Settin' up shop

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I'm trying to set up my garage to do some welding.  Just looking to pick it up as a hobby.  I do have a few questions maybe you can help me out with.  I'm looking at getting the Miller 135.  It says it can only weld up to 3/16"  the only thing I can think of that I would want to weld that would be thicker then that is the top to my welding table.  Is 3/16" thick enough for a table top or is there a way I can get around that limitation and use something thicker.Last question, how large of tanks (torch & MIG) would be recommended for someone just playing around on the weekends.  I haven't be able to find anything that estimates usage.  Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Reply:Here are a few suggestions for setting up a welding shop in the garage.    Mind you I don't have a garage at the moment but do have plenty of experience.First; make sure you have enough power being supplied to the garage.    That means more than one branch circuit and maybe even more than one lighting circuit.    If you do need better electrical infrastructure see if you can install an 100 amp sub panel in the garge or more branch circuits in the houses main panel.   I can't count the number of times that guys around here have had to deal with the lack of power in their shops.   It is something I'm often asked to help or advise on.As to the MIG welder the Miller 135 is a capable but limited machine.    Basically as low end as you can get.   That is not bad just hat you need to realize it.    A guy I work iwth has used just such a machine to build a number of hot rods.    All that being said it is probably better to get a 220 volt machine, even the hot rod builder would suggest that.    For the most part they are just as portable (SP175 class machines) as the 110 volt units but gieve you extended capability and better duty cycle at the ranges one often uses for sheet metal and such.    Yes they cost a bit more for going one step up. but are still well below the cost of a roll around type machine.In any event I'd suggest having the electrical system upgraded to the point that it can also handle a buzz box type stick welder.   Get one cheap and you end up with many of the bases covered for a home shop.The proble with welders is that once you have one you and your nieghbors (remember them)  will find uses for it that you didn't plan on.   That doesn't mean a mig welder isn't usefull just that each machine has an optimal set of usage points that it can cover.As for your welding table thickness is up to you and your budget.   This isn't a business so you have to take costs into account.    The sturcture of the table support and its size also comes into play.    If it was me I'd go thicker, if such a top could be easily handled in the shop.    As to welding to the plate yep that will be a problem, but there are devices call cap screws that can take care of that.    Part of the problem is that the plate is a big heat sink, even though technically you might be in spec with your welder you may end up with a very poor weld.   Note that you can extend the capability of a mig somewhat by preheating the stuff to be welded.    Heating a large sheet of steel and not deforming it is not easy though.    The best avenue to folow here might be to build up the frame and tach weld the top on and take it to a professional welder or friend with a stick.    Do this especially if you go with a much thicker top.As to the tank question I do reccomend working with a good weld shop especially if you are new to welding.   There are a number of options and they can give you estimates on usage.   Generally I reccomend smaller tanks if you expect to use the portable feature of the welder.   Larger tanks can be used if you expect to keep the machine in the garage.   Just remember the safety issues with the tanks and take care when handling.   The bigger ones are heavy.Note about the shops electircs do realize that you will need a number of tools to go along with the welder.   This is where a lot of guys find their shops electrical system coming up short.   Things like air compressors, grinders, lighting, plasma torches and other thing all impact the shop.Thanksdave
Reply:ok here is my take on small welding machines changeing the gas and or wire will change what it can do you can also use some preheat to weld thicker stuffthis will help compensate for the lack of power and you dont need to burn all the way though the table top to wled it i have a SP135p and have welded a ship load of 1/4 and some 3/8 just to prove it can be done ,now on the 3/8 it takes more passes to get it done but it can be done you dont need one big weld you need good welds.as for the tank i have 40Cf tanks one argon ,one 95/5 aro2  ,and one20Cf heilumChuckASME Pressure Vessel welder
Reply:Heath (Halbritt) wrote a while ago about problems he had attaching a welding top to a table. I recall the top distorted because he used a fair few welds. I'm glad I read that before I attached my top. Gravity largely keeps it in place and I just tacked it in a few places to stop it moving around. It's been fine so far. Of course, I don't alot of heavy work on it and I don't use it as an anvil.My top is 6mm. Not sure what that is in your quaint old measurements. Again, it's fine for my purposes i.e. weekend projects.Scott