|
|
Hi,My wife has been restoring classic VWs for a few years now and wants me to get her a welder to use to work on welding new panels to cover up old rust, so the welder would primarily be used for body work. She has taken classes at the local community college and thinks a MIG welder would work out best for her needs, but I have no clue as to the best model or power capability. I've looked through many threads on this site and I don't see this particular need addressed. This is a bit humbling to ask the forum for help in determining the best welder to buy my wife, but you folks are much smarter than I am about this topic and I don't want to waste money buying the wrong welder.Thanks in advance
Reply:http://www.weldersupply.com/P/538/Th...Fabricator181iI'd go with this, MIG until you gain skill, TIG for later, good brand, just behind the red and blue.SqWave 200Millermatic 190Airco 200 ACHypertherm PM45Boice-Crane Band SawVictor O/A
Reply:Hobart handler would be great for body work and exhaust . Good up to 1/4. Plugs right into 120v outlets
Reply:Millermatic 211. Its a very high quality machine that will easily handle any welding that might need to be done on ant car, frame to sheet metal and particularly good for floors and such. With a spoolgun and straight Argon it will weld aluminum too. There are some tools in this world that do their jobs way better than any of us have reason to expect them too, the 211 is one such machine. For most folks it will lay down a gorgeous bead right out of the box. Oh, and that "AutoSet" function works suprisingly well, which makes it that much a better machine for a person new to welding to get going on.
Reply:What size Hobart Handler or model would you recommend?
Reply:why not ask her which one she wants? That will save a lot of time and aggravation. I'm sure she has some idea having taken welding classes and all. 1st on WeldingWeb to have a scrolling sig! HTP Invertig 400HTP Invertig 221HTP ProPulse 300HTP ProPulse 200 x2HTP ProPulse 220MTSHTP Inverarc 200TLP HTP Microcut 875SC
Reply:miller 211Miller 211 MIGThermal ARC 186 TIGHypertherm Powermax 30 Plasma
Reply:Originally Posted by Oscarwhy not ask her which one she wants? That will save a lot of time and aggravation. I'm sure she has some idea having taken welding classes and all.
Reply:You have gotten a lot of good advice. I would note that for sheet metal work on cars, Kent White and some others who work with old cars prefer oxy-acetylene, because it leaves a softer deposit, making it easier to work. MIG in particular is noted for leaving a hard deposit. I am talking sheet metal metalshaping here; if you don't do metalshaping you may not know what I am talking about. Oxy-acetylene is also good for unsticking rusty bolts, heating things to bend them, heating sheet metal to shrink it, etc. OA is not great for welding thick steel.The idea of giving her two or three choices and letting her make the final decision is obviously sound.Do consider the question of what power is available. With a dual voltage welder you could start swith 110V, and add 220V later. If you are pulling in 220V, I suggest a minimum of 30 amps, while 50 amps will support a wider range of welders.RichardLast edited by raferguson; 06-30-2014 at 11:41 PM.Sculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge
Reply:You can mig bronze, that's pretty soft.SqWave 200Millermatic 190Airco 200 ACHypertherm PM45Boice-Crane Band SawVictor O/A
Reply:Originally Posted by Oscarwhy not ask her which one she wants? That will save a lot of time and aggravation. I'm sure she has some idea having taken welding classes and all.
Reply:Id get a dynasty 350, and an xmt 350 with feeder. Might get aluminum pushpull water cooled too.She's buying....
Reply:Ask her, The TA 181i would be on my list because it supports DC TIG which would be real useful doing body work. It's budget friendly too.Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkTiger Sales: AHP Distributor www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P, Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma. For Sale: Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun. Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:PowerMig 140. C25 and .023 Esab EZ grind(or 70S-7).It'll work.110 too.I don't practice what I preach. I use a #2 Vic and 332 R45 for that. I've been doing it for ....ummmmmm...... several months.Bubble gumTooth pixDuct tapeBlack glueGBMF hammerScrew gun --bad battery (see above)
Reply:Got to agree with let her decide but if she lets you make the decision, go with the Miller 211.
Reply:You didn't mention a budget you're working with. If you're on a tight budget, I'd recommend a Hobart Handler 140 MIG welder. This size machine will run on 120V household power and will readily weld metal that's autobody sheetmetal thickness to 3/16" thick. It's setup for using shielding gas; which is always a better option when welding thin gauge steel. Price is about $450.If you have 240V power available, and your wife wants to be able to weld thicker material; then a Hobart Handler 210MVP will run about $1400 retail. This MIG welder will easily weld 1/4" material down to sheet metal and will operate on 120 or 240V power. It's setup for using shielding gas, like the Handler 140. It's substantially heavier than the Handler 140, which might be a concern, or not. The 210 will allow use of a spoolgun for welding aluminum; if that's of interest to your wife.If you have more budget to work with, then some of the Miller, Lincoln, or ESAB industrial power supplies are excellent products with rugged, proven performance, and justifiably larger price tags. There are a herd of imported welding machines with lower price tags as well. However, in my opinion they don't have a proven track record of reliability, nor a proven support system in case problems do arise.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:I'll agree with the Miller 211 being a great choice. For sheetmetal work she has the option of running it off of 120v which makes it easier to use in different places, it also has infinite voltage adjustment which makes fine tuning the weld a lot easier than using a machine with tap settings.Just an FYI, the Hobart Handler 210 MVP and the Miller 211 are identical machines other than the colors and the name on the box.
