R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
I did. Taught myself TIG, no previous experience, no instruction. It's possible, but... I find it easier than stick which I have tried and hated.
What Welder for a Beginner?
- Thread starter thecriscokid
- Start date
I did. Taught myself TIG, no previous experience, no instruction. It's possible, but... I find it easier than stick which I have tried and hated.
I didn't say it couldn't be done, but it would test the patience of Ghandi if you're just trying to finish up a fabrication project and you keep blowing holes in your tubing. I love my TIG...I REALLY love my pulser. Being a master of tig without pulse (which is what you'd get with a $100 add-on with a buzz-box) is a skill I both don't have, and don't desire. Technology people....technology.
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
Nothern tool sells a great little 110V welder.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200332691_200332691
Its on sale for $320 right now.
I have one and use it for everything. I got my welder and an auto-dark hood for under $400 delivered to my door. The welder comes with a gas setup too. I use c25 with .023 wire with much success on everything.
I think this welder is the same design as the older lincoln 135 welders. I like it because it holds a big spool of wire, has nice long leads and a nice long torch cable.
I have had ZERO problems with my welder.
Don't get caught up in the gotta-have-a-big-welder thing. I rebuilt my trailer, did all the body mods on my dodge, and fixed a ton of other stuff with this little guy. Get a good extension cord and make sure you have a good breaker and wiring to the plug in you use the most. I wouldn't hesitate to build an entire rock buggy, bumpers, or anything else with it.
Down the road I will most likely buy a TIG machine for the odd stuff and they make such pretty welds on any metal you can think of. The downside is cost, space, and power requirements.
If you just starting go with something simple, affordable, and practical.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200332691_200332691
Its on sale for $320 right now.
I have one and use it for everything. I got my welder and an auto-dark hood for under $400 delivered to my door. The welder comes with a gas setup too. I use c25 with .023 wire with much success on everything.
I think this welder is the same design as the older lincoln 135 welders. I like it because it holds a big spool of wire, has nice long leads and a nice long torch cable.
I have had ZERO problems with my welder.
Don't get caught up in the gotta-have-a-big-welder thing. I rebuilt my trailer, did all the body mods on my dodge, and fixed a ton of other stuff with this little guy. Get a good extension cord and make sure you have a good breaker and wiring to the plug in you use the most. I wouldn't hesitate to build an entire rock buggy, bumpers, or anything else with it.
Down the road I will most likely buy a TIG machine for the odd stuff and they make such pretty welds on any metal you can think of. The downside is cost, space, and power requirements.
If you just starting go with something simple, affordable, and practical.
+4000000
R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
I don't know what the definition of master is... How about welding 0.040" corrugated aluminum tubing? Well, it ain't pretty, but it doesn't have to be.
I have a Miller EconoTIG, which has no pulsing, that's what I use at home. At work I use a Lincoln something 375 TIG machine, with pulsing, but I don't really get the pulsing thing, and just turn it off. It helps make pretty "stack of dimes" welds, but other than that? <shrug>
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
"Pulsation"? Que?
What I learned TIG on:
Sounds like a DC-3 on start-up, and has way more than 300 amps available. Some old timers claim they're more like 400 amps when flat to the floor. Even when not flat on the floor they can produce enough current to melt the cable inside of the water-cooled torch lead and leave a nasty scalding burn on your forearm. Easiest way to move one is a forklift.
FWIW, I've taught TIG and I find that folks with fresh Oxy-Fuel experience have a giant head start over those with stick or MIG experience. It is a comparatively slow (some would say painful) process. Those desert race trucks with their miles and miles of pretty beads? Those shops have a guy or guys who do nothing all day except make those beads. Others do the fitting, coping, bending, and notching.
What I learned TIG on:
Sounds like a DC-3 on start-up, and has way more than 300 amps available. Some old timers claim they're more like 400 amps when flat to the floor. Even when not flat on the floor they can produce enough current to melt the cable inside of the water-cooled torch lead and leave a nasty scalding burn on your forearm. Easiest way to move one is a forklift.
FWIW, I've taught TIG and I find that folks with fresh Oxy-Fuel experience have a giant head start over those with stick or MIG experience. It is a comparatively slow (some would say painful) process. Those desert race trucks with their miles and miles of pretty beads? Those shops have a guy or guys who do nothing all day except make those beads. Others do the fitting, coping, bending, and notching.
thecriscokid
Explorer
I definitely like the sound of this little guy. It really would be nice to have a portable plug-and-play welder down the road.
I see TIG in my future, maybe not the right timing for the investment (time and coin)
computeruser
Explorer
Whatcha planning on welding? That's really going to be the determining factor. The second question is where you will be welding.
I went with a 110v Lincoln when I bought a welder a few years back, largely because I was living in an apartment at the time and I was welding on my patio. It is capable of doing 3/16" stuff in one pass with flux core wire, and only once has the duty cycle been an issue for me. Duty cycle may or may not be an issue for you, depending on the work you're doing. Note: a 110V machine REQUIRES 20A. 15A wiring and breaker won't work, it'll be tripping the breaker any time you turn the juice up. I run my welder off a portable generator, since I haven't run 110V/20A to my garage yet.
If you have 220V where you plan to work or if you're going to have to pull wire anyway, you'll probably want to go with 180A (or more) machine running on 220V. You can still power it off a generator if need be, but you'll have a lot more capacity at for the thicker materials.
