New Welding thread! Last one died from lack of posting. New questions:

Well I'm certified unlimited thickness dual shield, but the thickest I've done is 3 inches full pen welds. They take days. I'm a huge fan of inner shield wires and I can put down beads that rival tig welds with .45

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I mostly weld small stuff so nothing worth mentioning.
I'll probably be a fitter for a huge shipyard starting late spring though.

I'm still undecided if I prefer stick or TIG, I love them both for hugely different reasons. I also really like flux-core.
In short I just dislike MIG.

>>1085809
Inner shield? Do you mean FCAW?

Also what is dual shield? Is it like a slag weld+ gas?

I'm only a hobbyist welder but thickest I've done is 1/2" plate

Just did my first mig welding today when my crappy stick welder wasn't getting deep enough penetration

>>1085823
I prefer tig and I've never even done it, I just sit behind other welders doing it and it's just so relaxing, noting like the POP POP POP OF A mig or the constant sticking of a stick

>>1085826
Not him but inner shield is self-protected flux-core wire, so no need for gas and you can use it outside no problem.
Dual shield is another kind of wire that produces slag but needs gas to ensure a better protection and transfer.
Both are subtypes of FCAW.

I've only ever tried dual shield but with the settings cranked up it's almost scary how much penetration it has.

>>1085830
Cool, I've got a little crappy AC flux core machine I'm working on turning into a DC electropositive machine, I should get it up and running and plumb it to be able to run with supplemental shielding gas

>>1085838
*electronegative

>>1085826
Yeah fcaw. And dual shield is gas and granular flux in most cases

Yay or nay?
https://peoria.craigslist.org/tls/5881353521.html

There is never welders for sale around here. I currently have a 120v Hobart mig, been looking for a stick machine. Still very new to welding

>>1085799
>ftc
>not vex
Stars aren't that bad...

>>1086315
Yay if it's still in good working condition.
Learning stick can be a pain but as far as welding goes it's pretty much the most useful skill you can get.

OP u hab 2 sELL thread.
No1 will post if u advertise urself as something other than an all knowing coolass, not outside of /r9k/ at least.

To contribute though, my brother is a welder. And AND my roomie is a welder. Imagine that, huh?

>>1086330
Yeah... No...

>>1086330
We use a mix of both Vex and Tetrix. In fact we just had our state qualifier competition. My team got hosed by bad alliances, where 3 out of 5 of our teammates had robots that failed to move the entire match. It was a shitshow culminating in a freshman having a total meltdown tantrum.

>>1086360
Wtf is this post?

Shouldn't you be in one of your containment boards?

>>1086783
I think he was high when he wrote that post

>>1086779
Some rich private school teams came to the first league meet with a pre built chassis that they bought, yet their robot still failed to move. At some point you wonder how the hell teams can be so bad

>>1086315
offer 125, but $150 is fine too

the leads are probably $50+
ac/dc miller stick probably $100

if you don't have a 50A 220v outlet, add ~$40 to your expenses for an outlet + wire + breaker (assuming it's ~5-10 ft from your breaker box)

>>1086960
Yeah, we were practically building and programming our alliance team's robots right before the match, but we never had enough time to rectify all the problems

>>1085799
No it died because it hit the bump limit.

I'm working on getting my 3G stick cert with 7018, I've got everything down but my fucking cover pass is always just a little too high. Anyone got tips to avoid that?

Inhaled too much argon today. Anyone have experience getting it out of the lungs? Tried the upside down trick but it didnt do much.

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A local place has a Lincoln Electric AutoPro 90S on sale for $99 (half price) on Black Friday. I can't find reviews of this thing fucking ANYWHERE but I'm guessing it's sold under other names as well.

I haven't welded anything since about twelve years ago in HS shop class, but there's always kinda been a desire to get back into it in the back of my mind. Is this thing gonna be complete and utter shit or would it be okay for someone cash-strapped who just wants to fuck around with it a little? Cheap is good, but not if it's gonna end up being useless junk by the second time I go to use it.

