hello welding guys...

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my name is quincy, i'm from f.t lauderdale florida.i basically signed because i'm finally thinking about picking up a torch.i know this is something i will get fairly good at it a short time, my dad is a jack of all trades(literally) he built our second house from scratch and did all the wireing, he was a plumber at 19, and he is also a machanic, and he could weld his a$$ off, and hopefully the apple don't fall far from the tree.but we never saw eye to eye so i never learned to weld , but i now work on my own cars, and some of my friends cars (engine, sterio systems, tint etc) and pretty much everything he could do and i learned all this on my own, except welding, and i now need it to do turbo kits roll cages and my crazy V8 powered miata.i was always Fascinated with welding but i never got the chance, now that i am older i want to take a swing at it.i saw some welders on ebay, but since i'm not welding literate i thought i might look for people who are.i'm looking for:1. 110~120 powered unit.something for a beginner, or something i can practice on, but i will not have to sell when i get better at welding.2. able to cut and weld up to maybe 1/4 inch thick metal3. i already know i need gloves, mask, boots, and maybe coveralls bu what else?4. i know there are gas models and they might be better but i don't feel comfortable leaving gas in my home garage.also if there is anyone in the f.t lauderdale area that is willing to have me tag along while they weld i will be very greatfull.and if i'm missing anything please let me know, i'm here to learn...
Reply:Can't help you with the mentoring, as I am 3000 miles away.  But I do have an opinion about 115-volt wire units - - - don't do it unless all your tasks are very light metal.  Not that they can't do some small tasks, and they are very inexpensive, but you will run into their limitations very quicdkly with the jobs you want to do.I picked up a new 110 volt Campbell-Hausfeld at a salvage outlet at a very good price (about $90, as I recall) due to cosmetic damage, but was very disappointed with it's capabilities and used it for very few tasks.  I traded it off for a DeWalt battery drill-driver kit and felt guilty.I now have a Lincoln Weld-Pak 155, 230-volt wire unit that I picked up new at an auction for $212 that is way superior to the 115-volt unit.  Still not for major structural work, but much more capable.  I'll leave it to the pro's on this forum to advise on using these small wire unit for roll bars - I have my doubts.  But I wouldn't discourage getting one of the 230-volt moderate capability wire units as a learning unit.You mention wanting welding AND cutting capability.  Those usually require two different machines, if we ignore air-arc cutting with a stick welder, which is a pretty crude method of cutting.  You can get the combined capability in an oxy-acetylene kit, which can be very useful for a wide variety of tasks and is a skill that is very useful to acquire.  But you say you don't want gas in your garage.  By the way, there's not much hazard having inert gas for MIG in your garage, provided you handle the bottles with proper respect. Good luck.awright
Reply:so basically forget the ebay cheapies...i appriciate the quick responce.my machine budget is about $300.00 to start with.and the gas is for tig right, what do you suggest for what i'm interested in doing mig or tig?  i might have a 220V outlet in the garage i think, does the 220 pull insane amounts of power, i assume they are better than the 110.
Reply:What's the thinnest you plan to weld?  Your budget will barely support a Stick machine.Too bad you didn't see eye to eye with your dad.  Sounds he could have taught you a lot...
Reply:Welding does take more power than most home appliances except ranges, driers, or electric heat, but it is easily managed with modern home service panels.  You may find that you will have to install a 30 or 50-amp branch circuit for your welder, but that's not a big deal.  The power drawn is a function of the welding you want to do.  Thicker metal means higher welding current and power draw, but you can do a lot of work off a 30-amp circuit and major welding tasks off a 50-amp circuit (at 230-volts).  Look at the nameplate on any unit you are considering to see what primary current it requires for full rated output.The limitation of the 115-volt units is that it is rare to find a 115-volt circuit rated at more than 20 amps, and many are 15 amps, so 115-volt units are all built for not more than 20-amp primary current.  You can't draw much welding power from such a limited source (2.3 kilowatts).  You can draw twice as much POWER from a 230-volt circuit than you can from a 115-volt circuit of the same current rating/wire size.I wouldn't say forget the ebay cheapies, just be aware of their limitations before investing in a unit you intend on keeping beyond the familiarization stage.  Don't forget, if you decide you don't like welding, it's not much of a loss if you only have a few hundred into your unit. Gas is for either MIG or TIG.  You can do a lot of learning without gas using flux-core wire in the wire units.  You can read a lot of opinions here about the relative merits of gas vs. flux-core, but I would recommend flux-core for starters, since the initial investment is lower and you can do a lot with it.You will probably want to learn TIG at some point, since it has significant advantages for specific tasks, but you probably want to wait until later for that.  For the type of projects you describe, stick or flux-core wire is the place to start.You have to check the current capacity of the 230-volt circuit in your garage.  It is probably 30 amp, as that is what clothes driers require.  And that is sufficient for your learning period.I strongly recommend getting a good book on welding, as some of your questions reveal limited familiarity with the topic.  Alternatively, go to the Lincoln and Miller web sites and read/download some of their tutorial stuff.  It is written expecially for beginners and can help you make a decision on what technology you want and what to look for in a welder.Have fun.awright
Reply:yeah i could have learnd alot, he used to weld soda cans together, but he was a punk so i'll learn on my own it's nothing new.the thinnest metal will be automotive sheet metal.and what is a stick machine, remember i'm new to welding.
Reply:Seems like most of your questions can first be addressed with a read through here: http://www.hobartwelders.com/techtips.htmlRead the sections on MIG and Stick first.After that, we can get specific.