Beginner - Wire Feed & Material Thickness

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First off....Great Forum!!!Secondly, I hope I don't come off to be a complete idiot...I am a COMPLETE beginner when it comes to welding.  I just got an entry level Lincoln Electric wire feed welder and have a question when it comes to maximum material thickness.  According to the specs it has a max material thickness of 1/8".  Is this 1/8" thickness based on a "structural" weld with proper weld penetration?  I guess what I'm getting at is would I be able to weld thicker material, say 1/4" if I only need to "tack" something in place and am not concerned with weld strength?I was looking at plans for a welding table and it called for a 1/4" plate for the top.  I can't imagine I would need much structural integrity to just tack a plate to the frame.One additional question: what equipment should I be looking at to cut metal for hobby / craft type projects?  Thanks!!!
Reply:Which machine did ya get?  The sp100 I got will do 1/4", I thought the sp100 was the smallest lincoln made.  As far as the table top you'll want to put a little more than a tack to hold it down, to keep it from warping.   A 1" weld about every 6-8" should hold up.  Plus when you're beating on something on the table you might break a tack loose.  Are you running fluxcore or solid wire?  What gas if you're using solid?DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:The harbor freight $200ish metal cutting bandsaw is a popular and decent tool for hacking off the ends of metal:http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93762I have one and use it a lot, for a cheap piece-o-crap it is really a good deal.- John
Reply:Originally Posted by littlefuzzWhich machine did ya get?  The sp100 I got will do 1/4", I thought the sp100 was the smallest lincoln made.
Reply:Originally Posted by VisorblueNo. Lincoln has a retail line that's sold at places like Home Depot, Lowes, etc. that are smaller than your SP100: Handy MIG, Weld-Pak HD, MIG-PAK HD, Quick-Weld, and Handy Core. Taped voltage instead of continuous.
Reply:Originally Posted by runchmanThe harbor freight $200ish metal cutting bandsaw is a popular and decent tool for hacking off the ends of metal:http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93762I have one and use it a lot, for a cheap piece-o-crap it is really a good deal.- John
Reply:Originally Posted by SoCalLR3I was looking at plans for a welding table and it called for a 1/4" plate for the top.  I can't imagine I would need much structural integrity to just tack a plate to the frame.
Reply:Thanks for the info...  I guess the only way I'll really find out is to try.
Reply:Originally Posted by SoCalLR3Thanks for the info...  I guess the only way I'll really find out is to try.
Reply:I imagine I'll be making another welding after the first time I go to use it and it falls like a house of cards.The welding table I was going to make was in a book called "Welders Handbook" by Richard Finch.  I will definitely browse the forum for other plans since the one in the book isn't very detailed.
Reply:Originally Posted by SoCalLR3The welding table I was going to make was in a book called "Welders Handbook" by Richard Finch.
Reply:Originally Posted by VisorblueCheck out the Welding Basic book for the projects.Here's some other plans/instructions that may give you some ideas:http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowl...ldingtable.asphttp://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ldingtable.pdfhttp://www.millerwelds.com/education...ts/weld_table/http://www.uniqueprojects.com/projec...ldingtable.htmHave FUN!
Reply:Originally Posted by SoCalLR3Thanks a lot for the good info.  I'll pick up the Welding Basics book asap.