Alternatively, good options for budget welders for someone who's only looking at it as a hobby? I don't have access to anything other than 120V, so I gotta have a unit that'll work on that either way.

>>1087686
Move more quickly across from edge to edge but remember to pause for a sec on the edges so u will not get undercut

>>1088138

Deep breathing and hyperventilation.

>>1088224
It's a POS, don't expect anything you weld to hold under any stress. Fun if you just want to fuck around though

>>1088138
New TIG welder here
How do you know you inhaled too much argon?

>>1085838
>>1085849
Innershield is a Lincoln electric brand. Innershield wire is a flux cored wire that does not require the use of a shielding gas.
Outershield is also a Lincoln Electric brand. Outershield is a flux cored wire which requires the use of a shielding gas.
All FCAW-SS wires (flux cored self shielded) use DCEN. All FCAW-G wires use DCEP., same as solid wire.

It would be advisable to make it so your machine is capable of easily reversing the electrode polarity to suit the desired welding process.
You may find a welder with raw rectified DC has a very harsh arc, it may be advisable to add a smoothing capacitor(s). For small machines 20000uF would make a noticeable difference.

If you are intending on running solid wire you may also find you need to add some series inductance however you may not notice it so much with flux cored wire.

I've welded together a bunch of stuff in the past including a way too sturdy table (heavy) that I still use, would be cool to have my own MIG machine but I don't know anything about them.

>>1088318
I wasn't planning on doing anything heavy-duty with it, no. Maybe weld a few bits and pieces for the ghetto forge I've been working on putting together I guess, but I don't even know exactly what else I'd do with it off the top of my head. Mostly just thinking of getting it because I enjoyed the little welding I've done and wanted to do more.

It's dirt cheap, but I still didn't want to waste the money if it was a completely pointless purchase because it was just -that- much of a POS. I'm trying to get away from my habits of buying too-cheap tools.

>>1085799
FIRST bois

>>1088336
Already got the caps for it, good idea with the reversible bit

>>1088357
Yeah, I am my team's resident senior. Robotics is a blast

>>1088319
Shortness of breath, coughing, the feeling of drowning. Argon displaces the air in the lungs, too much can cause asphyxiation. In hindsight I probably should have opened the shop doors but it was too cold.

>>1088224
I have a 220v miller.
It only pulls 17 amp max so I can plug it into a standard 30 amp dryer outlet.

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>>1088444
>already consistently feel all of these things a lot of the time because of a very shitty back

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New weldor(amateur) here.

I fixed my brother's wife's son's toy hoe today. It's the first thing I've actually fixed with a welder before.

>>1089171
damn did you try to clean the area with a knife?

>>1089171
>(amateur)
I can see that

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Just sold my 230amp migomag and bought this three phrase 350 amp smootharc welder from BOC for $3400. did i do gud?

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>>1089416
How'd I do? Any tips?

1/2

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>>1090592
2/2

>>1090595
What motion do you make when you welded it?

>>1090701
Second was just a straight push. Only about 2 inches long and the paint kept catching on fire and blocking my view so I had to stop in the middle

The first one I was trying to do circles but again shit kept catching on fire so I couldn't see.

They are ramps for my trailer but for some reason they were only originally welded on the corners which you can see in the second pic. The one in the first pic broke off earlier today while loading a friends truck so I decided to renforce all the others. Pretty new at welding so I'm not sure if I did good enough for them to hold but honestly it's the best welds I've been able to do yet so I'm fairly happy with the results

>>1090707
You simply can't weld well when you can't see.
Just grind the bit you need to weld beforehand.

You'll need to learn how to adjust your settings too but that'll come with experience.

>>1090716
>You'll need to learn how to adjust your settings too but that'll come with experience.
Forgot to mention that you'll probably have a chart somewhere on your welder where it'll state the optimal settings for different thicknesses. There are also apps and stuff that do that.

>>1090707
I did clean it a bit with a flap disc then used a wire brush to try and clean up what I couldn't reach but don't think I got it quite good enough.

