New to welding

[Jonny56]

Looking to do a small amount of welding for small projects around the house.

I would also like the ability to weld footpegs onto an offroad bike frame and also brace/repair the frame when required. The bike is constantly crashed so it does not need anything fancy and its just for a bit of fun.

I only have standard 3 pin plugs in my garage so I know im limited on what I can get.

Budget wise im after somthing fairly cheap up to about 300 but I am happy to buy second hand and I will also need PPE and Gas.

Any recomendatins on what to get because I am confused on what is any good and whst would work on a uk plug.

Thank you

Jonny

 

[Erie Fred]

What is your knowledge or training on welding ?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Looking to do a small amount of welding for small projects around the house.

I would also like the ability to weld footpegs onto an offroad bike frame and also brace/repair the frame when required. The bike is constantly crashed so it does not need anything fancy and its just for a bit of fun.

I only have standard 3 pin plugs in my garage so I know im limited on what I can get.

Budget wise im after somthing fairly cheap up to about 300 but I am happy to buy second hand and I will also need PPE and Gas.

Any recomendatins on what to get because I am confused on what is any good and whst would work on a uk plug.

Thank you

Jonny

£300 to include PPE and gas isn't going to get you much if you buy new.
Look around for a 2nd hand Clarke 160 or something similar.
A standard 3 pin plug with a 13A fuse will get you around 150A, maybe a tiny bit more. You can use bigger machines but you won't get full output.
Don't buy anything before asking us first, you could end up wasting your money. Also, don't be suckered into using disposable cylinders because they appear to be cheap, they only last a few minutes and are an absolute waste of money.
Feel free to pop a wanted ad here, someone might well have something they're considering selling.

 

[Rrobson]

You need to be a bit more realistic with your budget I’m afraid. A small 10L bottle of gas will be £150 including deposit, all you PPE will be easy £100 plus a roll of wire and some consumables for whatever machine you buy and that’s another £50. That doesn’t leave you with much for an actual machine.

You probably could get a half decent second hand Clarke 151 or 160 for £150, so I would suggest you up your budget to £450-£500. That would get you a reasonable entry level machine with everything you need.

There’s a 200a machine in the for sale section at the moment but it is probably beyond your budget.

Good luck finding a machine

 

[mike 109444]

CO2 gas (fire extingusher ) is cheeper but not as neat, but as you are not worried about tidy finish would suite. A suitable reg (fitting) for CO2 is required though.

 

[mike 109444]

Forgot to say welcome to the forum

 

[MikeBs]

I’m just about to stick mine on eBay, but you are too far away for collection.
I’m not entirely sure if a MIG could weld bits on a bike frame. They can be made of unusual alloys and quite thin, so you would need advice of someone cleverer than me to confirm that.

 

[Barking Mat]

Welcome to the forum, arc welding is cheaper than mig, but less versatile.

 

[Jonny56]

Thanks everyone, budget will no doubt have to increase.

Seen the following locally:

Clarke 151TE £160 - no wire or anything

Clarke 135 TE £160 - with wire, spare tips, 2 bottles of Gas Demon.

Would either of these be worth the money for the small amount I will use it?

Experience wise I have done next to nothing (about 30mins and they came out ok for what I needed) but I plan to book in at the Machine shop to do a one to one training session for a day.

 

[Jonny56]

Also seen an unused Sealy Mighty MIG 150 for £220 that comes with:
Full hobbyweld gas bottle
Regulator
Mask

 

[bourbon]

Welcome to the forum. I'm intrigued. what or where is 'The Machine Shop'?

 

[Jonny56]

THE-MACHINE-SHOP

HINCKLEY LE103ES

the-machine-shop.co.uk

 

[bourbon]

that looks a great place

 

[Wozzaaah]

I would favour either of the other two over the 135 as it’s quite low-powered.
The Sealey looks like a decent deal and would get you up and running straight away.

 

[eddie49]

Full hobbyweld gas bottle
Mask

Make sure the Seller gives you the original Deposit form for the gas bottle. You need that to get the deposit back if you ever give up the bottle. See the Hobbyweld FAQ.
Hopefully the mask that is included is an auto-dimming one ...?

 

[MikeBs]

Also seen an unused Sealy Mighty MIG 150 for £220 that comes with:
Full hobbyweld gas bottle
Regulator
Mask

That’s a good deal.
I’ve put mine on eBay for £220 with all the same bits (Auto darkening mask and Parweld regulator) along with some wire reels and spare tips/shrouds which don’t really add value, but without a gas bottle.