Welding

>>1165537
If its a stick welder itll be good for any mild steel projects, Considering you get the right rod for the steel thickness etc.

>>1165537
If you get a Mig welder. You need bottled gas or fluxcore wire which gets a little more complicated but its worth learning anything man

>>1165571
If you're doing stick, you can do much much cheaper and still good. Don't get a crappy MIGable and then stick weld with it. Get a semi-descent stick-only inverter welder for $150.

>>1165582
Oh, that *is* stick only. And it's a cheapy stick. And it's still somehow $500.

Here: http://a.co/eoByKRM
Used one, it does not suck.

Welder here.
For DIY on a budget, stick is 100% the way to go.
Cheap MIG/FC is just downright terrible and nowhere near as versatile as stick.

You might upgrade to TIG eventually if you start doing aluminum (aluminum MIG is a pain in the ass and of quite mediocre weld quality anyway) or more fancy projects but that'll be a noticeable step-up financially.

>>1165603
Agreeing with this. MIG is fast, but if you're a DIYer and you want versatility, stick for everything, and once you have the $$$, TIG for everything you can't do with stick (aluminum).
Unless you're a pro who has to lay down welds as fast as you can go for 8 hours a day, skip MIG entirely.

>>1165612
(and if you're a rank beginner, stick is going to be more frustrating than MIG for a little while. You *will* figure it out. Don't let crappy results the first day put you off. Second day will be better. So will third, and so on.)

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I have the 80 amp 110v of this same chinese welder. $500 is way too much for this, you're paying for the yellow paint and the ESAB logo. This is an older inverter design and it's picky about electrodes, no cellulose rods like 6010 or 6011. You can TIG weld with it but it's DC only, so no aluminum. Plus you can't use a foot pedal so it limits the TIG features even further. If you're willing to spend that kind of money, and have room for it, I think you's be better off getting a dual voltage AC/DC Lincoln tombstone. It's a transformer so it will have a stronger arc force than cheaper inverters and it will likely outlive you. You can get a TIG torch that clamps into the stinger, still no foot pedal but you'll have AC.
>Cheap MIG/FC is just downright terrible and nowhere near as versatile as stick.
Low amp 110v migs work well for 20g sheet metal up to 1/4". Self shielded flux core is a nasty process but with practice you can make some quality welds even on rusty or painted material. Most little MIGs now support spool guns, which in some cases are quicker and easier than TIG for welding aluminum.
Also you can DC stick weld aluminum in the flat position but it really sucks.

>>1165669
>Low amp 110v migs work well for 20g sheet metal up to 1/4".
Yeah that's what I meant, nowhere near as versatile for DIY, which usually hangs around 1/8-1/4 thickness for most general fabrication projects.
Enjoy waiting five minutes between each weld because of their shitty duty cycle.

>>1165669
>It's a transformer so it will have a stronger arc force than cheaper inverters
literally wat

>>1165701
Arc force is an increase in current as arc length gets short. It is generally more useful than not, but nicer machines can adjust it.

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>>1165701
Probably not the right words to describe it. Some machines have adjustable arc force which allow you to change between soft/shallow and crisp/digging. In my experience, running a 7018 on a cheap inverter produces very nice smooth beads with little to no spatter but it's not hard to extinguish the arc in the slag while welding. Transformer/rectifiers at the same amps using the same rod will keep the arc going even in you rest the flux on the base metal. It's a subtle but if you set up an inverter, a tranformer and an engine drive and ran the same weld you could tell a difference.

Thanks dudes, I have a shitload of homework to do evidently but it's obvious this is a total ripoff. Going to scour the local secondhand site for equipment but maybe sign up for a welding night course first

>>1165749
>misread welding night course think it says 'wedding night' course.

Thinking who gives courses on wedding night performances and what has this got to do with welding.

Can TIG do everything stick does and which is better? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both?