So far I'm just going by the chart to set everything which seems to work alright but I think the wire speed was maybe a little too fast. I need to find more pieces to practice with, mostly just have thin sheet metal laying around which doesn't seem to be very good to learn with

>>1090720
As a general rule grind stuff until you see 100% metal on the surface and even one inch away from what will be the weld if that isn't an issue.

>have thin sheet metal
How thin? I'm not a huge fan of MIG but one of its key advantages is that it can weld a huge variety of thicknesses.

>>1090725
The last piece I used was 18ga and I just kept burning through it. Was thinking something thick that's not so easy to burn through might be easier to learn with

>>1090728
It is easier but knowing how to weld thin stuff is a good skill to have in my opinion, eventually.

>>1090730
I'm hoping to eventually get fairly good at everything. For now I'm just happy being able to save a little money welding on my tractors and other equipment rather then paying someone but eventually being able to actually build shit would be nice

>>1090728
The best advice I can give is other than turning your settings down, try moving just a little faster on thinner stuff if you're burning through, it should help

>>1085799
I'd like to learn welding, as I have a couple projects (oven BBQ grill, for example) that require it. Should I learn arc? People seem to recommend it over MIG

>>1088444
argon is heavier than air if you were breathing it in you would be dead by now your feeling all the smoke from not wearing a respirator

>>1090841
My understanding is that stick is far more versatile. You can work outside easier, don't have to clean up the material as much or even at all in a pinch and the welders are quite a bit cheaper. Downsides are it's a little harder to learn, you have to keep changing sticks, more splatter and you have to chip off all the slag. Stick also doesn't seem to work very well on thin material but I've seen pros make it work very well so it can be done

>>1087686
>>1088314
This. Or you might be filling too much I see it a lot with newer welders.

>>1089171
Bottom half of the left weld looks aight. Do that to the whole thing next time lol

Hey guys, just a curious bystander here, but I have a question:

How long can one comfortably weld before your eyes start to get Flash Burn? Are the fumes very annoying or dangerous? Thanks for your time and input.

>>1091609
Eyes don't get tired if you adjust the shade correctly.

Fumes are only bad on galvanized steel.

As to it being annoying? well idk about others but I kinda enjoy the smell of burning rod.

>>1091609
Anyone that can properly and truly answer most of those questions cant be considered competent in any way. I personally love the smell of welding, from that ozone smell of spray transfer mig to the indescribable smell of stick

>>1091669

So you never see the problem in the professional trade where welders are getting flash burn or negative health effects from the smoke?

>>1091674
Fumes maybe if you don't have decent ventilation but in a shop setting they'll usually have fume extractors and such. As for getting flashed it should NEVER happen with any decent and properly setup helmet

>>1091678

I see. So eye strain and fumes shouldn't be a problem.

>>1091680
I'm pretty new to welding but I've spent a good couple of hours fucking around with pieces of scrap and haven't noticed any effects. Of course It wasn't continuous(wouldn't be in a shop either) as I had to spend a little time grabbing new pieces to setup but it was only 5-10 min between. Biggest problem I had was my hand starting to cramp up

>>1091417

>Or you might be filling too much
I think this is it, how much space should I be leaving before I do my cover?

>>1091669
>indescribable smell of stick
There's a class that goes at the same time as mine and all they're using is 6010, that shit smells so fucking good it makes me want to just grab some and fuck around with it

>>1091674
If you are letting yourself get flashed all the time, and not welding in a well ventilated area, you are clinically retarded

>>1091674
These days to get flashed you pretty much need to do it on purpose.
Even clear safety glasses protect your eyes from UV rays.

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So I'm a production aluminum TIG welder right now. They said it was for 6 months but I may or may not become permanent after that.
I'm insanely curious in general so I figured I could take that as an opportunity to try other sectors and types of work.

One of the things I'd like to try is being a fitter for big projects and if possible to work outside sometimes so I was wondering if you guys had any ideas about types of industries that could be nice.
I could already have opportunities at a shipyard, at a shop that works on mining equipment and maybe a place that makes tanks and piping for the oil industry but if you have other thoughts I'm all ears.

