Welder info....???? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

OMEGAMAN · #16 11-09-2006, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unleashed

6011 and 7018 are the better option for vertical up and overhead use, but beware of using 7018 on lower voltage A/C welders and try ensure no moisture gets in the weld, the low hydrogen in the flux means they're a bit more prone to problems with dampness.
7014 is used more for light penetration jobs, where the weld isn't entirely structural i.e. for plugging gaps or just ensuring two pieces are together. 7018 is a full on structural electrode designed for full penetration of the weld and high strength, whilst ensuring a good ductility too.

Carleton - kudos, welding cast iron is something I tend to avoid all I can. I'm never confident with it, even with preheating, and, as you say, argon and MIG. It's never a nice job to do, and almost always fails.

Monomer - down to personal preference I guess! I found TIG very difficult to get the hang of, but once I had it I could get a far better continuity than I could with stick. And if you can solder, you can TIG - likewise the other way round.

Thanks for the info. 7014 is what I used to weld together my lawnmower handles. Only once did I burn through and I was able to fill it back in again with ease.

vwbuge · #17 11-09-2006, 12:54 PM

Well, I went to the sale and spent some money. I looked at the welder and it was non-gas. It had an adjustment for the wire feed but only a rocker switch for the power. High or Low. I decided not to get it.

I spent $5 on a hose clamp assortment. (30+ clamps)
$3 on a cotter pin assortment (100+ pins)
$20 on a vacuum brake bleeder
$16 on an air angle die grinder.

DrewGerhan · #18 11-09-2006, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwbuge

Well, I went to the sale and spent some money. I looked at the welder and it was non-gas. It had an adjustment for the wire feed but only a rocker switch for the power. High or Low. I decided not to get it.

I spent $5 on a hose clamp assortment. (30+ clamps)
$3 on a cotter pin assortment (100+ pins)
$20 on a vacuum brake bleeder
$16 on an air angle die grinder.

Good idea to stay away. Was it the Cummins Tool Sale? That was around here last year and i thought I'd give their stuff a try........never again. I got an angle gridner and within a week the motor had literly caught fire. I was also using wrenchs i bought there and the box end snapped in half while i was wrenching.

I was in your exact situation back in February, but I found a nice Lincon MIG setup with cart and a 80cf tank on eBay for $400 shipped to my door. It is a very nice setup. My buddy has a Campbell Hausfield and that seems to work for him. I'd say keep your eye out for a low price high quality rig since the last quite a while and espically if you want high quality welds.

Also, stay away from flux core only machines!

kip Foss · #19 11-09-2006, 10:03 PM

I'v been welding for about 50 years, 20 of them in foreign countries with a wide variety of rods. Here are my thoughts.

Before you get started I would HIGHLY recommend that you check out your local community college/tech school and see if they offer a short course in welding. There is so much more to welding than just dragging a rod and making sparks. Teaching yourself really sucks. 'Teaching yourself', isn't that an oxymoron?

It is very frustrating to try and figure out what you are doing wrong when you haven't got a clue what you are doing wrong, what is correct, and how to get from one to the other.

For home/automotive use go with MIG and buy a name brand machine. Harbor Freight, et. al. are ok for limited application and life span. Look in your local 'Ad Sack' type weekly newspaper or pawn shop for used Miller, Lincoln, Hobart or the like. Even if they don't work well you can probably get them put right for a few hundred bucks. Once they are good to go they go for years.

It would take pages and pages here to try and tell you how to weld and all the various situations you might come across. That is why I recommend some official instruction. Teachers know what to tell you, where to look for trouble, what to do to get out of it, etc. You might be able to find someone locally who knows how to weld to give you instruction for a minimal price, but I think your best bet would be tech school course.

As for what rods do what MIG is your best answer. You can do 90% of your home welding with a standard MIG set up and not worry about which rod at what current at which size in what position or whether they are wet or dry.

TIG is interesting but has very limited application. If you are welding aluminum or exotic metals it is the only way to go but for the average hobby type welder don't bother. You will spend more time grinding the metal slag off your electrode than welding. Very frustrating until you learn.

Flux cored wire welders are not good for thin body panel type welding. FC welding is really for high deposition production type welding. A good FC welder can lay down 300 to 400% more metal than a stick welder. I ran one of these in the iron and nickel mines in Australia and man if you want to see something squirt out hot metal grab a FC rig. The companies love them because they are so fast. The welders don't like them because there is no rest. You squeeze the trigger and hold on till you run out of wire.

As for the LoHi 7018 rods they were talking about if you are using them daily they must be kept in an oven at 100 to 150 deg. It keeps the moisture out. If you use one that is not dry all you have to do is ground it out on the work for a few seconds until the steam stops coming off it and it is ready to go. These rods are specifically designed for DC machines and not hobby type AC machines. They are a semi-iron power for moderately high deposition. The same holds true with the rust colored Lincoln 5p rods. DC only. If you need an AC root rod use 6010 or 6011.

Buy good gear. You will thank yourself in later years. Also get good instruction. Bad habits take longer and cost more to break than do good habits to learn.

alabbasi · #20 11-09-2006, 11:00 PM

Buy a fire extinguisher and keep it handy. I hit the fuel lines when I was welding the floors on my Rover and nearly set fire to the whole house.

mpolli · #21 01-16-2007, 01:42 AM

I am reviving this thread from a couple of months ago. I am looking for a good MIG w/gas setup. I think I want the biggest 120 VAC unit I can get but of course I don't want to spend mega bucks. I can get a refurbished Lincoln SP135T on Ebay for 449 shipped. There is the Lincoln 140T and 140C (continuous adjustment) They claim to have a smoother weld and less splatter. There are Hobart handler 125's. The Millers seem the most expensive. Then I will have to buy the gas tank also. Does anyone know of any good deals out there? There is not much to speak of on my local Craigs list. There is a guy with Chicago/harbor Frt "Dual 100" I think it is. But no gas hose or regulator and the side cover is missing and the duty cycle on those is 15% I think. I just want to do basic welding on steel up to 1/8" or 3/16" but I want something good that will last. I think I am on the right track. Just looking for any other input.

Thanks,

Mike