Noobie with some help needed on Welder selection

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Hey everyone!  I am a noobie welder looking to do some summer projects on a car.  I hope to practice during the summer months and eventually start a project of building a tube chassis frame for a track car.  Does anyone have experience with this?  I have 2 major questions that I can't seem to find the correct answer...#1 Will a 110V Mig welder work?  I have a dedicated 20 AMP circuit in my garage and would prefer not to run a duel-pole breaker through my yard to my garage.  I also like the ability to plug it in my shed out back and do some simple welds if needed.#2 What type/thickness of tubing should I use?  I have seen some use mild-steed and some chrome-moly.  But what thickness?Bottom line when I do this, I want to make sure the chasis is safe from general use and in case of an accident.  Any recommendations/help would be greatly appreciated!
Reply:I would try to figure a way to dedicate a 220 circuit and get a little bigger machine even if you decide to stay with wire feed you will have some more options
Reply:Originally Posted by RoushyHey everyone!  I am a noobie welder looking to do some summer projects on a car.  I hope to practice during the summer months and eventually start a project of building a tube chassis frame for a track car.  Does anyone have experience with this?  I have 2 major questions that I can't seem to find the correct answer...#1 Will a 110V Mig welder work?  I have a dedicated 20 AMP circuit in my garage and would prefer not to run a duel-pole breaker through my yard to my garage.  I also like the ability to plug it in my shed out back and do some simple welds if needed.#2 What type/thickness of tubing should I use?  I have seen some use mild-steed and some chrome-moly.  But what thickness?Bottom line when I do this, I want to make sure the chasis is safe from general use and in case of an accident.  Any recommendations/help would be greatly appreciated!
Reply:Originally Posted by RoushyHey everyone!  I am a noobie welder looking to do some summer projects on a car.  I hope to practice during the summer months and eventually start a project of building a tube chassis frame for a track car.  Does anyone have experience with this?  I have 2 major questions that I can't seem to find the correct answer...#1 Will a 110V Mig welder work?  I have a dedicated 20 AMP circuit in my garage and would prefer not to run a duel-pole breaker through my yard to my garage.  I also like the ability to plug it in my shed out back and do some simple welds if needed.#2 What type/thickness of tubing should I use?  I have seen some use mild-steed and some chrome-moly.  But what thickness?Bottom line when I do this, I want to make sure the chasis is safe from general use and in case of an accident.  Any recommendations/help would be greatly appreciated!
Reply:Thats for the input guys.  I have looked in to night classes and I am in no rush to start the project.  I am a very handy guy as I have built most of my house myself.  I just have not been around welding that much.  I was planning on playing with scrap metal for months before diving in to a project like chassis fabrication.  I'll look in to the touch and tig welds vs mig for race classes.  A lot of the car forums have some people who use TIG and other who use MIG.
Reply:Short answer:  As far as body work goes, a 110 mig should be fine; however, as far as a chassis goes, you should really have a 220 machine.I am no pro, but I have read that over, and over, and over, and over in these forums.I recently picked up a 220 machine.  Haven' t used it yet (still have to wire the garage), but messing around with a 110 for the past year or two, I know that it has serious limitations on structural stuff due to lack of penetration (I always used flux to get penetration).I built some things with it, but held off on other projects due to the limitations.  Now that I have a 220 welder, I plan on continuing with the bigger projects.
Reply:Yeah I am leaning toward biting the bullet and running the cable to my garage so I can get everything hooked up and use a 220.  Strength of the weld is something I don't want ot mess with.  I thought maybe 220 was overkill since chassis tubing isn't that thick.Thanks for your comments!
Reply:What kind of engine you gonna put in the Car?Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:V8.  Not sure if it will be an LS or a Cobra motor.  I am a mustang guy (own a 400+ horsepower GT currently) so I would prefer a cobra or GT motor but I'll use an LS if it makes sense.
Reply:Why not a 4 banger?Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Eh..... want power and torque.  Not much of a 4 cyl guy.
Reply:Ok- goodYou ain't dickin around with the car so why dick around with a little 120v  Welder and running 240v to the shopRun 240v otherwise it will be just like running a 4 banger in your car- Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Good point
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1Ok- goodYou ain't dickin around with the car so why dick around with a little 120v  Welder and running 240v to the shopRun 240v otherwise it will be just like running a 4 banger in your car-
Reply:Originally Posted by RoushyYeah I am leaning toward biting the bullet and running the cable to my garage so I can get everything hooked up and use a 220.  Strength of the weld is something I don't want ot mess with.  I thought maybe 220 was overkill since chassis tubing isn't that thick.Thanks for your comments!
Reply:The cable would be the new circuit to power the welder.  Right now I only have a 110 20 AMP circuit that powers my garage door.  I have a detached garage so I was trrying to get away from having to dig up my yard and run a larger cable.  That plus my box is pretty full so I may have to get a 200 AMP service installed just to be able to run the line.
Reply:Rells,I agree with your first statement about 120v machines but you thoughts on the Wire and CB's is a little skewed:there are plenty of CB's out there to handle 50amps, plenty of 240v receptacles and Plugs to handle 50amps. The Box stores have everything.Your Lincoln 180 would run just fine on a 30amp circuit with 10g wiring (depending on the length of the run)Extension Cords- same thing: 12g extension cord is common and will handle 20amps continuous.10g extension cord available at the Box stores also.Welder ext. cords with Molded connectors are readily available on the Net as well as through yer LWS.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Possibly but I have a son who works with me on projects and we often have a grinder or drill press running at the same time as the welder. Also at some point I might get a welder with a bit more umph and I wanted to make sure I could run 50 amps in that line. Once you add in grinders, welder, and space heater for the garage the amps build up fast. As for the wire, code calls for 8 gauge but I wanted to play it safe with the 6.At any rate you have to agree running 20 amp continuous draw mig through your standard household extension cord would not be good. And if he has another device on that line, it could be disastrous.Victor Journeyman OA TorchVictor Edge RegulatorsLincoln 180HD (240v) MIG/FCAWShark LT v7 CADMiller Digital Elite Helmet35 Milligrams of Insanity
Reply:Originally Posted by RoushyThe cable would be the new circuit to power the welder.  Right now I only have a 110 20 AMP circuit that powers my garage door.  I have a detached garage so I was trrying to get away from having to dig up my yard and run a larger cable.  That plus my box is pretty full so I may have to get a 200 AMP service installed just to be able to run the line.
Reply:Originally Posted by RellsPossibly but I have a son who works with me on projects and we often have a grinder or drill press running at the same time as the welder. Also at some point I might get a welder with a bit more umph and I wanted to make sure I could run 50 amps in that line. Once you add in grinders, welder, and space heater for the garage the amps build up fast. As for the wire, code calls for 8 gauge but I wanted to play it safe with the 6.At any rate you have to agree running 20 amp continuous draw mig through your standard household extension cord would not be good. And if he has another device on that line, it could be disastrous.
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1...and what is a Space Heater
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI thought you lived in SoCal Ed. I didn't realize you knew what a heater was, let alone what it's for.
Reply:.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1Agreed but it is doable and I would put a Sub Panel in with bigger wire to support the Sub Panel and then run Circuits off of that. Easier to feed the Sub Panel with the big wire and then use the smaller wire to feed your individual circuits.and what is a Space Heater