>tfw you thought the thing about the young guys who act like they're welding gods coming straight out of school were just old whiny welders stories
>tfw they actually exist

Jesus Christ

>>1091961
Fitters are cucks. A poster in a previous thread put it very well: Anyone who goes through all the trouble to fit things together, then let someone else weld it, is like fingering your wife until she's wet, then letting Tyrone rail her into the ground

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>>1091981
But I really like reading plans and fitting

>>1091981
>le pol memeword
okay
any actual argument

Is it possible to get into welding/fabricating for relative cheap?

I currently have nothing, so I'd need to buy all of the following:
>welding machine
>material to weld together
>hood
>shielding gas
>grinder or something to cut material with
>possibly more

I really want to learn on my own, but it seems so expensive.

>>1092146
You don't need shielding gas when you stick weld, which is the welding process that'll give you the most bang for your buck by far.
You can get away with a full setup for less than 500 dollarydoos.

>>1092146
>buying material to weld together
Shit, just find a dumpster behind any business that works with lots of metal. Chances are they'll just give it away because of how cheap scrap is right now.

Buy a dewalt 4.5" grinder, cheap as possible, should be around 50 or 60 bucks.

>>1092146
Grinders are cheap
Helmet will run around $100-150 for a decent auto dim
You could start with stick which is by far the cheapest. If you want to start with MIG youll wanna spent around $1000 for a decent unit.
The gas is relatively cheap but the tank is expensive. You can either rent or buy a tank, buying is more expensive initially but cheaper long term

Really for a decent MIG setup including buying the tank, wire, helmet ect you're looking close to $2000. Stick would be more in the $800 range by the time you got everything plus a decent stock of various rods

>>1092146
>welding machine
AC stick welder. Watch for one on craigslist or get a lincoln tombstone for $350.
>material to weld together
As other anon said, hunt for scrap. You may have some local steel suppliers that sell scraps and end cuts by the pound. Do NOT go to a big box store to buy steel, the mark up is absurd.
>hood
Hobo freight hoods can be had on sale for under $40. They aren't fancy but they work.
>grinder or something to cut material with
Don't cheap out here. Go with a name brand grinder and consumables. Cheap grinders bog down when cutting metal and cheap cut off wheels tend to come apart before they wear out.
>possibly more
>electrodes
Around $20 per 5 pound box. All you need to keep in stock are 6011 and 7018.
>welding gloves
Economy grade gloves can be had for under $10. Good ones run $20-$30.
>jacket or sleeves
Sleeves will work until you start doing overhead.
>safety glasses
If you don't already own some what are you doing here?
This is what you'll need to get started. Once started you'll slowly accumulate an arsenal of clamps, magnets, hammers, measuring tools, grinders, consumables and all sorts of other shit that you never knew you needed.

I always feel dumb when I look at these kind of threads, I did this for 2 years in a factory but they never taught me any of the actual terms.
Of course I was also too lazy to look them up my self.
Oh well, at least my welds didn't look bad.

>>1092280
To be fair if I hadn't attended trade school I wouldn't have learned them either.

>>1091609
>How long can one comfortably weld before your eyes start to get Flash Burn?
If you're properly using a modern welding helmet (100% protection from UV and IR whether darkened or not), indefinitely.

>Are the fumes very annoying
Depends largely on what you're doing, ventilation conditions, and personal sensitivity. TIG in a welding booth with a fume extractor? Virtually no one would find the fumes annoying. Stick on a painted and galvanized pipe in a closed garage? A lot of people would find it annoying.

or dangerous?
TIG is generally safe with even minimal ventilation, but ozone can build up in enclosed spaces. You'll know before it reaches dangerous concentrations.

MIG produces more metal fumes, which is mostly a problem if you're welding stainless (don't breathe chrome), but basic ventilation measures can take care of that.

Stick and flux core produce large amounts of smoke that's not very good for you, but it's not a huge deal. They should have better ventilation than MIG - either open air circulation or a fume extractor. A dust mask / particulate respirator can help cut down on what you'll blow out your nose later.

