Advice for welding needed

[Yallaen]

I'm placing this in the general topic area. I know there are a lot of you that build your custom rigs. I've been a Pontiac Firebird builder for most of my life. I've had 2 Firebirds, a TA, and dabbled with a 67 Chevelle. The one area I've never gotten good with is welding. But I want to start.

I'd like to start out with MIG. Are the units sold at Harbor Freight worth a hoot? This is for automotive repairs and building. Heck, maybe I will buy a 90's Jeep and start making a true rock crawler. I don't know, but I'd like to be able to at least weld some steel together. Any thoughts on brands to start with? I know there are a lot of instructional videos on YouTube. But to summarize, I know you need a. clean surface, b. good ground connection, and c. you need to sound like bacon frying. Other than that, I'm game for tips, tricks, etc.

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[taintedsaint]

I've owned lots of welders and welded everything from automotive sheetmetal to ornamental tubing. While the pricier Lincoln or Miller are truly great, there are more economical options. But not HF. I would recommend start with Hobart to save money.
You're right about basics. You need to learn about wire speed and amperage relationship. Amperage is sometimes called "temperature" cuz higher amp burns thru thin metal. So experiment with temp and speed on sheet/tube/plate etc.

 

[kevman65]

If you have a weld supply house near you, go there and ask what they have used.

Most of them have rental units, after so many hours of use they pull them out of circulation, replace worn parts and clean them up. You can get a decent machine that way.

Now, if you're learning, skip fluxcore and get the set up for using shielding gas. Will be a cleaner weld and easier to see what you're doing. You want a machine that is adjustable, both speed and heat, your HF machines generally aren't adjustable.

Start on flat plate and just practice running stringers, yeah I know, boring and no glory. But you get the stringers looking good you have it just about whooped.

Unless you have 220V available, you're going to want a 110V machine. Dedicated circuit for it, as short of a cord as you can get away with.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I needed to patch some floor sections in a car I'm refurbishing for someone - I looked all over the place, read many dozens of reviews, and asked those with welding experience before settling on this one - got a big rebate on it at the time.

I'm GREAT with a stick welder, but gave my old 1960s Forney away a couple of years back. Wish I had kept it because I just can't get the hang of MIG but could weld almost anything with that old stick welder and my assortment of rods I had.

I suck at MIG welding.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If you have a weld supply house near you, go there and ask what they have used.

Most of them have rental units, after so many hours of use they pull them out of circulation, replace worn parts and clean them up. You can get a decent machine that way.

Now, if you're learning, skip fluxcore and get the set up for using shielding gas. Will be a cleaner weld and easier to see what you're doing. You want a machine that is adjustable, both speed and heat, your HF machines generally aren't adjustable.

Start on flat plate and just practice running stringers, yeah I know, boring and no glory. But you get the stringers looking good you have it just about whooped.

Unless you have 220V available, you're going to want a 110V machine. Dedicated circuit for it, as short of a cord as you can get away with.

I opted for 220 and have a long extension cord as at times I need to weld in another bay in my shop. But I am using the cord I made for a big electric auger I had on the farm and it's likely overkill for the load of a 220 welder. They don't take much for amperage.

I really need a person on site to learn from - videos just don't cut it, plus they could watch and let me know how I'm screwing up LOL

 

[Free2roam]

I needed to patch some floor sections in a car I'm refurbishing for someone - I looked all over the place, read many dozens of reviews, and asked those with welding experience before settling on this one - got a big rebate on it at the time.

I'm GREAT with a stick welder, but gave my old 1960s Forney away a couple of years back. Wish I had kept it because I just can't get the hang of MIG but could weld almost anything with that old stick welder and my assortment of rods I had.

I suck at MIG welding.

I'd take that Miller off your hands lol. Welder/fabricator by trade.

 

[Free2roam]

I opted for 220 and have a long extension cord as at times I need to weld in another bay in my shop. But I am using the cord I made for a big electric auger I had on the farm and it's likely overkill for the load of a 220 welder. They don't take much for amperage.

I really need a person on site to learn from - videos just don't cut it, plus they could watch and let me know how I'm screwing up LOL

If I was or you were closer I'd be down to give pointers. Kinda far. Get some scrap metal and start dialing in on thicker metal. Then transfer to thinner. Lower amperage and wire speed at that point too. Wish I had a 220volt welder at home. But I can't complain for free.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'd take that Miller off your hands lol. Welder/fabricator by trade.

