welding Wrought Iron

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Hi All, I would like to know what size welder do I need to stick weld wrought iron railings for a house. I am building a home and want to make some custom railings. Since I'm spending so much on the house, I don't want to buy a fancy machine- just something basic. What is the least amount of amperage I need to weld the pieces together? I did some welding in school and loved it, but can't remember how powerful the unit was. Thanks. Tad
Reply:How thick of material are we talking about?  Are these railings inside or outside the house?  Are you building them from scratch, or welding up pre-fab railings?  Will you build them in sections and then hang them, or build the entire thing on the spot?  What process are you most capable with, stick, MIG, TIG?Compared to building a home, almost any welder is a small investment.  I highly doubt that this will be the only thing you will ever want to weld, and the more machine you get now, the more you can do with it later.Without knowing anything else, the least I can reccomend to you is a Miller or Hobart 175/180 machine.  It requires a 240V outlet, which shouldn't be a problem to get where you need it if you are building a new home.
Reply:I would suggest that you look at teh Hobart Handler 140. If all you are going to do is build a railing for the house, and some small hobby stuff, it is a great machine. if however you feel like your hobby will take you to another level lI would suggest going with the HH180. These two machines are probably the best bang for your buck on the low end. If you want to go any higher, I would suggest going with the lincoln or millers machine in the 200 range. I happen to have a Lincoln sp135+ among other things, and it works perfect for doing railings. I couldn't be happier, It prevented me from going to crazy and burning holes in everything while I was learning, and then when I was ready I moved up. If all you are doing is wrought iron, the 115 volt machines will do great, and if you want to add gas for cleaner welds, you can. (not really needed since you will probably be grinding everything down and painting it anyhow.)If you want to go on the LIncoln site, there is a good article on a guy that did exactly what you are thinking about doing, and the 135+ worked great for the situation. Have fun. I would also recommend going to the Harbor freight website and ordering a bender, and the metal craft picket twister,  just search for metal craft on there.  they have a machine that is a picket twister, and a scroll maker and a roller all in one for 100 bucks or so. Good luck.
Reply:The lincoln 135 is fine for railings,make sure u use gas though,much better welp appearance.
Reply:If you are going to stick weld - something like a Miller XL 225/150 AC/DC will do everything you need.Here in the Great White NorthMosquitoes can't fly at 40 below