Regardless of method, welding certain metals can produce hazardous vapors. Zinc is an irritant but not dangerous. Chrome is a carcinogen, but mostly not an issue with basic ventilation (be careful when plasma cutting stainless though). Cadmium is horribly dangerous, and you should avoid working with it, though welding something cadmium-plated would be safe under a fume hood. Avoid working with mystery metal unless precautions are in place, and research metals you're not familiar with before working with them.

>>1091699
>6010, that shit smells so fucking good
Cellulose-based flux. Actual smoke instead of just vaporized minerals. Rutile flux isn't as pleasant.

>>1092375
>Zinc is an irritant but not dangerous
m8 zinc in high concentrations is toxic as fuck
Ever heard of metal fume fever aka zinc shakes?

>>1090869
https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/0151.pdf

Pls read hazard summary. That bit above the "higher levels".

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Some people don't take pride in their work.

>>1092614
Jesus fucking Christ
How did this happen

>>1092768
That tube was welded by a robotic welder, it wasn't quite center so the robot undercut the weld from what I could gather.
It was part of my job to finish the part so that it could be sent to the paint line to be painted.
This was the previous shift's work looks like he just tack welded the section I outlined in grease marker.
I had gotten in the habit of checking the parts that were about to go to paint when my shift started because this was becoming pretty common.

That night I ended up just fixing the previous shifts fuck ups for half the night, it's much better to fix them before they got painted.

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>>1092784
>robotic welder
Robots can't weld for shit

>>1092796
Yes I know, it ran well enough 70% of the time. But problems like that were common, you have to check over the part after it's done to make sure it was fine.

When it was working well it did cut down on production time. Half my job was making sure it was running ok.

>>1092146
>>1092236
>>1092271
Helmets are cheap now.
You can buy an autodark from ebay for $25 that will outperform a $200 model from 5 years ago.
Lincoln tombstone you should be spending $50 for. They made 5 trillion of them and they suck.
Hell, I got a millermatic 220v with bottle and cart from the pawn shop for $400 (bottle was even half full). A 30amp dryer plug works great for it.

>>1092236
what planet do you live on that sells a decent mig setup for 1000$ you can hardly buy a decent wire feeder for that much let alone a power source thats not going to suck dick mig is not the way to go for someone learning go stick

>>1092843
i have heard MIG is dangerous for learning as it is not gonna show much sign of bad welds as stick does.

>>1092843
Plenty of decent MIGs around for $1000. Hobart 210MVP is currently $899. Add $100 for a helmet, $50 for a few spools of wire, and about $400 for gas if you buy the tank, less if you rent the tank. If you really want full leathers add another $100 or so

>>1092146
I spent

$50 AC welding machine
$70 Makita angle grinder
$35 auto darken hood
$5 gloves
$20 magnets
$15 sheet metal for welding table
$50 10lbs 6013

$245 so far

Also if your a cheap fuck and dont care about living then you can strip the ends of a 220 machine and wire them straight into your circuit braker without paying for a plug/new braker

>>1092846
You can practice and bend test your work. Real welding forums, and the Miller website training videos, will help. All you need to know lives on weldingweb and the Miller forums and website. Other sources exist but those are comprehensive and useful at any level of expertise. Welding threads here are for people too lazy to go to real welding forums.

not technically welding, but I bought a propane/propylene only torch (bernzo TS4000) and a can of mapp gas to go with it. Am I fukt?

>didn't weld as well or as fast as I would've wanted today
>slightly buttflustered
>will feel blueballed for the whole weekend

anybody else knows this feel

>>1092426
>metal fume fever aka zinc shakes
Metal fume fever is a general term for all fever-like conditions caused by metal fumes, not just zinc. Chrome also causes it, but since chrome is a carcinogen, that's what people care about. The shakes are a relatively uncommon acute effect that, like other flulike acute effects, fades whether or not exposure continues. No medically significant effects, no long-term effects, just short-term irritation comparable to a case of the flu. The only "toxic" effect of zinc is interfering with the absorption of copper and iron from food, and that's only from long-term use of a lot of zinc as a dietary supplement, which is treated as easily as reducing zinc intake.

