Newb...Welding...help...

[NeinH20]

Ok, I've welded for a couple years while I worked at an exhaust shop...and I never screwed with the mig, jsut picked up the gun, pulled the trigger, and let 'er fly.

Now I am restoring an 81 Rabbit truck (yes, i know this is an aircooled forum...but...i'm an aircooler..this water drippin stuff has me baffled) and need to do some welding. I have a millermatic 130 wire feed. I plan on running gas....but I need some suggestions. I don't know what kind of gas to run, what regulator to get, or what wire I need to get, if I even have to change from my rosin core...

I'll be welding sheetmetal, and thin wall steel or chomoly tubing. What do you guys suggest.

I'd ask at a watercooled site, like the vwvortex, but those guys are so rude... Thanks in advance.

[rlarkin]

I am not familliar with Miller equipment, but I will assume that the 130 comes with the gas solinoid already installed.

Bottle- 40 to 60 cu/ft minimum. 75/25 argon/co2 mix. Good all purpose.
$100 to $120 including first fill.

Regulator- Harris is a good one, but any regulator that will handle AR, HE, n2, will do. About $80.

Wire- Any good quality solid Carbon Steel (low alloy) wire will work. Lincoln, Forney, ect. Try and find .023 if you can for body work. Sometimes it is dificult to locate. .025 will do good, but stay away from .030 and .035. Too hot.

Try and find some old body panels, cut em up, and put em back together for practice.

[rick71ghia]

I have a millermatic 130 and agree with everything rlarkin said. On the shielding gas, I think he meant to say 75% argon 25% co2

[rlarkin]

YUP. Sorry, I was tired!

I fixed it.