New help choosing stick welder.

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Hi,I'm from Hong Kong and I'm going to buy a stick welder.Can anyone please tell me how to choose a good welder ?1.AC/DC ?what's their usage?what's the advantage (over AC) about DC?Should I get a welder with DC?2.What's the minimum amp to weld stainless plate(1/4"-1/2")?3.If I wand to weld (butt weld) 2mm stainless wire,how many amp do I need?(without overheating the wire?)4.What's a "inverter" ?is it a normal welder with a different name?5.Is SMAW = stick welder?6.Whats a retro-fitting tig to a SMAW?Thanks.
Reply:Questions questions.Ok,  try to hit you with the simple.  You will want DC.  No if ands or butts.  If you plan to do any stainless you will want DC.  For stainless you can get by with a stick welder.  A lincoln 225/125 ac/dc or miller thunderbolt ac/dc will work great.  Well lets say as great as can be expected from stick.   SMAW = shielded metal arc welding which is sticks proper term.  For smaw you will want a machine with a 200 amp range.  Although your dc range will fall much below that, the 125 will be fine.  AC on carbon steel will produce a lot more spatter and a lot more shocks.  I dont think youre going to find muuch if any sucess with stainless on AC.  The amperage range for the 1/4" stainless I would say is far to say between 50 & 100 amps based on rod size.  To go up to 1/2" you will need to put a bevel.  30degrees either side.  This will give you a very nice tight lil bevel which you can keep your heat nothing much over 100 amps.   You will want to be careful with your passes adding too much heat will cause carbide percipitation.  3/32" and 1/8" rods would be great.  Third question I dont think youre going to find much luck if its a wire.  Thats a lil on the thin side for smaw.  A "normal welder" is a transformer type.  This basically means a giant electro magnet.   Its big, full of copper and iron or possibly aluminum wire wound up inside.  The inverters are actually using solid state electrionics to do the same job a transformer does except they do it in a very small lil package.  Retro fitting tig to smaw is a real pain.  For some machiens its not bad.  But these are larger industrial machiens,  often built with the capability to add tig.  A simple smaw machine is lacking in the added circuitry for remote control.  One of tigs biggest advantages is this remote control function where you can change the amperage while you weld.  This is very handy with stainless.  If you insist though,  what you do is to buy a tig torch witha gas valve on it.  You will put it on the lead where the stinger(electrode holder) was.  You will need a bottle of argon and the regulator for it and the gas hose connects to the torch.  Turn your gas on,  and strike the tungsten on the part to weld like a match.  Once you get the arc established you weld like oxy fuel welding,  but use a tig welding rod of the same material type as the base metal.    You will not be able to weld aluminum wiht this setup unless you also purchase a high frequence unit as you will be limited to DC without the highfrequency.  AC is needed for the alum.  I hope ive answered your questions...if not let me know whats troubling you and ill help ya out moreIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Thanks for answering my dumb question, but i still have many question in my mind ......1.So,the advantage of a inverter is the lighter weight? and advantage of DC is less spatter?2.Does AC and DC welder use the same electrode holder?and filler material?3.I've saw some welder called TIG/Stick welder,that means it can be used to TIG and stick weld in one machine? with the changing of electrode cable?4.Which type of welding give the highest strength?MIG/TIG or Stick? ( I remember Mark Evans in " How a plane is born " demonstrated a half inch MIG butt weld can hang half TON of weight and the weld is beautiful ! )5.Can CO2 be used for MIG/TIG?It's because I can't find argon in Hong Kong,only CO2 (for aquarium or fire fighting).6.Does the gas used in MIG/TIG only separate the oxygen from air when welding? To minimize oxidation in the weld/filler?(so CO2 will work??)7.If I want to do beautiful ( and strong/smooth of course ) Stainless weld,I need a DC stick welder? (I've seen some ugly SS welding on some public handrail )Thanks for anyone who ansser my question.
Reply:no dumb question...just lots    its ok though,  inverter is lighter,  but most dont offer ac for doing alum.   DC is less spatter, more control of the arc, and less shocking. AC & DC use the same electrode holder and ground camp.  Some electrodes are DC only.  Most can be used ac or dc.  TIG and stick are both constant current machines. This means they produce the same type of welding power.  However, this doesnt mean they are equal.  Any tig machine can stick weld.  However, there are some stick machines you cant tig with.  And most require adaptations whch are costly and on most machines very limited.  To stick weld with a tig welder its simple.   Unconnect the tig torch from the machine.  Attach a stinger(electrode holder) and lead.  Reverse the DC polarity to electrode pos.  Then put a stick welding rod in the stinger and begin welding.  The type of welding that produces the strongest welds is the process you are best at.  They can all produce equally strong welds.  I can site repair rates which to some might add a degree of strength, however, in the true sense they are all equally as strong.  But they all have diffent strengths in terms of one is better for these conditions, another is better for that.  CO2 can only be used with MIG.  It is a reactive gas and cannot be used with TIG, or aluminum or SS.  I dont know why CO2 works on mig and not tig I do know it wont.  You will need 100% argon or helium.  SS is usually done with MIG ona tri-mix.  Alum mig is done with 100% argon.  If you wantto do beautiful SS weldin gon public handrails...stick with dc might work,  might be happier with TIG though.  The stick is often tougher to make look real pretty, also stick has thickness limitations.  Although an experienced stick welder can weld stick on 1/16" easy, 1/8" welds are often a challenge for a more novice user.  Though this can be done..its considred by most the thinnest stick is good for.  I personally weld 1/16" mild steel with stick and have no problem with it.   Again, this particular issue, you might find yourselrf better with a tig unit or a mig.  Although you can always grind your welds up a lil to make em purty.  Also, you can run AC on stainless ..  I woudnt  Wont be pretty at all.Good luck and again if you have more questions feel free to askIF it Catches...Let it Burn