ornamental gates, Mig vs Arc

[DAVEWESTMIDS]

The most successful guy around here, i.e long established , most expensive !! .... uses arc welding 100% of the time , i sometimes use it for some cast iron rosettes etc... but cannot see any benefit? time, costs etc...Knocking the slag off must take an age! (and we've all knocked a slag off) but christ, his welding always perfect,neat small pentrated runs etc... maybe we've all got lazy with migs and forgot some of our other skills, or is there some valid reasomn he uses arc as opposed to MIg.

 

[steve202]

I don't know the answer to this, but partly maybe because ARC is cheaper to run?

 

[irondarren]

Bin the Mig and Bin the arc, if you want real nice gates and railings there is only one answer TIG. Truth is no one is going to pay you to TIG up a gate, it takes about 3 times as long. Dave take a look at pulse on pulse MIG units loads of ££££ but produce a near close to tig looking weld, But lets be honest its only a gate. You got a forge Dave, can make a good gate without a forge, no amount of bought in junk will every make a gate as good as you can with a forge, and of course if you have a forge you don't need a welder.

The honest truth is as long as you clean up nice, there is no real problem, remove all splatter, grind all welds flat (except upright bars as that takes to long, but Vee out the uprights so the weld floats in better) you really won't have a problem

 

[Drains]

Arc slag falls off if you do it right. Yer man does it right.
Arc looks better than mig too, and your stops and starts are easier.

I used to swear by mig, but now, having learned arc, I love it. But mig is still faster, and nothing wrong with it.

I do like having an inverter and a box of rods to carry round instead of mig, bottle, torch, wire, spares, etc

 

[snowcat]

I don't know the answer to this, but partly maybe because ARC is cheaper to run?

Theroticaly arc is actualy more expensive, Most likley the guy is just from the same school as me and doesnt really like the mig, I have issues with cold lap and penetration, not really important for gates and like, but vital in structual work.

 

[zardoz]

Arc slag falls off if you do it right. Yer man does it right.

Indeed it does. I used to be so envious of the way the instructor at college could lay a long Arc run down and by the time the run was finished the slag was already curling up off the first part of the weld. Just lift it off with the end of the slag hammer and it comes away in one piece.

The trick is easy really, just get the right voltage and select the correct rod in the first place, and make sure you do the run in one continuous non stop weld. (thats all)

 

[aametalmaster]

I can see using both mig and stick and each has its advantages and i guess its up to the guy doing the work and what he is good at and how fast he wants to get it done. Heck he can even use a O/A torch and do the job but it still boils down to how fast he wants it and how good he is...Bob