New to welding - MIG and Book recommendations

[ab20000]

So I've never welded before (never as in never even tried it) and am looking to learn over time. I've always preferred the approach with these things of getting a unit, getting a good book and some scrap metal and putting the hours in to practice. Most of the work I'd be looking to do is car related (body work, floor etc)

So with this in mind I'm looking to get myself a good beginners MIG welder that I can learn with (but still good enough to get nice tidy welds) and a good guide book to help me learn. Budget is under £500 all in to be up and running - happy to buy new or if I can find the right unit used.

Thanks

 

[Richard.]

With your requirements of body panels and light sheet there are good options out there for under your budget. The expense goes up when you decide you need to put a stitch across a lump of 6mm.
You'll get a little gys 162 for £400 and the change will buy you a parweld lid, pair of gloves and an angle grinder. (This is of course going gasless). If you want to throw a bottle of Co2 in the mix you might have to reduce on the welder costs to a Clarke 151 or like. A bottle of mixed gas ArCo2 is the best way for what you want to do. In which case your welder budget will be around 300 give or take. You could try and get on one of the Boc deals which is a monthly rental and £35 a refill (ish).
Regards welders. Gys smart mig 142/162 Clarke 135/151 are good litte hobby transformers and up for your requirements. Going used could get you a nice cebora 160/180 or even a lincoln electric 180/esab smash weld 180. Better quality units but you take the risk. (I'd buy used but then I know what is what and I've welded before so I can test it and will know straight away if it's a dud). I always advise on good used bargains but in this case I really advise against it. You have never welded before and you could easily part with your hard earned notes to come away with a bag of s##t. Buy new , just get some scrap and play. Read the tutorials on how to get started and put up your results for further guidance.

 

[Kent]

its one thing you cant learn from books so good. Hands on or even better hands on with instruction, It might be worth looking up Welding tips and tricks .com then visiting the store and buying his MIG welding CD compilation?
£500 up and running? I am sure it can be done but cant advise further as I have little knowledge at this end of the market, suffice to say don't get into expensive visors or personally imported specialist gloves etc. you don't need either as much as you need a bottle of gas

 

[ab20000]

Thanks for the replies. When I say mainly work on cars I'd like to be able to tackle some slightly beefier stuff as well. Would be looking to make some workbenches for the garage with steel frame so 2mm / 3mm box section. Is there a 'do all' option?

 

[Richard.]

Again 2-3mm is with in the comfortable working range of a 130-150 amp mig. 4 at a push but your then starting to make it work.

 

[Richard.]

Thanks for the replies. When I say mainly work on cars I'd like to be able to tackle some slightly beefier stuff as well. Would be looking to make some workbenches for the garage with steel frame so 2mm / 3mm box section. Is there a 'do all' option?

Ab. With making work benches the thin walled box shouldn't be too much of a stretch for a hobby mig. It only becomes an issue should you want a solid steel top for welding. In this case it might pay you to either
Make it with a thinner top
Don't weld on it and make a wooden top.
Bolt a thick top down with counter sinks.
I wouldn't try and weld a thick top to it as come the day it gets some heat through it it may try and pull and break the non fused welds.

 

[ab20000]

Thanks again - makes sense, it's only the frame I'd look to make from box section and the top made from wood. This would be more of a first project for me so would look to keep it quite simple.

So how about something like this, starting gas-less for now but can convert welder to gas when ready/required?

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/mig151en-turbo-no-gas-mig-welder

 

[Richard.]

Should be ok. I'll be honest I'm not that clued up on the hobby migs regarding good/not good. Clarke stuff seems to be owned by a few members and some are better than others but which ones I'm not sure. There is Clarke EN and TE and others I think but having never owned one I've not researched them.
Others can be more helpful on this subject.

 

[Richard.]

Gasless is much more difficult to weld thin sheet with. It tends to be that bit hotter/ spattery.
Argon mix is the way forward if you want to make life easier.
Check the minimum current setting on the machine also. This makes a huge difference to how easy thin sheet will weld. Having never welded before your gonna need all the help you can get and an argon mix with below 30amp min current will give you a sporting chance.

 

[Moosevan]

If you do get a BOC deal on gas it's worth bearing in mind that the 'monthly' rental is payable for the year, in advance, on at least the volkzone one - it still works out less setup outlay than the majority of the 'rent-free' deals though.

Just a thought... BOC now do their monthly rental as payable monthly by DD. I've just moved mine over from 'annual in advance DD' and it was something like £0.03 extra charge for the Direct Debit. Also, AFAIK, the 'Y' bottles are filled to something like 230Bar unlike much of the competition.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Thanks again - makes sense, it's only the frame I'd look to make from box section and the top made from wood. This would be more of a first project for me so would look to keep it quite simple.

So how about something like this, starting gas-less for now but can convert welder to gas when ready/required?

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/mig151en-turbo-no-gas-mig-welder

That model is probably the best of the Clarke range, it has the option of gas or no gas and must be owned by thousands of hobby welders, it's been in production for years.

 

[weldequip]

No it ain't

 

[Moosevan]

Yes, 230 bar nominal is the standard fill pressure for BOC.

When I got mine, I was told the rental being paid a year in advance was compulsory (but only on volkzone) - if that has changed it means lower setup outlay.

Yep, the change is fairly recent, as is the addition of pure Argon in a Y size as well. Also, I think it's been renamed the Hobbyist Account as they had several different accounts (starting with Volkzone) needing consolidated. Certainly reduces start-up costs.