What do you use to weld?

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05snopro440

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Joined
Sep 18, 2012
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5,141
Location
Sherwood Park, Alberta
Hey Guys,

To avoid cluttering ZZ's thread, what do you use to weld? Do you use different processes for frame work or body work? What gas and wire/rod do you use?

I'm trying to improve my welding game and any information can help. I have a nice old Lincoln Arc Welder that I'm getting decent with, and I have a Century 120V MIG, I'm thinking of getting a multi-process Miller or just a better MIG, something that can run off 220 that I can use on my Model A frame and other projects that are a little larger scale.
 
Millermatic 252 is my weapon of choice. I also have an old school millermatic 35 and my tig is a miller syncrowave 210.
 
I have an old AC/DC arc welder for heavy stuff. A Lincoln migpack 180 with .030 wire and Stargold argon/ c02 mix, I use .025 wire for sheet metal. I also have an Eastwood tig 200 for aluminum and when I want to tig steel.
 
I use a blue box mig! 110v-220v capable. It has two heads for the power cable... 1 for each. Had it about 15 yrs & still goin' strong! I use 110v on thin metal & 220v for thicker stuff & use .025 for sheet metal & heavier wire for thicker metal. Also have a Miller plasma cutter!

Check out http//www.cyberweld.com

BoB
 

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For what tasks do you find you use the TIG instead of the MIG? No stick? I find the stick to be pretty handy to stick stuff together, maybe I just haven't used the MIG enough.

I like the tig for thin metal, aluminum or something I want a purdy weld on. The pic is a tig welded on the top of my flat pole hahaha
I havnt used a stuck for years. I might be getting a gen ser stick for fence building.
.025 wire for sheet metal .030 or .035 for heaver stuff
 

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For sheet metal and up to 3/8" steel I have a Miller 210 mig. I also have a Miller 350p for heavier stuff Like 1/8" and up. I use it mostly in mig mode as I have a hard time dialing it in for pulse. This machine also has a spool gun to go with it. I use it for aluminum and it works better than the spool gun I had on the 210. The 210 I run .023 for steel and the same for stainless. The 350p runs .030 - .045 for steel. the spool gun take .035 wire and up. For steel 75% argon 25% CO2. Stainless and aluminum take pure argon. If welding silicon bronze welding that requires pure argon also. I haven't stick welded much in years. Mig is faster, cleaner and easier. I also have an old Lincoln Ideal arc for stick and it is set up for tig also. I need more practice at tig. I'm not very good at it.
 
I've got a 120V Lincoln Handy Mig, only used flux core wire in it, haven't broken down and bought a bottle for it yet, may not ever. I was going to get on the exchange program at Tractor Supply, then all the sudden they quit selling welding gases, so it's a 50 mile trip to Tuscaloosa if I wanted gas.:(

I've also got a old Lincoln red buzz box 240v stick welder. It's so old, the case has rusted away and is just sitting over the transformer and I have to bump it around to keep the fan from hitting, LOL. I've had it for years, I've cut, actually burned and melted, with it and ran a pickup full of rods with it, it still does a good job. I use it on anything thicker than sheetmetal, and have even welded some of that with it!:eek:

I want a torch and a mig bottle, but I've done without all these years so it may never happen.:rolleyes:
 
For almost 25 years I've used a Lincoln SP-175 Plus. A 220 volt machine. Replaced the sheath once. No other work other than cleaning. I use .030" wire for everything. Used to use my Miller stick for heavy stuff until I learned to trust the MIG.
 
I bought a new Millermatic 200 in '85 which I still have and like it better than the Millermatic 252 that I bought 5 years ago which in it's self is a great machine. I have a Miller Dynasty 200 DX that's water cooled for tig.
I use 75/25 mix and .035 wire for everything. Once you get the hang of the larger wire, it's no big deal.
I tack body panels together with the mig, grind the beads smooth then, tig the seams.
All my tig work is done with pure Argon, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless etc.
 
I bought a new Millermatic 200 in '85 which I still have and like it better than the Millermatic 252 that I bought 5 years ago which in it's self is a great machine. I have a Miller Dynasty 200 DX that's water cooled for tig.
I use 75/25 mix and .035 wire for everything. Once you get the hang of the larger wire, it's no big deal.
I tack body panels together with the mig, grind the beads smooth then, tig the seams.
All my tig work is done with pure Argon, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless etc.

Awesome! That's the kind of info I'm looking for.

Do you find the TIG on body panel seams puts less heat in and results in less warping and better finishing?
 
For heavy stuff I have 35 yr old lincoln stick welder. Have been using a lincoln 110v core shield until it broke, I will fix it for a emergency back up. Then I got a Hobart MIG 110v, .025 wire, 75/25 argon, co. Still learning how to mig weld, strong but not the prettiest :eek:
 
For heavy stuff I have 35 yr old lincoln stick welder. Have been using a lincoln 110v core shield until it broke, I will fix it for a emergency back up. Then I got a Hobart MIG 110v, .025 wire, 75/25 argon, co. Still learning how to mig weld, strong but not the prettiest :eek:

Come on Soltz, I'm sure you're both strong and pretty! Oh wait, you meant the welds... :p

Thanks for the info! I'm trying to decide if it makes sense to upgrade to a more capable and more expensive machine now, or to practice on my current wire feed until my skills exceed the capability of the machine. I haven't welded with gas and solid wire yet, maybe that's where I should start.
 
I've still got my first stick welder. I bought it from my boss back in 1973 for $75.00. It's a 225 Amp Tombstone Lincoln. Works for anything heavy. I have a Craftsman flux core that goes both 110-220v for thin stuff although on thin stuff I'm ok with using Ox-acetylene torch. And that cheap ass plasma cutter I got on Amazon is still running strong every time I need it. The older I get, the lousier my welding gets. Hard to see well enough anymore...
 
Awesome! That's the kind of info I'm looking for.

Do you find the TIG on body panel seams puts less heat in and results in less warping and better finishing?

Yes, it's closer to acetylene welding than anything else. I've found the less wire you use the less warpage with tig.
 
Yes, it's closer to acetylene welding than anything else. I've found the less wire you use the less warpage with tig.

Great, thanks for the info!

I've never TIG welded but I've done lots of arc, a bunch of MIG, and oxy acetylene. I want to learn how to tig someday, so I guess that's a vote in favour of a new machine... :D
 
I had never take welded before and I bought a new machine to do it. It's not on the corner of the shop for about four months because I got really discouraged if Earth. Some more practice and some good help from Friends now I can melt things together and make it look okay. I did some silicon bronze TIG work on a set of doors filling some trim holes and it barely distorted the paint around the weld
 

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