>>1093178
>welding a little metal box to hold shit
>finish and take it home
>notice a spot that I fucked up
>can't fix it until tuesday
It's the worst feeling

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Welding noob here. My comfy chair just broke and it seems to be caused by a weld breaking. I just reupholstered it myself so i want to reweld it at my dads. Question : do i remove with a file the ild welding remains or just go on top of it and maybe the other side as well? Anything else to do as prep?

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>>1093811
Go ahead and file it off, you shouldn't need any additional prep as long as the area is clean. Be careful not to set the upholstery on fire though.

>>1085799
>New questions: What is the largest thing you have ever welded on,

Giant ass tank barges using dual shield

>what is your favorite process
micro tig :^)

>>1091981
You're only a cuck if you don't know how to fit stuff. Fitting is the hard part, welding is much simpler.

>>1093826
>>what is your favorite process
>micro tig :^)

cute

whats the current range for something like that

>>1093826
Damn that looks neat.
Could I get into that as a "normal" TIG welder or would I need additional qualifications?

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>>1085799
Pic related. Shitty 1950's jaw crusher. Mutherfucker is massive. Uses bushings instead of bearings it's so fucking old.

Haven't welded with much lately. Might is master race but air arc looks cool af.

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>>1091981
Lost.

That's fucking gold.

>>1094439
Air arc isn't welding and mig is for people who can't weld.

>What is the largest thing you have ever welded on
Some steel beams for a retirement home in El Salvador, when I just 'finished' learning how to weld.

>what is your personal favorite process
I find TIG fun, even if I can only do 2G reliably and 3G is hit or miss. Especially fun on Stainless Steel, whenever I get my hands on some of that.

>Spend all my time learning how to weld TIG and Stick
>go to look for welding work
>"Must know MIG"
>"Must be able to operate a MIG welder"
>"Knowledge and experience of MIG welding operations is required"


At least I can still have fun sticking scrap metal together in my yard...

>>1094764
m8 you could teach MIG to a fucking stray dog

>check wire feeder and gun
>set parameters using the chart until you know how to adjust them yourself
>pull trigger
>keep stickout short
>push puddle at a regular speed and angle
There you go.

If you know stick and TIG then MIG is not gonna be a problem for you.

>>1094764

>>1094790 is right, especially after learning stick assuming you're not fucking terrible MIG is like child's play

>>1094790
>>1094810
Guess I will have to start looking for a cheap MIG machine to start practicing then.

>>1094448
Wtf ever m8. I never used an air arc so I'm guessing it cuts then? And might = master race over Jenkins off with 699 rods.

Where do you find work if your only experience is in the shop at trade school

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Little tiny stump anvil im doing just to see if it'll hold up. Farriers rasp that was welded to some mild steel with a mig gun. I did it at my schools welding shop with someone else's welder so i cant say the setting i had.

We havent had alot of shop time this year unfortunately so im still meh.

Thats no excuse for the garbage weld around the round stock though.

>>1094999
Depends a lot on your local job market m80

Production/manufacturing shops tend to be more relaxed on requirements. That's what I'm doing right now until I have enough experience and go into custom work.

You could just go on an internship/free tryout week at a shop you're interested in and if you show you're a valuable worker they'll probably be interested in hiring you.

Anyone have any ideas/tips for building a welding table? Don't like the size or cost of the ones you can buy. Was thinking something like a 3x5 sheet of 1/8th for the top and angle iron legs.

>>1096611
Do pretty much what you want m8
It depends on what you're gonna be making though, 1/8th could warp a lot and it's much better to keep your welding table as flat as possible

>>1096616
I don't really do anything that requires a really flat surface. Mostly just fix farm shit that I break. Usually I work outside but it'd be nice to have a decent table inside for smaller stuff

>>1094810
Short stickout only works on short circuit transfer. Every other MIG process requires at least 3/4 inch of stickout

>>1096836
That's still pretty short m80

>>1090728
Turn the amps right down (some mig sets go lower than others, but 20 amps would be nice).

Also, if it's real thing then don't try runs, just individual spots that eventually join up, it's easy this way.

