SIP Merlin 150

[doombar]

Hello i am am a noob.
I have just picked up an arc welder for cheap (in the title) and was wwondering if its any good. It was off of some old chap who has just had a pacemaker fitted so his wife sold it to me. With a hammer mask n some rods

I have always had an iinterest but only now have i done something about it.
I want to have a play about first, before i decide to go any further just to get a feel .

Also what can i weld with it? Ive yet to learn what each welder is for to be honest but i imagine they are all similaR.

Sorry for my noobishness

 

[cumbriasteve]

some old chap who has just had a pacemaker fitted so his wife sold it to me

I bet he is missing that!

Oh well...that's life

Welcome to the forum, arc welders are for steel generally 3mm and over, for example...garden gates, railings and similar.

Have a good read of the tutorials on this site and of course youtube.

 

[skotl]

Welcome. And bear in mind that we all started somewhere - I've had my welder 2 1/2 years now and I'm still incompetent

The most important thing (after reading the tutorials) is practice, practice, practice. Go find yourself some spare steel and get stuck in.

Don't be afraid to ask!

 

[doombar]

yeah, bit gutting really but such is life.

I Paid 40 quid for it and the bits, which i think really is nothing for a chance to have a go at welding. I think i would like to take a night course of sorts.

we'll see. depends if i go blind or not
I should be able to get lots of scrap from work, odds n sods n what not so hopefully within the week i might have a go.
I plan to do it in the garage but need some safety things first so i dont burn the house down

 

[cumbriasteve]

£40 was a fair enough price if all works well.

The beauty of arc welding is you can get away with working outside a lot more, they are not affected as much as a MIG by draughts. and accept steel that is not as well cleaned up.

What you have is commonly called a 'buzz box', they take a little bit of time to get used to and striking the arc is not as easy as a modern inverter set.

With practice you get used to them and can strike the arc and weld as good as anything else.

However most of us 'elderly but still looking years younger' welders learnt on the same machines, they were all there was at the time for our budget, I had one for many years and it earned me a hundreds of times more than it cost over that time.

If you can get scrap offcuts from work then get learning and think artistic.. garden sculpture perhaps?

 

[doombar]

I look at it like this: 40 quid can get you a meal out, but all you've had is a meal. Ive got the chance to do something i havent done before and perhaps make something, or even have a propper hobby.

I was thinking of making a BBQ or pot stove for the garden ( i want a propper spit ), but ive had a few ideas like to make things. I want to make a sledge, like the one i had as a child

Im unsure at the moment what the jump leads are for im guessing to create a circuit but not sure what they connect to. I also need to set up a work station n what not.
I guess i got it on impulse without even thinking what i need.
Working outside is always good i suppose, Less fumes to suck in.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Jump leads?

I think you are referring to the earth and torch leads, if that is the case it identifies that you really are starting from basics and could do with a little hands on help, do you not know anyone local who has some welding knowledge? ideally they could set up the machine and show you how to do a few runs, altering the power etc.

A steel sledge? I had one when I was a young un, it was totally lethal for anyone who got in the road, still no idea why there was not more kids with legs missing from our street.