VW beetle restoration

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Hi all,I am new here as i recently as today signed up with this site to learn as much as i can about welding before taking on the task of restoring my bug. My first question to you all which mig or tig welder would be good to use, also were can i get some good books to read on the subject.
Reply:Let be the first to welcome you.Better see what the real welders suggest...but I would think a small mig for replacing floor pans..140(anyone but a Chinese brand)Lincoln,Hobart,Miller etc..Tig is a art and a bit harder to learnUse the search button...trust me there is a lot of good stuff archived here
Reply:I would second the Small Mig. There isnt anything heavy at all on a Bug that would require a larger machine, at least anything you should be welding. I would also suggest a nice O/A setup to get you started. When your trying to stitch together what remains of old panels and make/fit new ones, the torch will be invaluable. Tig, not really what I would start with, doesnt tolerate the corrosion you will encounter and really isnt good for anything but welding. Nice tool to add eventually, but not one of the "top 5" of car restoration. For books and videos I would check out www.tinmantech.com. Kent has tech videos just on the subject of panel repair and replacement. Good stuff.
Reply:Thanks for the help so far guys. I will look into this new website makoman1860
Reply:Yeah I agree with what was said above...though I do use my Tig working on sheet metal on Porsches. The front pan is really thin and I find it easier and can do a better job but the metal has to be clean and I mean really clean. If you are going to do a lot of pan work I would also buy a few Cleco, they will hold the pans together and let you align them before you weld them up big help. If I could only have 1 machine guess I would get a Mig really easy to learn and will do a bunch of stuff, get 1 that will use gas.....BrandonLincoln Tombstone 225 A/C Steel StickerOld Victor O2/Acetylene setupMiller Syncrowave 250 Tig/PC-300 PulserMiller Millermatic 212 Mig HTP Invertatig 201 Giant Teck D50 Plasma cutterLots of HF grinders
Reply:i used a weld-pac 100 on my floors Attached Images
Reply:Would a mig like this work in my favor.http://www.eastwood.com/130-amp-welder-system.html
Reply:Originally Posted by brandon113Yeah I agree with what was said above...though I do use my Tig working on sheet metal on Porsches. The front pan is really thin and I find it easier and can do a better job but the metal has to be clean and I mean really clean. If you are going to do a lot of pan work I would also buy a few Cleco, they will hold the pans together and let you align them before you weld them up big help. If I could only have 1 machine guess I would get a Mig really easy to learn and will do a bunch of stuff, get 1 that will use gas.....Brandon
Reply:eastwood has some good stuff but there welders and metal working tools are way over pricedcyberweld.com has mm 140 for $680.00with $50.00 off or free cart make you owncart and get a miller for $630.00 Attached Images
Reply:I agree with ed mac, Eastwoods is over priced on a lot of stuff. You pay a premium on products for the one stop shop convenience. Most of their "specialty" items can be found cheaper elsewhere if you look. Someone suggested Clecos for example. Aircraft spruce sells them cheaper than Eastwoods IIRC, and A bit of shopping around can probably save you even more.BTW Clarke is in chapter 11 so parts/ warranty work will be questionable at best. Been thru that same sort of thing in the past with my original 110v mig. No way I would ever go that route again. Just money in the trash.Get a good machine like the Miller ed suggested, or a Lincoln that uses gas as opposed to FC and you'll be much happier in the long run.I'll throw in my usual caveat, get the biggest machine you can afford. That little 110v mig is fine for what you want now, but don't be at all surprised if you quickly find it under powered if you like to weld and want to move on to other projects. Right now I think the Miller 211 is the best bet on the market as a starter machine. You can use it on 110v for light stuff, but it's got the balls to do heavier metals if you plug in to 220v. It's a tough machine for a hobiest to outgrow, but it costs. In the long run it will be cheaper to buy the 211 now then it will be to upgrade later. My .02 worth, been there, done that.
Reply:My suggestion is a Miller 211 or a 212 the 212 has auto set and cause I am lazy I like it. I is hard to beat any of the big companys Lincoln, Miller, ESAB. And DSW is right buy the biggest machine you can afford. some of the problems I have seen with the cheaper machines is some don't come gas ready and you want that and the wire drives are a little wimpy. Aircraft Spruce is a great place to buy clecos and other sheet metal stuff....My other hobby is playing with experimental aircraft and they are a great resource. O yeah check out the Miller site they have some learning videos and check this out also http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/MIG_handbook/592mig3_1.htm it is a very fine explanation of the mig process. BrandonLast edited by brandon113; 07-22-2009 at 09:22 PM.Lincoln Tombstone 225 A/C Steel StickerOld Victor O2/Acetylene setupMiller Syncrowave 250 Tig/PC-300 PulserMiller Millermatic 212 Mig HTP Invertatig 201 Giant Teck D50 Plasma cutterLots of HF grinders
Reply:Thanks for all the help so far.