how many of you are experienced welders?

[slowtwitch]

I started about a year and half ago. i have since welded in pans, heater channels, front and rear clips, some roof repair, on my 67.

Now, i going to weld in a new front clip, replace the rear apron and some other in perfections, on my 57 oval, that the PO messed up on

pete

[david58]

I started about a year and half ago. i have since welded in pans, heater channels, front and rear clips, some roof repair, on my 67.

Now, i going to weld in a new front clip, replace the rear apron and some other in perfections, on my 57 oval, that the PO messed up on

pete

Post up a thread showing how to do it. Pics would be nice too.

[dbcflash]

I've been welding for about fifteen minutes, and it is soooo much fun.

I can't believe I waited so late in my life to do something so creative and fun. I learn something new everytime I fire up my little Miller 110 MIG, and I feel like I've accomplished something every time I use it.

Anyone who is on the fence about getting a welder, go ahead and do it. I can't imagine having any regrets.

[trscott]

I've done a bit of welding with an old AC/DC Miller stick welder I picked up, and I have done a ton of plasma cutting with a Hypertherm 40A plasma cutter (3/8" and 1/2" steel, cutting out welds, making tractor wheel weights). My welding has been 1/8 steel and thicker and I end up grinding a lot to clean it up, but it is strong. Stick is good for getting penetration with thick stuff, but everybody tells me stick is the hard way. and I can vouch for that, I am no expert by a long shot.

I need to get either a MIG or a TIG to begin doing some body and pan sheet metal welding. Stick is just too tough for thin sheet metal, in my opinion. I am sure I would love MIG or TIG after trying to do everything with stick.

But I don't know which I should get. I tend to lean toward Miller equipment. It would be nice to get something that could do aluminum too, but I've been told that you really want to get a reel gun for aluminum because the aluminum wire doesn't like to feed down the hose very well. It isn't stiff enough. With a feed gun the aluminum wire is right in your hand.

I would really love to hear from someone who has used both flux wire and shield gas to hear what they prefer. Cost matters too, but I suppose I will pay what it takes to get good equipment that you don't have to fight with all the time. Good tools are their own reward.

JMHO FWIW

-ts

[trscott]

I've done a bit of welding with an old AC/DC Miller stick welder I picked up, and I have done a ton of plasma cutting with a Hypertherm 40A plasma cutter (3/8" and 1/2" steel, cutting out welds, making tractor wheel weights). My welding has been 1/8 steel and thicker and I end up grinding a lot to clean it up, but it is strong. Stick is good for getting penetration with thick stuff, but everybody tells me stick is the hard way. and I can vouch for that, I am no expert by a long shot.

I need to get either a MIG or a TIG to begin doing some body and pan sheet metal welding. Stick is just too tough for thin sheet metal, in my opinion. I am sure I would love MIG or TIG after trying to do everything with stick.

But I don't know which I should get. I tend to lean toward Miller equipment. It would be nice to get something that could do aluminum too, but I've been told that you really want to get a reel gun for aluminum because the aluminum wire doesn't like to feed down the hose very well. It isn't stiff enough. With a feed gun the aluminum wire is right in your hand.

I would really love to hear from someone who has used both flux wire and shield gas to hear what they prefer. Cost matters too, but I suppose I will pay what it takes to get good equipment that you don't have to fight with all the time. Good tools are their own reward.

JMHO FWIW

-ts

[trscott]

I've done a bit of welding with an old AC/DC Miller stick welder I picked up, and I have done a ton of plasma cutting with a Hypertherm 40A plasma cutter (3/8" and 1/2" steel, cutting out welds, making tractor wheel weights). My welding has been 1/8 steel and thicker and I end up grinding a lot to clean it up, but it is strong. Stick is good for getting penetration with thick stuff, but everybody tells me stick is the hard way. and I can vouch for that, I am no expert by a long shot.

I need to get either a MIG or a TIG to begin doing some body and pan sheet metal welding. Stick is just too tough for thin sheet metal, in my opinion. I am sure I would love MIG or TIG after trying to do everything with stick.

But I don't know which I should get. I tend to lean toward Miller equipment. It would be nice to get something that could do aluminum too, but I've been told that you really want to get a reel gun for aluminum because the aluminum wire doesn't like to feed down the hose very well. It isn't stiff enough. With a feed gun the aluminum wire is right in your hand.

I would really love to hear from someone who has used both flux wire and shield gas to hear what they prefer. Cost matters too, but I suppose I will pay what it takes to get good equipment that you don't have to fight with all the time. Good tools are their own reward.

JMHO FWIW

-ts

[slowtwitch]

I started about a year and half ago. i have since welded in pans, heater channels, front and rear clips, some roof repair, on my 67.

Now, i going to weld in a new front clip, replace the rear apron and some other in perfections, on my 57 oval, that the PO messed up on

pete

Post up a thread showing how to do it. Pics would be nice too.

