other welding forum...

[Anonymous]

I found this website on my travels...

Not aimed at the amateur car restorer like this,
but a good place to get info from the professionals

http://www.ukwelder.com/forum/

Also while I'm at it...
what do people think of the SIP migmate 130 turbo? good machine?
I saw it for £169 inc VAT from www.toolsbypost.com

 

[Anonymous]

SIP Welding Machine

AlfaBrain

I'm in Australia.

I have an older model SIP Migmate 150 Turbo which I've almost worn out. The newer models have bayonet connections for the lead I see , mine is hardwired in and I've had to repair a connection or two :x .

I really like the small size of the SIP handpiece compared to the upmarket machines.

I've had hassles getting a good result from the wire feeder :x , but newer models may have remedied this. On my machine the feeder setup seems to require constant attention, and of course causes a problem at the most inopportune moments.

I usually use the 5KG wire rolls and threw out the small gas bottle years ago (COST). I simply cut the end off the SIPs small nylon gas line and fed it into the rubber reinforced hose coming off the regulator of my CO2/Argon man-size bottle . Works a treat.

Don't ask too much of the machine, allow for the Duty Cycle (especially in hot weather) and the SIP should work perfectly for car restoration. ALWAYS try to brush your welds off, even MIG welds produce corrosive stuff.

Other hints:
BE PATIENT...
keep your wire protected from corrosion when stored....
keep the cover over the spool so grinding dust and spatter doesn't get into the machine....
did I say BE PATIENT....
Plan your welds in advance and think about ACCESS, especially accessing weld number 2 after you've finished weld number 1. You don't want to "weld yourself into a corner" so to speak.

MIG welding isn't simply a matter of "drawing a line" with the handpiece. With practice a lot of the skills become automatic and you will no longer get cramps from holding the torch too tight :wink:

I keep a 0.5 KG spool of shielded wire (gasless) on hand as it seems to work better on galvanised metals (HEALTH PRECAUTIONS) and as you don't need gas you can pull the tip shroud off to get into really tight spots. Remember that the TIP is live with the trigger depressed so it can weld itself to the job !!!! Shielded wires are available for a variety of specific situations and they work better in breezy conditions, though they are expensive. A 5kph breeze will blow the gas away from the weld......something else to consider if that weld isn't right.


Beatle
Oz
'67 Duetto

 

[malcolm]

Welcome to the forum Beatle. That's some excellent advice.

Good wire feed and wire control do make welding a lot easier. The wire feed on my Clarke 155T welder is poorly made. I found that bending it a little to line up the two metal wheels made the world of difference. As did buying a new torch and umbilical cord (the old one had been driven over a few times) and replacing the tips frequently.

Thinking ahead is a good plan. I spent ages on the Aston trying to figure out which order to repair it while still retaining enough reference points to ensure a good allignment for the new parts.

Another tip is to make templates out of card for each repair. It's much faster and more accurate to trim card to the correct shape and then transfer the shape to a piece of steel than it is to try to make the repair section out of steel straight off.

Malcolm

 

[alfabrain]

thanks

Thanks for all the advice beatle
I see you made your way here from the alfa bb...
Will we be able to make a survey of the most rust prone classics based on the car owners here?!

your set up in Oz looks very elaborate - I'll be lucky to have ramps and axle stands!

It looks like I'll order a Sip migmate and practice a lot,
but I'm reluctant to give up driving my spider for any length of time to do the welding...

 

[beatle_bayly]

First job you should attempt with your new welding machine is to make a welders trolley ! Then, you will constantly be reminded just how much you're welding has improved as the first job will always be staring you in the face :wink:

The engine crane, press and sheetmetal bender are all DIY projects using my mig welder. If I can do it anyone can.

An engine crane can be built very cheaply using an old bottle jack though you'll likely lend it out to your mates more than you will use it yourself.

For auto restoration you would also make an engine stand, and for an Alfa in-line four I'd make an adaptor to mount the engine via one of the side mounting pads.

The car trailer has taken some time and I made a few mistakes in the design, but it cost at least 1/3 the price of buying one "off-the-shelf".