Hello, As I work with this project I find the need for a welder. So what type of welder do you guys suggest for general repair and fabrication?
Dont weld so wouldn't know lol, do you have pics, I believe it's determined by what specifically needs done.
Go to a welding supply store & talk to the people , they can help , all machines have limitations , so you need to learn the capabilities & choose whatever suites what you're doing best..... dave
What is your skill level regarding welding? Don't buy something you can't use. IF your skills need improving consider a local Comm College if available, best deal out there.
Thanks everyone. Its been a few years but I am sure I can still manage the basics. I think I am going with something for light work, probably a stick welder, 120v.
Hell , you can pickup an old lincoln buzzbox [I think they were 200 amp - 220 volt] for cheap used. I don't think I'd waste $$ on a 120 volt stick welder. dave
I have never seen a 110 stick welder that could do the job. I own a 25+ year old 110 Mig welder that has done the job. The newer versions are far better than mine. It will be a wonderful investment.
Hobart 110 mig with gas will do about anything you need. We used it on the 71 mach pro street frame and body work. It's been on a 10 sec 130mph p*** with no problems.
I have a 100 amp, 110 volt Lincoln MIG with gas and I haven't found an automotive job it couldn't handle. Some guys swear up and down you need 220V to weld on frames and such, but I'm a firm believer that it's all about prep work and not maximum voltage. If you're not practiced, a TIG welder isn't going to do you any good, TIG is almost an art form that takes a ton of practice to do right. A stick welder would be my very last choice to work on an old car. (besides maybe a gasless MIG that has to run flux core wire) Really tough to do anything sheetmetal related with a stick welder (although it can be done) and tough to lay down a weld that doesn't need to be ground down on a frame. I prefer to leave frame type welds exposed to show they're clean. In fact, a gas torch and filler rods would be much preferred to a stick welder.
If it EVER thaws out around here, I plan on starting a major project that will involve a lot of welding. What do you feel are the drawbacks to using a flux core welder?
Learned mig with flux core wire, thought I'd never figure out how to weld. Found a machine with gas and it was a night and day difference. All of a sudden I really enjoyed welding. The difference was huge... i found it hard to see how the metal was moving, and it never felt like it was Hot enough. (penetrating). Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Flux core-only welders are typically very low amperage because they're cheap, so they're weak on power, and flux core leaves a slag on the weld that has to be chipped off, like in stick welding. So when you're trying to weld up sheetmetal, it's near impossible to put a few little tacks in a row, you'd have to clean each tack off before the next one, or add tacks while the weld is still hot (causing warpage). Some flux-core wire is used with shielding gas for heavy plate in industrial settings, and that **** is pretty great in the right application. But it's not for cars. It's the gasless MIG welders that are ****.
I agree , I thought I would never figure the wire machine out, after a lot of practice I feel that it makes better welds than when I first started with it. I seem to have trouble locating the gas kits for it. For awhile it looked like they were everywhere. They are not carried by the local Lowes or tractor supply anymore. What dia. wire do you use? I hope the original poster gleans some info as well
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