newbee help 4x4 project help

[theosmith]

hi,
i want to buy a welder but have no clue as what to buy, im just fed up of having to pay people

this is what i want or need it for

want to make a side exit exhuast on my disco
want to make a roll cage for disco
want to strenghthen and make winch bumper
make a bmx bike with a moped engine
and may be fiddle around with other diy stuff

i have never used a welder in my life, but on the plus side i do have an angle grinder lool

any help advise tips as to what i should buy and avoid even lessons would be great / any one local willing to teach me id exchange my time taking you off roading or shooting

cheers
theo

 

[Bobtail4x4]

shame you are so far away, Im into off roading and shooting too,

get plenty of practice before thinking about a roll cage, one day you may need it, and you dont want the welds giving out.

 

[tatfan]

You didnt take long to join (I'm also on difflock) . Someone will be along that can help you, but for now, just have a look round, and learn!

 

[theosmith]

You didnt take long to join (I'm also on difflock) . Someone will be along that can help you, but for now, just have a look round, and learn!

haha lol im also on airgunnbbs shooting forum join me there,

i have been reading a few bits will have a proper read tommorow ,

i definatley want to learn how to weld as would help me a lot in the long run,

 

[theosmith]

shame you are so far away, Im into off roading and shooting too,

get plenty of practice before thinking about a roll cage, one day you may need it, and you dont want the welds giving out.

maybe not the right section what 4x4 you got, maybe you should join difflock and airgunnbbs im on both of those both pretty good useful sites

theo

 

[Tomlt]

Another long standing airgunbbs member here! I think Jackle and a few more are here also. Both great sites with a strong following. Tom.

 

[Furry Freak]

Hmm, think we have been here before. Off roading, welding and shooting? Surely not.

Welcome.

I'd echo the sentiments about roll cages. External 'body protection' cages are one thing. But internal 'keep from dying' cages are another. Same with winch stuff. When my vehicle is hanging over the edge I like the fact that winch tray has been welded by someone who knew what they were doing. You need to build up to this. Welds that look good are one thing. But welds that hold things together are another.

Said this before - a good welding set makes learning so much easier. You end up fighting a cheap welder.

FF

 

[cazl1994]

join landroveraddict.co.uk
good site im on there
about the welder have a look at weldequip's shop some good quality welder there
i would look into buying a portamig 185 then you have enought power to weld the roll cage and low enought ampage to do exaushts and stuff and you have a good quality welder dont bother with a cheap one you will just end up buying a better one

 

[theosmith]

im willing to spend £300 maximum on a desecnt welder it wont get used much but dont want second hand,

i think the shooting, welding, 4x4ing is just a man and all these sites/forum are just linking them together you will be surprised the amount of people off here i reconise on the knitting forum lol

i know the weld have to be decent on roll cage and winch bumper but willing to learn and wait for me to be good enough

 

[Luke]

300 quids worth of welding is not going to be up to roll cages and winch bumpers, thats for sure. Neither are those projects suitable for learning on.

Get a welder and learn to weld, using other projects, then re-visit what you'll need, and whether you have the skills, to take on the more serious projects.

Or, buy some decent kit now, knowing it'll be up to the job in the future.

 

[cazl1994]

why dont you wan t second hand for £300 you will only get a hobby machine i would rather have second hand good mmake machine then a ceap new one

 

[theosmith]

with second hand i dont know what i am looking at whether they broken or overused ,
how much / what should i buy then that will be upto the job is this any good for what i want http://www.toolstop.co.uk/index.php...10162&gl=uk&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base

its a Draper 43948 (MW142AT) 240V Turbo Mig Welder 145 Amp
theo

 

[weldingscotty803]

another bbs member here too.
as for the welder, i'd go second hand and get something named, keep tour eyes peeled in the f/sale section. or...save a bit more and get a portamig off weldequip
for rollcages and winchbumpers your gonna be wanting maximum penetration for safety reasons.
have a word with weldequip and see what he reccomends, he might get s/hand ones in.

 

[cazl1994]

that will strugle with the roll cage and winch bumper
with buying second hand say you want a demonstration before you buy i wouldn't buy off ebay second hand i would go to your local dealer or weldequip

 

[metalspanner]

There is lots of great practicle advice on here, but nothing beats having an experienced hand beside you when you are starting off especially with the basics.
Lots of colleges have beginners and intermediate courses in the evening for not a lot of money (relatively) two bonus points here..
1 you are being instructed in the correct techniques from the off.
2 you have access to great machines that work properly.

As part of the course you should get to do a little project either of your own choice or something that could be of use, maybe not the rollcage or winch bumper but the exhaust is a possibility.

And you should also get the oppourtunity to use, learn and practice other techniques arc, tig, mag, gas and maybe plasma cutting etc, look into it most are a 10-15 week course in the evenings.

As for a welder look on here for s/h or look on a well known auction site, and if you find something you like the look of, ask here for opinions go and look at it armed with the points gleaned and make a desicion based on that, it would help if you can run a weld before you go off looking at s/h welders so that you can test it properly first.

 

[theosmith]

have been looking not found anything i like, my neighbour has told me he is a welder so will ask for his advise and teach me how to use one properly, i will ask search more second hand and ask my neighbour to come with me when viewing one,
the thickest id be welding would be 5mm on the winch bumper and been told to use 3mm on the roll cage

 

[Luke]

All chassis mounts needs to be 6mm to be MSA compliant.

5mm is pretty light for a winch bumper.

 

[sapperb]

As far as the roll cage goes, make sure you do alot of research prior to constructing it. Make sure to minimize the bends and triangulate everything.
Here is a link to a an Off Road forum I belong to and there is a good thread on building a proper roll cage
www.dezertrangers.com

I have build a few bumpers also and here is my latest one

 

[tombardier]

Another member of airgunbbs.com here, and landyzone.co.uk

I like buying good stuff 2nd hand. I bought a Stihl 023 chainsaw recently for £100. If I'd have bought a new chainsaw for that price, it would have been a crap one, but now I have a fantastic chainsaw, and I know that if I need new bits for it then they're readily available, unlike the JCB one I had before which cost roughly the same money. When it came to replacing the coil pack on that one, I had to search high and low, and eventually found out it was mculloch. had to order from the states, and it cost almost £50!! Managed to buy a spare for my Stihl for £15 2nd hand (just in case I need it some day). I think you've got options with £300 to spend though

Good luck with the welding anyway!

 

[stormin]

All chassis mounts needs to be 6mm to be MSA compliant.

5mm is pretty light for a winch bumper.

Are you sure about that. Haven't seen many rally cars with 6mm plate in them?

You wouldn't want a full winch bumper heavier than 5mm. Maybe the part that the winch bolts into and fixes back to the chassis. Make it all greater than 5mm and you'll have little front suspension travel left, you're also more likely to get stuck with that great weight on the front.