Tack Welding 1 1/4 Steel (Low Carbon) Tubing & 1" Solid Rod

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Hello,I have a tack welding question!!!!I am modifying a custom chopper frame by adding rear fender mounts... I am trying to tack weld a solid round piece of 1" rod to a 1 1/4" Dia tube with a 1/4" wall thickness.   The 1" rod has a radius cut on one end (Notched) to fit onto the 1 1/4" tube.What I am attempting to do it tack-weld the two pieces together in 4 to 6 locations as I am mocking building the bike.....  Then it will be torn down and all components will be finished welded. I am using a Harbor Freight 90 Amp MIG-Flux Wire Welder which is rated to 3/16". I  have made a couple of good tack welds and a bunch of bad ones....I know this machine is undersized.....  I only intend to use it for the tack welds....Looking for advice on how to get this right...      Thanks, Ralph
Reply:A real welder will help, but I would try to really clean all pieces well. Make sure you have SHINNY metal.
Reply:With all due respect you new guys buy those POS welding machines that a pro would have a hard time running a decent bead with then expect to do the impossible & wonder why it's not working out. Buy yourself a real welder or have someone else do it, fluxcore has no place on a motorcycle frame.REAL TRUCKS DON'T HAVE SPARK PLUGS
Reply:1" to 1/4".. the machine is "Rated" at 3/16".. 1/4">3/16"... But I doubt the machine will even weld 3/16" so it will be even worse on 1/4". I would suggest finding a machine you can borrow from a friend to tack it up. Keep in mind, if you find someone to weld it for you.. They might charge you more to clean up the mess you left tacking things together.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:Welcome Ralph.30+ yrs Army Infantry & Field Artillery, 25 yrs agoMiller 350LX Tig Runner TA 210, spool gunLincoln 250/250 IdealArcESAB PCM 500i PlasmaKazoo 30"  vert BSKazoo 9x16 horiz BSClausing 12x24 lathe20T Air Press
Reply:Thanks for the information.... I was told this machine would work fine for Just tacking the components together..    I guess I received some bad advice!What would be a good machine I can purchase that can run off 110v..... again just looking to tack the parts together.Ralph
Reply:Don't tack it if you ain't gonna weld it. Get a 220 welder. And don't use flux core.
Reply:'' Then it will be torn down and all components will be finished welded.''Who is gonna do the real welding ???  What machine ??
Reply:Did you even bevel bro?Like said earlier, flux core amateur tacks are a professional weldor's nightmare. They would all have be ground out.Did you even bevel bro?Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Your HF fc welder is 90 amps. If you excersize the 1 amp per .001" of thickness rule,  you are looking at successful welding of 3/23" only. And mig tacks tend to run cold and don't have time for the parent/base metal to heat up properly to get proper fusion to the root of the joint.  110volt migs in particular also don't have capacitors big enough to prevent brownout or lack of arc upon start of your weld resulting in a cold/brittle tacks and flux inclusions throughout the tack, hence grind out.So also don't forget proper weld prep, which includes complete cleaning and generous bevel.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Tack welding is a weak, temporary welding.   Your machine should be able to do that, it's no big deal.  But of course, such a weld won't hold up to any stress, that's the point of a tack weld.As for finding a "good, 110 volt machine", sorry but that's an oxymoron.    There are some good dual voltage machines (I have a Miller 211 MVP).   Dual voltage machines can be used on 110 for light work and moved to an access point for when you need 220 for something heavier.