New addiction - welding

[heath74]

Swaggers, for the last few years I've wanted to get a welder, and every second little job seemed to need to stick some metal together. But with  a shed full of tools I put it of, had mate help me, and made do with bolts.

However today I decided enough was enough, did my online research and decide that the 150 amp Gasless mig was for me, I decided on a ROSS unit at mitre 10 for $400. I made a final check of bunnings, masters and SCA. I headed in to mitre 10, and what do you know? marked down to $270. It was meant to be.

I've spent the afternoon in the shed making bits of metal stick to each other, it's not pretty, but I didn't blow anything up or burn myself.

I'm addicted, and can't stop thinking of the jobs I'm going to do now!

Who else loves to weld?

[lino6]

I got my arc welder 12 years ago. Back then MIG welders were well out of my price range. I am no good at welding, and tend to burn more holes than I patch! I usually have fin welding though. Would love a MIG but can't really justify having 2 when my arc does everything I need it to.

[MrHorsepower]

Please be careful what you weld with the small gasless mig, I have been a metal fabricator or 27 years and my opinion is that if you are going to have 1 welder make it an arc (stick) welder and learn how to use it...cheap gasless migs probably have their place but I dont know where that is. They just dont "stick" things together well enough for my liking. Michael...

[Elky]

I just got myself my 2nd mig......a big ass cig weld on runners, my first job was to build a new glass rack for the dmax, had a fabrication bloke check it out and he asked if I wanted a job......he said the welds were better than his hired help could do......high compliments I was happy to take

Welding with a mig is not hard just need practice

[dazzler]

It would take some learning to weld 1.6mm mild steel with a stick welder.  That is pretty tricky to do.

[heath74]

Please be careful what you weld with the small gasless mig, I have been a metal fabricator or 27 years and my opinion is that if you are going to have 1 welder make it an arc (stick) welder and learn how to use it...cheap gasless migs probably have their place but I dont know where that is. They just dont "stick" things together well enough for my liking. Michael...

So hold off on the helicopter just yet?

[Elky]

Yea gasless is ok.......until you weld with gas and see how much better it is

[CRW]

Please be careful what you weld with the small gasless mig, I have been a metal fabricator or 27 years and my opinion is that if you are going to have 1 welder make it an arc (stick) welder and learn how to use it...cheap gasless migs probably have their place but I dont know where that is. They just dont "stick" things together well enough for my liking. Michael...

Would you have a brand or model you could recommend for a novice please


Cheers
Carl
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[MrHorsepower]

It would take some learning to weld 1.6mm mild steel with a stick welder.  That is pretty tricky to do.

Some learning but not too much, points to practice  :Keep joints tight. :vary the amps so you can rest the rod on the metal (if you lift off too far you WILL blow through).
I dont hate Mig but I do use my stick welders more than the Mig...

[MrHorsepower]

Would you have a brand or model you could recommend for a novice please


Cheers
Carl
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

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If you are talking stick welders I have a $1000 plus stick welder(Fronius) and also a couple of cheap stick welders, CIGWELD Weldskill 130 with a 10 amp plug and UNIMIG 170 15 amp plug and would recommend either of these cheap welders. If you are talking Gasless MIG then anything 180 amps and up would be ok but cheap is NOT your friend when it comes to these I would not plan to spend less than $800...

[CRW]

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If you are talking stick welders I have a $1000 plus stick welder(Fronius) and also a couple of cheap stick welders, CIGWELD Weldskill 130 with a 10 amp plug and UNIMIG 170 15 amp plug and would recommend either of these cheap welders. If you are talking Gasless MIG then anything 180 amps and up would be ok but cheap is NOT your friend when it comes to these I would not plan to spend less than $800...

Thankyou


Cheers
Carl
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[MrHorsepower]

Yea gasless is ok.......until you weld with gas and see how much better it is

I personally would not use a gasless Mig, but I also understand $53.66 per quarter cylinder rental is not for everyone unless you are doing a fair bit of fab..

[Heavensent]

Love welding but my welder doing my head in.
Vic weld 135 gas/gasless mig.
Think its on its way out, can't get it to stay consistant with the wire cause constant cold welds.
Blown out liner, changed tips over and over again, one minute welds fine next it plays up.

But in saying that it has built 4 sets of sliders, modified my trailer and well as few other jobs here and there  not bad for a $345 welder, unfortaunly replacing any bits on it are nearly worth half the price of the welder, and nothing in the hand piece is relatable, whole new hand piece and lead at a nice price of $160 from memory.
Thankfully mate looking at upgrading so hopefully buy his old one of him.