>>1093811
You're not gonna have any joy with that unless you're a pretty good welder and know about the processes you're using. I would call it scrap myself

>>1094442
What is this thing? Is it an amusement park like Google says?

>>1094880
So mad.

It's more gouging than cutting

>>1096611
>Anyone have any ideas/tips for building a welding table?

Yes. Visit welding forums and look at the many very cool examples of custom tables for ideas.

>>1088357
FTC is so fucking annoying omg

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Filling in a 20mm deep 45°degree bevel

Can anyone recommend a cheap stick welder that isn't a complete piece of shit?

Out of the processes I've done stick is my favorite so I'd like to be able to fuck around with it at home, but I can't afford to blow a shit ton of money on a welder

>>1098118
Depends what you want to do.

You can get an AC 'buzzbox' for next to nothing that will weld fine, albeit not as smoothly as a DC unit, and somewhat more agricultural.

If you want something easier to use, smoother, more compact, and generally nicer, then look for a half decent DC inverter welder. Doesn't need to be anything special, just a decent brand preferably, and aim for 160-200 amps. Even the ultra cheap Chinese ones are OK, but they tend to have low duty cycles, so just do some reading.

>>1085799
SCWI, CWB welding supervisor. 6gr SMAW, GMAW, GTAW unlimited. I once did 24" submerged arc weld 20ft long at Oakland ship yards, they don't use that process very much anymore. Look up double keyhole plasma welding. Single pass up to 3" 100% pen. Or explosive dissimiliar welding the Navy is using for ship armor now. Both of those weld types are automated.

>>1096611
Get a piece of the heaviest plate you can find/work with for a decent price that's both big enough for what you anticipate doing and perfectly flat. Make a steel frame for it to rest on, but only weld it on lightly (to avoid warping). Consider features like an out-of-the-way ground clamp attachment point, and spots to hold the torch/gun/stinger, extra filler, tools, clamps, magnets, etc.

For general use, a mild steel work surface is probably best. If you'll be working with a lot of stainless, solid stainless or a sheet of stainless over carbon steel plate would help reduce contamination. Don't use aluminum (steel spatter and abrasive dust can embed themselves and cause trouble).

1/8" for the top is a bit light, but it would probably work all right with a stiffening frame to hold it flat. Even if you don't anticipate needing a flat surface, it's nice to have in case you ever want to build something on it.

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>>1097672
This sure does look eerily similar to the place I work at, but then again I'm sure a ton of industrial plants all have the same ol' orange Toyotas, blue Millers, and yellow and blue painted equipment.

>>1099090
Broadwind?

I need quality tables for my grinder. And i want to get one of those super neat belt conversion things. Any recommendations for a non chink freight?

>>1099125
Nah, I work at an aluminum plant.

The picture just felt weird to look at, like someone was in your house taking pictures of the inside just because it all looks so familiar.

>>1086315
Yay. Miller make excellent machines and all their old manuals are available for free download at their website which has training videos and a great forum.

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>>1097672
You doing that by hand? Wouldn't it be more economic doing a plate that long with sub-arc

I think i want to upgrade to a TIG for restoration work.

What should i look for in a good machine for home use? I've only ever used stick and fcaw so this is new grounds for me.

>>1100455
This machine is king.
2016 AHP AlphaTIG 200X 200 Amp IGBT AC DC Tig/Stick Welder with PULSE 110v 200v https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00REX6USW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_Rj.vyb4PX91CB

It is the cheapest machine for multi process tig/stick and ac/dc. Sure there are cheaper welders out there but not with the ability to do both sst/mild st and aluminium.

I broke my ESAB smashweld 250.
Just bought a water-cooled 350A three-phase (all the proper welding machines are three-phase over here) mig/mag welder. Can't remember the brand as I just got it (50€!) but it's a Norwegian old quality brand.

Also a Wallius stick/TIG combo for free. Was a good day. Also (obviously!) three-phase...

Just sharing my good feels here!

What is the best/cheapest SMAW welding machine?

>>1101170
This seems to perfect to be true. I'll have to see about installing a 220v plug. But otherwise this looks great.