110V to weld sheetmetal?

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i have a craftsman 110V welder. ( think its made by Clarke) I am using fluxcore, 0.035" wire. it can use gas, and has 4 heat settings, and fully variable speed knob. It works good, but i want to weld patch panel on cars with it. it blows holes , even on lowest heat setting. lets say i cut a fender (off an 80's era car) in 1/2 and I wanted to butt weld it together again. is this the right welder?  should i start using gas, and use thinner wire? or do i need to move up to a 220V model with fully variable heat knob?
Reply:For welding really thin stuff you might want to make an investment in yourself and consider getting a small tig welder. Maybe consider a $299 thermal arc 95 welder?I really disliked MIG on thin metals because it doesn't have much control.
Reply:Sounds like your keeping the torch in the same place for too long! On sheet metal a gas MIG is best. But no matter what you have to run that bead fast! Go slow running your bead and you concentrate the heat in the area for too long and it will burn Thur. make sure the area to be welded is clean steel as well as the area you are attaching your ground clamp too. Running a bead along an area that goes from clean to dirty will require you to constantly monitor all your factors.You problem could be using too thin a wire as it is.Try running a thicker wire to dissipate the heat faster. Practice on several sample pieces to be sure you have right combination of wire, heat and speedCo-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:Not only can you not weld too long in one spot, but you can't weld too long at a time. I do a lot of 16ga tubing (thicker than sheet metal) and I have to pause and let the metal cool some after about 1/2" of weld. You might also wish to consider just welding spots, then coming back and filling in with spots. Some of the body work guys I have read do it that way.Lincoln 175HD Miller AC/DC ThunderboltSmith AW1, Dillion (Henrob) Mark III, & Smith LittleTorch
Reply:my welder will blow a hole quickly. i have to hit the trigger very quickly to get it tacked. id like to be able to do at least a nice 1/4' weld and move around until it is fully welded, but like i said i usually blow a hole first.
Reply:What size wire are you using?MIG would be bettr, is your machine capable of gas?A bigger machine will not help.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:i was thinking a bigger machine just to have continuously variable heat control. Mine just has A,B,C,D settings, and i have trouble even on setting A.  im using lincoln 0.035" flux right now. i want to be able to cut out rust sections etc. on cars and weld in new metal patches, and grind it smooth, and have it look original. i probably wouldnt hav an issue on a 50's car, but  i work on 80's mustangs with thinner sheet metal.
Reply:FCAW 0.035 wire will pretty easily blow through sheetmetal.  You can only turn down that wire type and size so much, and that is still too much power for thin sheetmetal.  That and the limited adjustment on your machine is making it darn tough to work on sheetmetal.A 120V GMAW (aka MIG using gas like C25) using some 0.023/0.025 solid wire is a better tool to weld on sheetmetal thickness pieces.  Even then, you have to watch out not to blow holes through the sheetmetal or weld for too long and get too much heat into the panel and warp it all to heck.You don't need the power of a machine with 240V input to work on sheetmetal.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Thanks! I'll try the thinner solid wire, and get a cylinder of gas. i have a regulator already, and will just need a length of hose to set the welder up.
Reply:That welder is plenty strong to weld sheet metal.I did  not catch it  but someone else did!!Tack weld the piece every so three inches. Purpose of the tack welds! not only do they hold the piece while welding! But those tack welds will also help from distorting the metal while you weld. When you do weld it I only do a few inches at a time! This helps prevent distortion form the heat buildup but also prevents the piece from becoming too hot and making it easier to burn through.Some ole welder's(me included) like to do it hot and FAST~~ but you have to have a steady hand great aim and be fast otherwise you'll burn a bead hole from on end to the other. So my recommendation Tack every couple of inches, then unless your very good with the torch rotate from tack weld to tack weld and spread the heat out evenly through the piece.And again practice a couple of times on a couple of sample pieces before you move onto the real work.Co-Own CNC shop:Miller :1251 plasma cutter, MaxStar 700 TIG/Stick, & XMT 456 Multiprocess Welder.&  2 Hypertherm HPR260's Plasma CutterSorry I had a bad stroke but now I am back.
Reply:The machine, if working and adjusted properly will do the job just fine.The difference is the operator, you need to spend time with the machine, maybe take a course in welding. It will really help you and in a much faster time frame then on your own.Body work is expensive for a reason.I have done much of it. It is not easy to hang panels properly. It is a skill.Good luck.Tim Beeker.