Where do I start?

[gbk]

Hi all,

First post on the forum, so 'hello' from me.

I've been thinking for a while about learning to weld. Seems like a useful type of skill to have. I've also got a Mk2 Golf which is probably going to need some soon!

Problem is, I've no idea where to start? Do I go Arc or MIG? I've heard TIG is probably a bit beyond the newb. For car restoration etc would Arc or MIG be better? As a newbie hoping to learn, I don't want to spend a fortune for something that will just be for "light use".

All help/advise gratefully received!

Cheers,
Graham

 

[shenion]

For car work especially bodywork, a MIG is the best option. Gas MIG is the best.

Arc is for metal 1.6mm and up.

TIG will work but is harder to master and harder to do on the car especially in cramped areas.

 

[gbk]

Excellent, thanks for that. At least that puts me on a path to follow.

What sort of price should I be looking at for an entry level MIG welder?

 

[Wedg1e]

What sort of price should I be looking at for an entry level MIG welder?

As much as you can afford... or put another way, what most people can afford is a lot less than they should really spend.

You can 'get away' with a 90A set for metal as thin as car bodywork but as soon as you try and do a simple frame in 25 x 25 x 3 angle (and you will ) or repair a cracked gate, you'll find out how limiting such a small set can be.

As a rule of thumb you want 40Amps per millimetre thickness of steel (or an Amp per thousandth of an inch if you prefer) so even a 150A set is on its limit at 4mm - admittedly you can often cheat by welding from both sides if you're fabricating something. Anything much bigger than 150A is too big to run from a domestic 3-pin socket, though if you have a garage you can put in a dedicated 16A supply easily enough that will get you a bit further.

In the middle ground you will find 120A sets; I do the bulk of my work with one though it is an old (1980s) Oxford and welding sets tended to be built from better-spec components back then; my advice would be to stick with a 150A set - maybe up to 200A as the duty cycle (how long you can weld before the set gets too hot) will be better for a given output; you can experiment to find out how high the 200A set will go before the mains fuse blows, you might get 170A or so ;o)

The word on here is that SIP welders are poor whereas Sealey and Clarke are not too bad (I won't say good).

Buying secondhand is a minefield if you don't know what to look for and/or can't see the equipment working before you buy. For this reason if you have to use Ebay, confine yourself to local sellers and if they can't/ won't demo their gear, be wary or just walk away, there's a lot of kit out there.

A lot of 2nd-hand kit that appears on Ebay(or for sale on here) is ex-industrial stuff by the likes of BOC, Miller, Kemppi and so on; it will tend to fetch better prices than the amateur/ DIY stuff but most of it will require more mains current than a house supply can give so don't get caught out buying something cheap that needs 415v 3-phase

S'pose I ought to get back to work and let the real experts continue this...

 

[steve.h]

As a follow on from Wedg1e, you then have the next step up, it is what I did and although it was more than I had anticipated on spending I went for a Portamig 215, they are £600 plus and then you do need a gas cylinder so its expensive to start with, but believe me there is a reason why if you look in the Portamig section it is virtually all happy buyers.
One thing you really do have to bear in mind and you might not believe it as a newbie (I have only been welding a couple of years so still reasonably new at it)once you buy a welder you will want to make some bigger stuff, you will see scrap metal on your travels and want to bring it home to play with, your mrs will become very unhappy at how long you spend in the massive workshop you are just about to build, need I go on.
Work out how much you can afford, then double it as you know you can get that much money together one way or another.... and get the best welder you can get and crack on.
Good luck.

 

[steve.h]

Welcome to the best forum on the net by the way...
Steve.

 

[gbk]

Thanks for the welcome and also to the excellent (and speedy!) advice. I would probably go looking around machine mart as I'd already decided against ebay from posts on here.

Cheers all!
Graham

 

[Wallace]

Welcome to the forum. Keep an eye on the For Sale section on here, I have a Clarke for sale but it might be a bit big for you. Don't forget about the protective gear such as helmet and gloves etc as the cost starts to mount. Do you have anywhere to setup and work safely without risk of fire?

Mike