Metalfixer
New Member
- Messages
- 1
- Location
- Grindandturnit5
Hello,
I’m a DIY and hobby machinist making models and trying to fix anything broken.
Could I ask this forum to recommend a welder for occasional use to make, usually small, jigs, tools and fixtures. I know a little about welding and I understand that MIG welding is usually considered the easiest to learn. My ideal requirements would be:
Weld thickness up to about 6mm
Capable of at least welding steel - aluminium and other metals would be nice but maybe unrealistic.
Ideally able to run off 240v, 13A sockets. Portable and smallish – inverter?
The ability to use gas and gasless might get me going, with gasless at first not needing a gas supply and easier to get started with?
I see there now multipurpose welders capable of MIG, TIG and SMA such as the SIP 05737 Weldmate® Autoplus 130A MIG/ARC/TIG and others, but are they Jack of all Trades and Master of None? There are also machines with auto set facilities, which might help me a lot as a beginner to get the right settings? I think a TIG welder might suit my requirements but I don't want to jump straight in at the deep end and probably drown in technicalities and a very steep learning curve. - so a MIG!
My budget would probably be £250 to £400. I do know that with machines you generally get what you pay for, and my dilemma is that a poor-quality machine might tax even an expert and completely put off a beginner, but a £600 plus machine would sit there for a quite a while, doing nothing, until it was needed again.
I have read some old threads but please feel free to point me in the direction of anything covering this question.
Thank you.
I’m a DIY and hobby machinist making models and trying to fix anything broken.
Could I ask this forum to recommend a welder for occasional use to make, usually small, jigs, tools and fixtures. I know a little about welding and I understand that MIG welding is usually considered the easiest to learn. My ideal requirements would be:
Weld thickness up to about 6mm
Capable of at least welding steel - aluminium and other metals would be nice but maybe unrealistic.
Ideally able to run off 240v, 13A sockets. Portable and smallish – inverter?
The ability to use gas and gasless might get me going, with gasless at first not needing a gas supply and easier to get started with?
I see there now multipurpose welders capable of MIG, TIG and SMA such as the SIP 05737 Weldmate® Autoplus 130A MIG/ARC/TIG and others, but are they Jack of all Trades and Master of None? There are also machines with auto set facilities, which might help me a lot as a beginner to get the right settings? I think a TIG welder might suit my requirements but I don't want to jump straight in at the deep end and probably drown in technicalities and a very steep learning curve. - so a MIG!
My budget would probably be £250 to £400. I do know that with machines you generally get what you pay for, and my dilemma is that a poor-quality machine might tax even an expert and completely put off a beginner, but a £600 plus machine would sit there for a quite a while, doing nothing, until it was needed again.
I have read some old threads but please feel free to point me in the direction of anything covering this question.
Thank you.