Reply:I second or third a oxy acetylene torch. Something like a smith aw1a with a ac309 cutting attachment or victor j28.Every shop needs a torch for rusty fasteners, softening undercoating, and shrinking spots on body panels. Gas welding is softer and easy to planish out without cracking. Easygrind wire on a mig helps, but is still harder to planish. Also gas welding is period correct on pre 1980~ cars and that matters if it is going to be seriously judged.Also in your post you state she want to "cover up" rust. You may of not actually ment that but she needs to cut out all rust and but weld in new sections. The difference in price from a good welder compared to a nice aircraft torch mean you can get her a nice Martin auto body hammer an dolly set, a slapper, and some panel clamps to help as well!
Reply:Pics of said VW's (pleeeease)Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkQualified & experienced at welding scrap metal
Reply:Most of the car/hot rod shows on tv use migs.I agree that a good torch is way better but I have both.......
Reply:Whatever machine you chose....DO NOT USE FLUXCORE ON BODY PANELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The acid left behind can and WILL eat thru your nice paint job and it will not go away!...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Zap, I'll agree that fluxcore is a bad choice for most thin sheetmetal applications. But I'm not aware of any 'acid' component in these filler metals.Were you thinking of brazing or soldering where the fluxes can definitely be acidic?Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:The acid is in the paste inside the wire.I proved this theory long ago with the white powder that creeps thru the paint at the weld seam.......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:With all due respect to the other responders who suggest a torch for a newbie welder, you're all insane. The skill level required to gas weld on old sheet metal is an order of magnitude greater than that required to mig weld anything. As a licensed bodyman with over 30 years experience I can tell you with absolute certainty there is no way an amateur is going to be able to gas weld a patch panel without warping the absolute snot out of the panel you're trying to repair. Having said that a Lincoln 180 is small, relatively light, easy to use, will weld most anything with the proper setup, and parts are readily available at the local Home Depot. Nuff said...
Reply:What a sweetheart of a husband you are. I take it this is a surprise otherwise you wouldn't be here.--I'm female. My welding sucks... my skill set is virtually non-existent but.... I'm learning and having the time of my life so please keep that in mind when reading my reply to you. --My goals are different than many here.... including your wife's.... I just want to have fun learning how to make functional welds so I can fix things around my house.... make gifts for family and friends and some day.... acquire enough skills to fabricate my own produce stand and rabbit housing. I wanted to learn how for years and things just got in the way. After much deliberation, I chose a new Millermatic 211 before.... I'd even used one. Now that I've actually been afforded the opportunity of using a 211... I couldn't be happier. It's a tool I can grow into and a type of welding I'll be able to enjoy more successes than failures with. Miller has a 3 year warranty and exceptional resale. Resale was an important consideration to me because what if I couldn't be taught how to weld or was educable but lost my vision. Tools are expensive.... very expensive. --I would agree with this statement although I admittedly would have worded it a tintz differently, "With all due respect to the other responders who suggest a torch for a newbie welder, you're all insane. The skill level required to gas weld on old sheet metal is an order of magnitude greater than that required to mig weld anything." I have a girlfriend whose husband owns a body shop.... I've watched their employees for years. Serious injuries come to mind but burning the house down and ending up in deep doggie do do with my husband also comes to mind. --You registered here and plenty of different people are replying which will enable you to make an informed decision. I have no doubt that which ever type of welder and brand you ultimately choose will be perfect for your wife. --After you've made your selection, please ask her to consider registering here. She'll find literally hundreds of years of experience at her finger tips. I'm pretty sure most everyone here.... except for you.... has forgotten more than I'll ever know. MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le GuinOriginally Posted by BoarderbikerWith all due respect to the other responders who suggest a torch for a newbie welder, you're all insane. The skill level required to gas weld on old sheet metal is an order of magnitude greater than that required to mig weld anything. As a licensed bodyman with over 30 years experience I can tell you with absolute certainty there is no way an amateur is going to be able to gas weld a patch panel without warping the absolute snot out of the panel you're trying to repair. Having said that a Lincoln 180 is small, relatively light, easy to use, will weld most anything with the proper setup, and parts are readily available at the local Home Depot. Nuff said... |
|
发表于 2021-8-31 23:06:51