>>1165756
Hah well here in Ireland you do (or did until recently) have to do a wedding course with a priest before getting married

Fuckin church

Anyway, back to basics - looks like we got ourselves a good old welding general

>>1165767
Alright here we go

>TIG
Pros:
>in my opinion the most fun process
>you're in complete control of all aspects of your weld
>can weld a ridiculous amount of different metals and alloys
>excellent for thin sheet metal
Cons:
>hardest process to learn, takes much more skill than the other ones
>slow as fuck
>not really suited to thick metal although you can take a really long time to do multiple large welds (wouldn't recommend to a beginner)
>finicky as fuck, the pieces you weld must be absolutely fucking pristine to result in optimal weld quality (even mill scale on mild steel isn't supposed to be there)
>expensive because of consumables and equipment
>can't do it outdoors and even indoors the smallest air movement can fuck your shit

>stick
Pros:
>feels badass and old-school
>as simple and cheap as it gets
>strong high quality welds when you're halfway competent
>don't have to worry about gases
>can weld anywhere without a problem
>can do really thick stuff (although past a certain point multiple passes can be needed)
Cons:
>aluminum stick blows (pretty limited in variety of metals in general)
>smokier than a southern tailgate party
>you can make a complete box of rods unusable just by dropping it
>not the best fit for sheet metal
>electrode can stick a lot and be a pain in the ass, especially for a beginner (I get mad as fuck when that happens)

I know I'll think of at least a couple aspects I forgot about three seconds after posting but that's the gist of it.

>>1165776
Whoah awesome thanks dude

Am I right in saying "stick" is basically the type of welding that isn't MIG or TIG or gas-helpered?

>>1166338
SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding)- Stick, often incorrectly just called arc welding
GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding)- MIG (Metal Inert Gas), wire welding, solid wire gas shielded either short circuit or spray transfer
GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding)- TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas), old timers call it heliarc

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>>1166338
Yeah stick uses the coated electrodes that look like pic related.

>>1165669
Bruh, you cannot ac tig with that machine. No high frequency

>>1166511
High frequency is nice but not needed.
Most older TIG units ran at the same Hz as the supply voltage.

Be it death, pizza, or diy. Tombstone is always the answer

>>1166872
if you ever consider aluminum scratch start tig, a miller/hobart crank type stick machine is better

what do you actually want to weld?

when it comes to cost vs performance stick is the answer but sucks ass on thin metals and you have to chip off the slag left over. changing electrodes is also a bit annoying especially if you happen to completely run out in the middle of a job. there's also far more smoke blocking your vision and of course you're also inhaling some of that smoke

MIG(wire fed) is more costly to get into but also much easier to learn. it can weld thin and thicker metals so much better for something like body work although not as good as TIG on really thin metals. there's no electrodes to change just a spool of wire which will last quite a bit longer. if you use flux core wire you'll still have the slag and smoke issue you get with stick. with solid wire you can make nice clean welds with no slag and far less smoke but you also need gas. for the gas you can rent a tank to keep upfront costs lower or simply bite the bullet and buy a tank. using gas + solid wire is generally cheaper then a box of electrodes and will go quite a bit further. flux core wire is a bit more expensive and works out to be about the same cost as electrodes

whatever you go with i'd suggest looking for something around 200amp, really just get the biggest unit your budget will allow. even if you don't need it now you might later then you'll regret buying some tiny unit. bigger units also tend to have a better duty cycle which will be even better if you're not using it's full capacity. make sure you buy something you can easily get consumables for, nothing is worse then needing a new tip or nozzle on your MIG and not having a shop within a reasonable distance to get supplies. same goes for the helmet, fucking your lens and not being able to replace it really sucks

>>1165537
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009X43F38
this will last you forever
we use it all the time and it's been many years

>>1166982
too small. the 210MVP is a lot better sized and due to being able to use 115v and 230v is far more versatile.

Lincoln also has an all in one unit the same size with dual voltage but it's a little pricey. would be a great unit for anyone wanting to try out each process without needing different machines. it's likely not as good as a dedicated unit though

>>1166527
Trust me. I own that same machine and have tried it. You might get lucky and strike an arc one time out of ten but you will be inconsistent and your finished product will look like shit with all of your arc marks. I'm a professional welder and I do know how to tig.

>>1166987
>far more versatile
barely, considering you can make either supply voltage with either supply voltage.. there's almost no difference.

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>>1165769
>looks like we got ourselves a good old welding general

I read that in my head to the tune of C.W. McCall's Convoy

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5ZLJWQmss

Captcha: point road

>>1167528
Are you fucking retarded? There's a huge difference between welding with 115v and 230v

>>1167687
yea, nobody said there wasn't..