Opie and his Lincoln 180A 220V built this:
I went with a 110v Lincoln when I bought a welder a few years back, largely because I was living in an apartment at the time and I was welding on my patio. It is capable of doing 3/16" stuff in one pass with flux core wire, and only once has the duty cycle been an issue for me. Duty cycle may or may not be an issue for you, depending on the work you're doing. Note: a 110V machine REQUIRES 20A. 15A wiring and breaker won't work, it'll be tripping the breaker any time you turn the juice up. I run my welder off a portable generator, since I haven't run 110V/20A to my garage yet.
If you have 220V where you plan to work or if you're going to have to pull wire anyway, you'll probably want to go with 180A (or more) machine running on 220V. You can still power it off a generator if need be, but you'll have a lot more capacity at for the thicker materials.
Opie and his Lincoln 180A 220V built this:
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This, to me, is one of the important signs of somebody who can actually TIG....if you just want functional welds without the "pretty", don't bother with a TIG, as the MIG will work just fine....
I'm just sayin'!
And as for those with gas welding experience, absolutely true. If somebody can master gas welding, than TIG will be a piece of cake. Admittedly, I suck at gas welding.
Spence
thecriscokid
Explorer
I have so many plans, skies the limits :Astrologist:
I have a small garage that I will use until I out grow it. I have been thinking of my first actual projects. You know, after a bunch of 91, 92, 95 degree (in the hopes of 90) "drills" and such.
My thought is to obviously do something low weight bearing. I think I will do some sliders out of square stock, bolt on. If they don't work as well as I hope, well, at least they don't have to far to fall...
I do have access to a large drill press and when my good friend gets back from Mining gold in Alaska, I will have a solid amount of full time fabricator knowledge.
IF he comes back...
I have a small garage that I will use until I out grow it. I have been thinking of my first actual projects. You know, after a bunch of 91, 92, 95 degree (in the hopes of 90) "drills" and such.
My thought is to obviously do something low weight bearing. I think I will do some sliders out of square stock, bolt on. If they don't work as well as I hope, well, at least they don't have to far to fall...
I do have access to a large drill press and when my good friend gets back from Mining gold in Alaska, I will have a solid amount of full time fabricator knowledge.
IF he comes back...
BigAl
Expedition Leader
Don't forget to save for all the other required tools. Grinders, chop saw, good drill bits, clamps, good saws-all, oxy-actlyene torch, etc... You are traveling down a slippery slope.:elkgrin: Once you reach the bottom, you'll be able to fix pretty much anythng. If you start with a nice 110 machine, you'll always be able to use it for something. If you out grow it there is nothing wrong with 2 machines.
R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
It's not necessarily about the pretty. There are other reasons to TIG. First of all, for $1800 OTD, I got a machine that will let me weld steel, alu, SS, etc. No spool guns or anything else required. The other advantage of TIG is the ability to do lap welds or butt welds with little or no filler needed, so clean-up or grind down is easier. You can use more heat with less filler for better penetration if you want. You can get full penetration in the middle of a weld, and back off at the edges so as not to burn through, no need to compromise on heat. Etc. etc. etc...
Yeah, MIG "works". But TIG works better. It's not necessary most of the time but... it has advantages beyond stack of dimes.
Besides, they have pulsing on the MIGs too now, so you can get stack of dimes from that now too, if you want.
Antichrist
Expedition Leader
Sorry, but that's nonsense. I've used stick welding steel a heck of a lot higher than 75' up, and have also used it welding high pressure piping in chemical plants, one of the largest boilers in the country and steam lines for heating plants. It's fine for all of those, and commonly specified for them. I've also welded 18ga steel with stick, though for that I prefer TIG or MIG. About the only stick I haven't done is downhill like they use for cross country pipelines.
I've also welded 6" sch 40 pipe in 6G with MIG and TIG, plus a ton of other stuff.
Stick is actually one of the best ways to learn to weld for developing your skills. You have to learn arc control.
Stick isn't as fast as MIG, and doesn't have the "coolness" factor, but you can't go wrong with it for most things people here would be welding.
gabepari
Explorer
Since no one can agree on the "holy grail" of welding :costumed-smiley-007
Might I offer this.... It's really all you need, Tig Shmig :sport_box
www.mightyputty.com
My $0.03 about the topic. Just get a Lincoln HD buzz box (110 volt flux core) and learn how to weld (just don't get a Harbor Freight deally). If you can't weld 1/4" with flux core, you're doing something wrong. Go through 100lbs of flux core wire, then get a bottle and a regulator. At this point you will get frustrated, put the flux core back in the buzz box and go buy a 250+ amp gmaw machine (Note: bottle and regulator are not wasted, they work on the big welder too, just don't buy one of those cute little hobby bottles)
My take is that you are not a welder, unless you are proficient in all processes. They are all equally important and have their place in industry. But for someone learning, you can't beat flux core.
A side note and plus for stick, it's a good skill to learn if you ever plan on doing trail side repairs...
Gabe "I just counted, I have more welders than underwear" Pari
Might I offer this.... It's really all you need, Tig Shmig :sport_box
www.mightyputty.com
My $0.03 about the topic. Just get a Lincoln HD buzz box (110 volt flux core) and learn how to weld (just don't get a Harbor Freight deally). If you can't weld 1/4" with flux core, you're doing something wrong. Go through 100lbs of flux core wire, then get a bottle and a regulator. At this point you will get frustrated, put the flux core back in the buzz box and go buy a 250+ amp gmaw machine (Note: bottle and regulator are not wasted, they work on the big welder too, just don't buy one of those cute little hobby bottles)
My take is that you are not a welder, unless you are proficient in all processes. They are all equally important and have their place in industry. But for someone learning, you can't beat flux core.
A side note and plus for stick, it's a good skill to learn if you ever plan on doing trail side repairs...
Gabe "I just counted, I have more welders than underwear" Pari