What kind of welding?

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First Id like to say that I have some mig welding experience. My question is, what kind of equipment would suit me for the following projects. Id like to weld some 20' railing for a sawmill, have occasional art projects, would like to fashion some hardware for a gate hinge or parts for a moving observatory, and also home building projects. I guess just for around the house projects and nothing too huge. Would mig be my best bet? But I realise that mig cant cut so that would limit my artistic and fashioning abilities. Should I move up to learning more advanced welding and fore-go the mig for more advanced equipment?
Reply:Hey damia*****,Since you indicate you have some MIG experience, why not just follow thru & get a MIG welder. MIG is an easy process to learn & get proficient, although your desire will dictate outcome. If you want to excel, in any process, you have to determine your willingness to learn every facet & practice. Since you suggest some railing work, & not specifying material parameters, a minimum unit such as a Miller 210/212 or Lincoln Powermig 215/216 would probably suffice for the majority of your projects. Also, the thicknesses of material will be the major factor for power level needed, so if there's a chance you may do something in the 1/2" range or more....need to go to 250+Amps. Nothing wrong with having xtra power.As far as your quote to "move up to learning more advanced welding"..... every process has "more advanced welding". Ever see a really good pipeliner lay a bead on pipe with a "stick"(SMAW) with a 6010 root & 7018 cover pass that passes every test & looks like a MIG weld? How about a weldor who can lay "dime" beads with O/A & aluminum? So.... what is "advanced"? Do some homework....explore the welding sites....look at repairs & projects. The welding arena is as vast as any arena & infinite in application as you can find anywhere.DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:I've always used stick and tig in my job. I just recently started using mig (FCAW actually) when my stick welder went down and I borrowed son-in-laws HH140. So far I really like it for the work I do around the place here. Simple, quick and adequate. I do feel that the 140 is at least maxed out for what I'm doing so if the money tree ever bears some fruit I'd like to move up to at least the 187.If you are doing shop welding I think you'd be well served by a good mig unit. Tig is great but a bit more expensive, initially anyway. There's not much you can't do with a stick welder and it's always a good choice but mig is probably a bit easier to use if you're not consistently welding.If you're working in the field I'd have to say a engine driven welder is best choice. It'll put a dent in your wallet but so will a generator to run a shop unit or an extension cord big enough to get any distance.Just some thoughts. Hope it helps some.AlA man is judged by what's between his legs...always ride a good horseMiller DialArc HFLincoln Classic 300DThermal Arc 181iPowermax 45Scotchman Ironworker(2) BridgeportsOkomota Surface GrinderAutoCAD 2010
Reply:Thanks for the info. Ive been under the impression that MIG is the easiest. When I used one, it was so easy to tack things together and although my bead could have been much prettier, it was sufficient. There were no gas tanks I can recall and both my hands were free to hold the trigger. If I can just buy a Mig welder, with no tanks or rods, that sounds like the simplest answer. But what if I have to cut metal or a shape out of metal for custom projects? I would need a torch and tanks at this point right? So Perhaps I should fore go the MIG and have the torch type of set up, and learn to weld that way. Am I missing something?BTW- here's the railing I want to weld. I cant tell what gauge it is but I cant imagine it would be as much as 1/4''. So MIG would be adequate?http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:ITOk, had to rethink this. If you have a cut list or have to cut steel, this can be accomplished with say a chop saw. So most projects would not require you to have to torch through steel, is this correct?Last edited by damiasebaticus; 01-02-2010 at 03:51 PM.
Reply:i own a small mig. it has its place. i also own a ta185 for stick and tig. i own a victor torch with cutting and welding tips. i tell beginners to get the torch.good luck whatever you decide
Reply:I would say a mig would do what you want from what you have stated. Outside you can use it with fluxcore wire like a stick machine and inside you can use 75/25 gas with solid wire to make nicer welds. I'd suggest the Miller MM211 since it is portable and can run on 110v or 220v, in the shop of off a genset.As far as cutting, while a torch is useful, you'd get nicer cuts from something else most likely. Abrasive chopsaw, hand held bandsaw, horizontal bandsaw, 4 1/2" grinder with wizzer wheels... I can go on.  Torches are usually good for heavy cuts on thick materials. Most new guys can't make fine cuts in thin stock with one. It is certainly posible to do so, but a saw is much simpler to get good acurate cuts with.Oh the link you posted brings up a portable sawmill, not railing. Is this what you want to build the railing for or was this mislinked?.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 DSWI would say a mig would do what you want from what you have stated. Outside you can use it with fluxcore wire like a stick machine and inside you can use 75/25 gas with solid wire to make nicer welds. I'd suggest the Miller MM211 since it is portable and can run on 110v or 220v, in the shop of off a genset.As far as cutting, while a torch is useful, you'd get nicer cuts from something else most likely. Abrasive chopsaw, hand held bandsaw, horizontal bandsaw, 4 1/2" grinder with wizzer wheels... I can go on.  Torches are usually good for heavy cuts on thick materials. Most new guys can't make fine cuts in thin stock with one. It is certainly posible to do so, but a saw is much simpler to get good acurate cuts with.Oh the link you posted brings up a portable sawmill, not railing. Is this what you want to build the railing for or was this mislinked?
Reply:Ah, I see now.  You might want to take a minute and go up to the top and add your location to your user CP. You might find someone here who might be interested in a bit of horse trading. Helping you with the saw in return for some cuts etc.You might also take a minute and look at these threads.Lugweld built a nice one here and I think he was marketing them. Might be worth a look.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=25051Lug's got a video of his mill in this one IIRC.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...highlight=mill.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 DSWAh, I see now.  You might want to take a minute and go up to the top and add your location to your user CP. You might find someone here who might be interested in a bit of horse trading. Helping you with the saw in return for some cuts etc.You might also take a minute and look at these threads.Lugweld built a nice one here and I think he was marketing them. Might be worth a look.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=25051Lug's got a video of his mill in this one IIRC.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...highlight=mill