Anyone ever use Radnor flux cored mig wire?
Just picked up a Millermatic 211 today, and it's the only wire they sold. Googling has mixed results on Radnor's material, leaning towards the negative. I have no mig experience, so I feel this may be a bad choice to make some large crucible tongs with--if it's shit, it adds more variables for failure, and failure means I'm going to be standing in a few inches of shattered crucible and molten metals.

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>>1168506
Pic related.

>>1168506
>>1168508
never even heard of that brand. i mostly use Hobart and Lincoln since they are reasonably priced and can be found in a lot of big box stores here

>>1168526
Pretty sure it's an Airgas house brand.

>>1165603
>aluminum MIG is a pain in the ass and of quite mediocre weld quality anyway
It's not a pain in the ass if you have the right equipment and aren't a total beginner. It's harder than welding steel for sure. In my experience, with pulsed MIG welding and the right settings you can produce decent-looking welds even on somewhat thin aluminum. MIG is better suited for thick aluminum though, I'd use TIG for thinner ones.

>>1165603
aluminum is actually pretty damn good with a properly setup MIG. i won't do it myself as i very rarely need to weld aluminum so it's not worth getting the extra gas, wire, and spool gun but with the right setup it's fine.

friend is a professional welder(40 years on the job) and has pretty much everything you can think of so i just get him to do any aluminum. he welded a cast aluminum step for me a few years back using a miller 180 MIG and it's held up just fine even with my fat ass stepping on it nearly every day

>>1168506
I've used thei E71T-11 wire with no problems. Some users report otherwise with other fillers.

You can order other wires from your local welding supply or online. Radnor quality varies but you can buy anything you need online if your local welding supply doesn't carry it. It's odd to have an Airgas (presumably where you got Radnor wire) that doesn't carry other flux core wire, but they can certainly order it. Check their online catalog. My Airgas is pretty good but local welding suppliers (abbreviated LWS in most forums) vary greatly.

Set up your machine using clean scrap of similar thickness to your workpiece.

Now go to real welding forums instead of this hellhole.

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard

https://www.millerwelds.com/resources

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTRI9Us8zLiywY29vsW3kKg

Miller machines are excellent. Before you build things, practice, practice, and practice more.

Weldingweb is outstanding. I have over 4000 posts there.

http://weldingweb.com/

You should study Weldingweb posts about buying used gas cylinders so you can add the option of MIG. FCAW is good for many things. I use both.

Real welding forums have a MUCH better signal to bullshit ratio than 4chan. Go there. Everyone else should too. I basically post in welding threads to point people to solid resources.

>>1165537
ESAB make good machines. I suggest comparing them to other options from Hobart, Miller, Lincoln and Thermal Arc if you live in the US.

Pull up the spec sheet thusly.

http://www.esab.co.uk/gb/en/products/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.product&productCode=431027&tab=1

Then do so for other machines. 180 amps is a good range for most hobby work. I wouldn't buy anything lower. You aren't likely to outgrow 180 amps for hobby work. Stick and TIG are a versatile combo.

Welders will serve you many years so I don't cheap out on new ones. ESAB customer service is well regarded.

If you plan on doing a lot of sheet metal you'll want a MIG, but I'd get a stick/TIG machine first for versatility.

Industry standard scratch start TIG rig thread:

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?38106-For-The-Can-I-TIG-With-My-Welder-People

A welder is an answer to the question of what you want to weld. Spend a few evenings reading to get a feel for your options.

>>1165537
I've been thinking about getting into welding. I worked construction for years as a carpenter, and through that time I saw many times where being able to weld woulf have really benefited me. I also work on cars as a hobby/side hustle, same thing. I work in a refinery and everything is welded.

I got a million ideas of what I could do with a welder, but like every hobby I get into I gotta look at the practicallity. I get this nice welder, then what. I have a total of 2 projects that I could do. So should I buy a welder so I can half ass one of them and scrape by on the next? I don't think so. Eventually I will get one, but having one sitting around collecting dust and taking up space won't do anything but take money away from a hobby I'm already good at, where I can figure out a project in a couple of minutes if I'm just looking to kill some time.

But that's just me, I've already gotten into things that'll keep me busy, creative and fullfilled. I gurantee if i didn't start building furniture with the tools I already accumulated from working as a carpenter I would have considered picking up welding to make something more artistic that incorpoarated something like faux stone table tops and twisted wire to use for my tables.