[graham]

Good onya Heath ,start by glueing two pieces together , then break them apart , the harder this action is , the better your welding will be
I'm not that far away from you ,if you would like some pointers ,be more than happy to help
Like most things , ask away ,you may get the answer ,there are plenty of tricks in the welding game
Best piece of advice I can give you is prep work ,and always grind any paint,oil or such away
Again feel free to ask or come around
Cheers

[prodigyrf]

Would you have a brand or model you could recommend for a novice please


Cheers
Carl

If you can pick up a second hand WIA Weldmatic 150 they're a great machine and the hire mobs used to use them because the wire drive was robust and indestructible unlike the cheapies and remember the wire feeder is critical with migs-
http://www.weldingsupplies.net.au/wia.html
Don't think they're available new anymore as China Inc probably cut the guts out of that portable segment

[Aaron Schubert]

Good work mate. Welding is a very, very handy skill to know

Aaron

[achjimmy]

If you can pick up a second hand WIA Weldmatic 150 they're a great machine and the hire mobs used to use them because the wire drive was robust and indestructible unlike the cheapies and remember the wire feeder is critical with migs-
http://www.weldingsupplies.net.au/wia.html
Don't think they're available new anymore as China Inc probably cut the guts out of that portable segment

Great advice WIA  made great welding gear. All my welders have been ex hire. Hire companies would only purchase equipment capable of abuse and longlivety. It's excellent advice.  The other brand that performs is Lincoln.

[achjimmy]

If you ever see any of these old Abel's kicking around they make a great stick welder. Also theif proof because you can't pick them up lol.

Think dazzler had one for sale at one stage.

[fisher]

Who else loves to weld?

Its a great hobby.  I inherited a 40yo arc welder a couple of years back.  I started off trying to weld some thin tubing together and only managed to blow holes in the metal.  I decided I needed to practice A LOT, so started of doing a bit of 'art' with thick pieces of metal - pretty basic and ordinary, but it did teach me how to get the metal to actually stick together.  I was going to upgrade to mig, but figure I only use it half a dozen times a year, so best stick with what I have.

Since I got my camper I've made up a couple of items for the camp fire (metal grid and a billy pole) - pretty rough but very useable (character I call it).  I've also done some kayak racks, for the trailer.   I still burn holes in things, but not as often and not as severe.

Its a handy bit of kit to have in the shed - enjoy!

[grafy82]

I learnt on an old transarc stick welder. When funds permitted I bought an Esseti inverter stick welder ($1100) and after another year or so I came across a near new Lincoln 170 mig welder for the princely sum of $150  . I think most of the smaller cheapo migs only take the 1kg rolls of wire which is an expensive way to buy it compared to the 4.5kg rolls in the better migs.                                                         
   I think it is good to learn on a stick welder first. From my experience, which isn't vast, you can do a reasonably good looking weld with a mig but it can be crap underneath and weak whereas with a stick weld, it will either look ok and be ok or look crap and be crap aka, you'll know when you've stuffed it up (slag inclusion, etc). I did the frame work of my trailer with the stick and then all the body and fiddly bits with the mig. You can weld 1.6mm with a stick welder and 2.0mm rods quite easily on the flat, but a mig is so much easier for continuous vertical up welds.

[Elky]

my old man cant weld to save his life.......tho he tries lots! they hold together but look gruesome, so being his son naturally i try my best to NOT be like him! so everything i do i strive to do as professionally as possible, it sorta has backfired on me cuase now he brings all his stuff to me to weld!

[heath74]

Good onya Heath ,start by glueing two pieces together , then break them apart , the harder this action is , the better your welding will be
I'm not that far away from you ,if you would like some pointers ,be more than happy to help
Like most things , ask away ,you may get the answer ,there are plenty of tricks in the welding game
Best piece of advice I can give you is prep work ,and always grind any paint,oil or such away
Again feel free to ask or come around
Cheers

Thanks Graham, I may take you up on that! It's clearly the sort of thing that takes practice.

[graham]

Any time matey , bring the welder , and you can compare if you like
Cheers

[Brett B]

Been welding for 35 years and still like it 

[Big Tread]

I've got a gasless MIG and enjoy using it, but the welds are pretty rough.  I've been thinking of doing a course to help with technique etc. has anyone done a course for beginners in melbourne that they would recommend? Perhaps a few of us could get together for some group learning.