Where do you live? I'd pay for lessons.
I won't post pictures of my floor repairs - I'd be laughed at (even though it's strong in the end, I spent a lot of time filling holes I created at the patch joint)

 

[rharr]

Stick with Miller or Lincoln, get a unit that does gas. Before you drop any cash check the local community college, they usually offer welding classes for a good price and that will show you the ropes and what to look for when it's time to buy a unit.

I can't recommend the community colleges enough for things like this, night classes just a few hours a week is a great resource.

 

[Free2roam]

Where do you live? I'd pay for lessons.
I won't post pictures of my floor repairs - I'd be laughed at (even though it's strong in the end, I spent a lot of time filling holes I created at the patch joint)

Nevada. Yep different wire methods of thinking too. Inner shield or hard wire. Inner shield uses a flux which creates an oxygen deficient area around the arc for welding. Works better outside than hard wire. Hard wire uses gas in a bottle to accomplish the same thing. Sucks ass outside if windy. My experience is that hard wire is easier to learn. About 25-30 psi of gas for 75/25 gas mix. I used to fab SST food processing equipment, I can mig, stick and tig weld. All sorts of materials.

 

[kevman65]

@ShadowsPapa, believe it or not, MIG is easier than SMAW. Where most beginners get flustered are the heat and the feed speed. Almost everyone is too slow and too cold.
If your machine has suggested settings, up them about 15% and see how it goes. Or you could be like me and just old and the eyes are betraying you.

The short cord is for 110V, on 220V you can usually get away with a longer cord as there isn't that much current drop across it.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Nevada. Yep different wire methods of thinking too. Inner shield or hard wire. Inner shield uses a flux which creates an oxygen deficient area around the arc for welding. Works better outside than hard wire. Hard wire uses gas in a bottle to accomplish the same thing. Sucks ass outside if windy. My experience is that hard wire is easier to learn. About 25-30 psi of gas for 75/25 gas mix. I used to fab SST food processing equipment, I can mig, stick and tig weld. All sorts of materials.

I've only tried solid wire and gas. Don't even have a roll of flux wire, because I figured all of my welding would be done inside.
I had mine set at 26, might think of bumping it up a couple psi.
IT seems I'm always running into trouble because the wire feed exceeds my welding speed and wire melting. So I stop, trim the wire, etc. and go again until it happens again. I have to admit, although I'm VERY left handed, my right hand has had a shake for years, can't hold a cup of coffee steady with it but my left hand is fine. But that doesn't help a lot.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

@ShadowsPapa, believe it or not, MIG is easier than SMAW. Where most beginners get flustered are the heat and the feed speed. Almost everyone is too slow and too cold.
If your machine has suggested settings, up them about 15% and see how it goes. Or you could be like me and just old and the eyes are betraying you.

The short cord is for 110V, on 220V you can usually get away with a longer cord as there isn't that much current drop across it.

LOL - man, you know me.
64, blind in my right eye since birth, left eye not bad but not perfect either. For me I burn holes in thin metal - like auto sheet metal, and I get jammed up because the wire feed is fast and then stop and trim the wire back and go again. I tried using the auto setting on the Miller - I set the gauge of steel exactly, etc. and still it's messy. I probably don't have a smooth enough and fast enough speed in my movement for the wire and settings.

 

[Free2roam]

LOL - man, you know me.
64, blind in my right eye since birth, left eye not bad but not perfect either. For me I burn holes in thin metal - like auto sheet metal, and I get jammed up because the wire feed is fast and then stop and trim the wire back and go again. I tried using the auto setting on the Miller - I set the gauge of steel exactly, etc. and still it's messy. I probably don't have a smooth enough and fast enough speed in my movement for the wire and settings.

Also. Check the points at where the wire goes through the rollers inside. Minimum pressure is required. I've always set mine to....when you pull the trigger and then the wire over it should stop and the rollers should keep spinning. To tight it will sputter and make a mess. When doing sheet metal really thin stuff. Trigger let go trigger let go....it should minimize the burn through. I'm left handed as well. Brace one hand against work and gun. Keeps it steadier.

 

[kevman65]

LOL - man, you know me.
64, blind in my right eye since birth, left eye not bad but not perfect either. For me I burn holes in thin metal - like auto sheet metal, and I get jammed up because the wire feed is fast and then stop and trim the wire back and go again. I tried using the auto setting on the Miller - I set the gauge of steel exactly, etc. and still it's messy. I probably don't have a smooth enough and fast enough speed in my movement for the wire and settings.

On automotive sheet metal, it's a series of tacks, not a stringer. The base metal won't handle the heat. Hit the trigger, when you see the puddle, let go of trigger. Move a couple of inches away and repeat.

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