David, I'll definitely document my adventures.

pete

[bugdust69]

Old thread but new to me.

I welded for a living for about 15 years with most of that being heavy production. I went to the local vo-tech to learn, certified SMAW, all positions at the end of that, certified GMAW for plate 4G any thickness, have done TMAW and sub-arc with dual-feed 1/8" wire. I've stick-welded all kinds of stuff from heavy equipment trailers, logging equipment, batges, drop hammers, etc. I've mig welded using .023 solid wire (short-circuit) to 1/16" metal-core in spray transfer mode and everything in between, flux-core, too. I've welded magazine racks, car bodies, dumpsters, heavy equipment, trailers, girders, joists, mid-spans, structural, gas tanks, baseball bat rolling machines....all kinds of stuff. The thickest I have welded is 4" and that takes a lot of passes and a lot of preheating. That was on a coral excavator bucket. I've done some aluminum welding with mig and tig. I've taught welding and used to train all new welders at a Caterpillar facility (where I still work, but not as a welder)I failed the last weld test I tried. That was the 6G pipe test. I have a Lincoln 255c in my garage.

Now, I am a manufacturing specialist for Caterpillar. I do 3D design work and write technical manuals (standard work procedures). I create the prints now that I used to work from.

[ngneer]

I've done a bit of welding with an old AC/DC Miller stick welder I picked up, and I have done a ton of plasma cutting with a Hypertherm 40A plasma cutter (3/8" and 1/2" steel, cutting out welds, making tractor wheel weights). My welding has been 1/8 steel and thicker and I end up grinding a lot to clean it up, but it is strong. Stick is good for getting penetration with thick stuff, but everybody tells me stick is the hard way. and I can vouch for that, I am no expert by a long shot.

I need to get either a MIG or a TIG to begin doing some body and pan sheet metal welding. Stick is just too tough for thin sheet metal, in my opinion. I am sure I would love MIG or TIG after trying to do everything with stick.

But I don't know which I should get. I tend to lean toward Miller equipment. It would be nice to get something that could do aluminum too, but I've been told that you really want to get a reel gun for aluminum because the aluminum wire doesn't like to feed down the hose very well. It isn't stiff enough. With a feed gun the aluminum wire is right in your hand.

I would really love to hear from someone who has used both flux wire and shield gas to hear what they prefer. Cost matters too, but I suppose I will pay what it takes to get good equipment that you don't have to fight with all the time. Good tools are their own reward.

JMHO FWIW

-ts

TRScott, I've had a HH125 for abt. a yr. Not a professional by any means, Really beginning to understand more and more wire speed and heat relation. Started out using it with the flux-core until i could afford the gas and tank. The difference using gas is amazing. I bought this for replacing the pans in a 70 Beetle.Still getting a little better to start this process, so far, love this HH125, Good luck

[bugninva]

bugdust, all that experience and you failed the 6g? I stopped welding on pipe and pressure vessels about 13 years ago or so, but feel pretty confident that I could put a hurting on that coupon today and still pass.... guess it just shocked me a bit...

[bugdust69]

bugdust, all that experience and you failed the 6g? I stopped welding on pipe and pressure vessels about 13 years ago or so, but feel pretty confident that I could put a hurting on that coupon today and still pass.... guess it just shocked me a bit...

yeah I guess it may have been because I hadn't touched a stick welder in 4-5 years, I never attempted a 6g before and I really didn't need the job. I had already quit welding and started doing 3D design work. It was a spur of the moment thing.

[Hotrodvw]

I have been welding for approx. 10yrs. I kind of learned by just doing it, watching others, and a few tips from friends. I just use my Weld-pak 100. It's been working wellf or what I've needed so far, but would love a larger machine. I've always loved working w. steel. Wood is boring.

[bugninva]

I have been welding for approx. 10yrs. I kind of learned by just doing it, watching others, and a few tips from friends. I just use my Weld-pak 100. It's been working wellf or what I've needed so far, but would love a larger machine. I've always loved working w. steel. Wood is boring.

hahahaha... I was a welder for a living years ago, now I'm a contractor... wood is good too...um... that sounds funny...

PS, the weldpak 100 is a great basic machine

[Hotrodvw]

Yeah, it's basic. I like it's simplicity, but would love to have some more amperage. For most fo the stuff I do, it works well though. The gas kit rounds off the package.

[NEBUGGERNATOR]

I have welded in the past. Former welding experience;
aluminum tig [mil spec.] / arc welding air hedder pipe with 6010/7018
TIG welding of Titanium Products. [aircraft parts, paper industry]
{one time I even welded on Zirconium} I have a Weldpak 100 and an old montgomery ward 295 amp "buzz-box" for my auto-related repairs. cutting torch. Have also welded cast iron. BTW, google the "Cobra Torch" and watch the vid on welding cast iron, it is easy to do.