Re: [Amc-list] rust (welders)

["Armand Eshleman" <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Listen to Frank, he has some pretty good advice here. I used to weld for a
living, mostly steel pipe with an arc welder and rod..... I did however
quite often weld smaller stuff and thin "steel duct" with an oxy acetylene
setup. We used to weld stainless steel for food grade piping and duct too
with a TIG torch setup. I got pretty good. Just recently I helped my oldest
son install an all stainless exhaust on his "tuner".
All the old learned techniques came back in about 30 seconds, after about
five minutes of welding with a TIG torch I was making some choice looking
beads and swapping hands holding the TIG torch just like years ago. It's all
practice and knowledge. The other thing though that is of crucial importance
is good equipment. If you buy the cheap stuff, pretty much expect cheap
looking results. I purchased a Lincoln 250 welder and a weldcraft TIG set
up, got a very good flow meter at the same place I bought the welder and TIG
stuff. It's now about twenty some years old and everything still works
perfect, I just don't use it as much as I used to. The good part is the
Lincoln 250 welder is worth more now than when I bought it because it's got
all copper windings. The only thing I wish I had now is a good Lincoln wire
feed machine and a high frequency box for the 250 so I could TIG aluminum.
BUY GOOD EQUIPMENT, your kids and grand kids can use it after you don't need
it any more.

Armand


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Swygert" <farna@xxxxxxx>
To: <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Amc-list] rust (welders)


> I more or less agree with Mike. I have a cheap Campbell-Hausfeld 100V wire
welder and it's fine for light things -- no more than 1/8" thick. So for
rust repair on sheet metal it's great. BUT... I didn't get the cheapest
model. I made sure mine was capable of using a gas bottle, not just flux
core wire. When you opt for the slightly better model you also get four heat
ranges. I use mine on the third setting 99% of the time. Flux core wire can
be used, but the welds won't be pretty and will have lots of porosity
(holes!) in them. So get out the grinder and weld over every pass at least
once more to fill in the gaps, then grind some more to make it look
presentable -- but still not like "pretty" welds. The bottle will run at
least $100 over the cost of the welder, but doesn't cost much to fill. You
can use straight CO2, but an Argon/CO2 mix is recommended for the 110V
welders. With straight CO2 I'd be welding on the highest setting all the
time, which wouldn't be a big problem b
>  ut would mean you have to let the welder cool down a bit between passes
if doing a lot of welding.  You can get good enough to make welds that need
no grinding with the bottle, but it takes a lot of practice. I used to teach
welding, but now by the time I'm making good welds I'm almost through with
the job if it's a small one (10-15 minutes of weld time, maybe 5-10" of weld
bead) before I'm making nice pretty welds again. Welding is 20% knowledge
and 80% practice! You can know exactly what to do and still have to practice
to get it right.
>
> So no, I can't recommend the 90A/110V MIG welder form Harbor Freight. They
don't list the prices on the website for welders, which is strange (at least
they don't load right now). They don't even have a 110V MIG, all are
220/230V. I bought my C-H from Wal-Mart of all places, but it works fine for
what I do. I have easy access to a 200A stick welder at my brother's farm
shop about 100 yards away, so don't need to have a HD welder. Think I paid a
bit over $200 for mine new, then about $90-$95 for the bottle with the first
filling of CO2/Argon mix gas. That was a few years ago. Here's a good deal
from Northern Tools on one similar to mine, might be better built but who
knows?
>
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200342925_200342925
> Everyone who thought enough to write a review (some beginners, one listed
himself as a "professional" welder...) seemed to like it. It's the LEAST
welder I'd get, but if you have a 220V outlet you can get to (electric dryer
in/near the garage?) I'd make a 20-30 drop cord (make sure it's #10 wire!)
and get the 220V model.
>
>
>
> -------------
> Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 17:12:47 -0700
> From: Mike Kindle <mike90066@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Amc-list] rust
>
> If you get good at welding, there is nothing you cannot fix.  In my
opinion:
> You will not get good at welding with the POS HF welder.  There is not
enough adjustability
> and many you can't even hook up inert gas to.  I have a chronically cheap
friend who went this route.
> I got to play with the HF welder a bit and it was bad.  He then sold it.
Don't waste your time.
>
> I got a used Lincoln 110 wire welder for a hundred bucks off craigslist
and now I confidently
> weld things with great success.  I suspect it will outlast me.  It is
worth it to get a good
>  welder you are going to want to use, rather than a cheap one you are
going to want to avoid using.
> It is okay to be frugal.  It is not okay to be cheap.
>
> -- 
> Frank Swygert
> Publisher, "American Motors Cars"
> Magazine (AMC)
> For all AMC enthusiasts
> http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
> (free download available!)
>
>
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>
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