Hi new here, newbie question

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Hi all I am new to the world of welding. I am looking at getting this lincoln weld pak 3200 setup. I am primarily going to be using it on my bike build, welding brackets to the frame and other misc job. Then moving on to other projects. It says it welds up to 5/16's. I think this should be enough, what do you guys/gals think?Ive heard that these are basically the 135 model just packaged different for home depot.ThanksLast edited by dnm; 09-15-2006 at 10:18 PM.
Reply:Anybody?
Reply:I'll take longer than 36 minutes for a reply, don't get too anxious What do you mean when you write "bike".  Is it a bicycle, a dirt bike, a motorcycle, etc?  You mention build... is this from ground-up or are you just welding brackets to a store purchased bike?Explain a little more and it'll help us help you.What type of material is the bike made of?  Aluminum, chromoly, steel tube?
Reply:Don't believe the marketing for these machines.  That 5/16" thickness is almost slanderous to the industry.  The fine print also specifies that that is with a very specific Lincoln flux-cored wire and requires multiple passes.  You do NOT want to PLAN on this kind of welder if that is the work you need to do, period.Realistically, 120V machines are good for 1/8" in GMAW and 3/16" in FCAW.  Beyond that requires advanced techniques and joint preparation and multiple passes, even then only experts should use them for structural welds that are critical.
Reply:Hey Krs, if youll notice the first post is from the 15th  Anyways its for a motorcycle. Steel frame. Some friends have told me tig is the way to go buts its way more $$ than I was wanting to spend and I only have 100v in the garage, which I am renting.
Reply:Originally Posted by dnm...I only have 100v in the garage, which I am renting.
Reply:I have a dryer line in the basement which I might be able to run to the garage, but I heard even with the higher voltage, the depth of penetration is about the same? Should I look at a tig or stick machine? I had looked at an oxy acetlyne rig, but wasnt sure if that would work ok with welding brackets and mounts on?
Reply:IMO--Tig is the best bet, more control. look for used machine.  cleaner welds but have seen some nice work  done with a mig ,just more clean-up to do