Ask your WELDING questions here.

[Gas Hog]

maybe at the very heaviest duty a tow hitch into my car etc.

That's about the very last place you would want to weld when you are learning...especially with an el-cheapo mig.
Gary

[Inane Cathode]

Originally Posted by Gas Hog

That's about the very last place you would want to weld when you are learning...especially with an el-cheapo mig.
Gary

How about *eventually* a tow hitch?

[gsweave]

Originally Posted by Inane Cathode

If i'm a noob at mig welding (a few tries, seat rails into my car [that i'll have to cut out cause its wrong anyway]) whats a good size/brand to get into?

Lets say i have a shoe string budget, and the best i've got for power supply is standard house mains. How many amps should i be looking for? Brand? Supplier? All that i'm looking to do is little projects, roof rack for the car, body panel repair, maybe at the very heaviest duty a tow hitch into my car etc.

Thanks :)

AC-255 20% duty cycle

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...rs&locale=1033

[Gas Hog]

How about *eventually* a tow hitch?

Still wouldn't be my weapon of choice for a hitch..but if you know what you are doing you can get away with a lot of short cuts.
I guess my point is when you are just starting out.. start with projects that don't envolve life and death. I have seen some real messes with hitches.

None of us are born with much knowledge..we all have to start somewhere.
Gary

[Inane Cathode]

Originally Posted by Gas Hog

Still wouldn't be my weapon of choice for a hitch..but if you know what you are doing you can get away with a lot of short cuts.
I guess my point is when you are just starting out.. start with projects that don't envolve life and death. I have seen some real messes with hitches.

None of us are born with much knowledge..we all have to start somewhere.
Gary

Absolutely. I'll probably just stick with minor stuff. Luggage racks, roof racks, so forth.

[Inane Cathode]

Originally Posted by gsweave

AC-255 20% duty cycle

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...rs&locale=1033

Stick welding though? Isnt that a bit clumsy/advanced/powerful for sticking conduit and light angle iron together?

[gsweave]

Originally Posted by Inane Cathode

Stick welding though? Isnt that a bit clumsy/advanced/powerful for sticking conduit and light angle iron together?

cheapest entry into welding anything.


If you can arc weld the others are easy.

[EvilGenius]

Just got a Uniweld mini torch set to play with.

I took a gas welding class during the summer as part of my A&P program and I thought I was doing pretty good, but I'm having trouble getting started.

I'm working with 16ga mild steel. The tip size is #2 and my filler rod is 3/32" RG-45 (I know too big, but its the smallest i've been able to find).

It seems like the tip is running way too hot.

We were working with the same steel and thickness, but we were using Harris torches with 0 size tips.

I can't seem to get a puddle going. It pretty much goes from dull red to gone in half a second and the filler rod isn't cooperating too well either.

Also when we were doing the class it was about 98 degrees outside as opposed to the 55 it was today.

Suggestions?

[Strong Bad]

The #2 tip is too big, even a #1 might be a bit big, the "O" you were using in school would work prolly the best.

[EvilGenius]

Originally Posted by Strong Bad

The #2 tip is too big, even a #1 might be a bit big, the "O" you were using in school would work prolly the best.

Cool thanks!

This sounds kind of dumb, but are most tips the same or do I specifically need one from uniweld, I know mixers are often different but we're just talking about the tip here.

[Strong Bad]

Originally Posted by EvilGenius

Cool thanks!

This sounds kind of dumb, but are most tips the same or do I specifically need one from uniweld, I know mixers are often different but we're just talking about the tip here.

Actually that's a pretty good question that I don't know off hand as I don't know the uniweld brand. I've always used Victor which is prolly the most common torch. There are a lot of knock-offs of the Victor torch out there and swapping tips could very well be possible. I would simply take your existing tip with you and see what the welding supply shop has that is a match. You want all of the little "o" rings on the tip to seal in the torch handle or you could have a problem.

[EvilGenius]

Originally Posted by Strong Bad

Actually that's a pretty good question that I don't know off hand as I don't know the uniweld brand. I've always used Victor which is prolly the most common torch. There are a lot of knock-offs of the Victor torch out there and swapping tips could very well be possible. I would simply take your existing tip with you and see what the welding supply shop has that is a match. You want all of the little "o" rings on the tip to seal in the torch handle or you could have a problem.

That's what I was planning.

I did find last night that some of uniwelds tips are virtual copies of a particular Harris tip, but I lost the site.

[r00t4rd3d]

Would a gas-less MIG welder be okay for making racks and pannier supports ? One of my old jobs I did alot of stick welding but really cant afford a setup like that and was looking at a couple cheaper MIG welders. Also Ive never ran a MIG welder but have read if I can stick weld okay I should be able to MIG weld with no problems. What should I get ?

[EvilGenius]

Originally Posted by r00t4rd3d

Would a gas-less MIG welder be okay for making racks and pannier supports ? One of my old jobs I did alot of stick welding but really cant afford a setup like that and was looking at a couple cheaper MIG welders. Also Ive never ran a MIG welder but have read if I can stick weld okay I should be able to MIG weld with no problems. What should I get ?

It'll be fine, just not very pretty.

Like stick welding.

MIG welding isn't any different in concept than stick, you just have to adjust wire feed speed with the dial instead of your hand.

I'd wouldn't go with anything capable of less than 140 amps for what you're doing.

[KTM640Dakar]

Originally Posted by EvilGenius

That's what I was planning.

I did find last night that some of uniwelds tips are virtual copies of a particular Harris tip, but I lost the site.

http://www.sealseat.com/prod01.htm