, 7 year warranty etc.
135A seems to be about as much as I can run from a 13A plug. 40A is a little high but I haven't found much in that price range that will controllably go lower.
So having got that far in my "research" can someone tell me ...
- is that suitable for what I want
- or why I'm completely wrong
- or what I should be looking at instead