Hot Rods The (mis) Adventures of a Compulsive Tinkerer

I've been told the Hobart(rebadged big-name, don't remember which one) mig at FleetFarm is decent quality, for the price.
While I haven't personally used them, a friend has, & reports they work pretty well.
fwiw...
Marcus...

 

I just spoke with a friend of mine. He has the HF flux core 120 v wire welder.
He’s happy with it, but told me the ***anium model is way better than his, he previous place he worked at had one and he said he’d wished he would have gotten the ***an one instead.

 

First thing I noticed about the new welder is that it is significantly lighter than my old Lincoln SP100. It’s still like wrestling a basket of snakes to move around but it is a lighter basket. I suppose that technology has advanced and some fancy circuitry has replaced miles of copper wire but that also might be linked to the limited duty cycle of the HF machine. The quality of the bits and pieces in general (the gas regulator, the gun, the drive mechanism, etc) is quite good. I found a couple s****s of 3/4”x 1/8” and cleaned them well with a wire wheel. My tank is the 75/25 mix. The chart on the inside of the cover gives recommended settings for most applications.
Using the settings listed on the cover for a baseline, I ran a short bead. It looked like a fat caterpillar with suspect penetration. I slowed down the wire feed - better. Slowed it down some more and turned down the voltage a little and it welded nicely. Good penetration and a presentable bead. Nice action as far as trigger response vs wire advancement. My general impression is that it is slightly less powerful than the old Lincoln but smoother, if that makes any sense. I’ll need to round up some 3/16 or 1/4” stuff to practice with and see how it handles it. But so far so good.
This is the little ******. I went with the 120v unit because right now I don’t have any 220v access at this house. When I upgraded the wiring in the house I also upgraded to a 200 amp service from the original 100 amp (gl*** fuses!) but I didn’t think to install a 220 receptacle anywhere, duh…
It was $339 on sale to Inside Track members. That definitely paid for the membership and then some.

 

Well, I guess it was worth a try….
I rounded up some 3/16” plate, cleaned it to shiny metal and started welding. Not good. After experimenting with different settings (ending up at the high end of the scales) I still didn’t like the welds. It just didn’t seem to have enough uumph. I broke the pieces apart and penetration was minimal. It welded 0.060”sheet ok, 1/8” ehh, and 3/16 not good. So back to HF it went. They were fine about it, got most of my money back.
So I confirmed my su****ions, that an older Lincoln or Miller is what I really need. They were conservatively rated and could weld well beyond expectations. My 30 year old SP-100 can safely weld 1/4” plate although it’s not rated for that. The HF ***anium MIG 140 that I got was rated right at its maximum capability - 1/8”max.

 

Hey, Bob;

I think the problem is the 110v operating system. As you found out, not much depth to the weld. I don't know iffen the Hobart would do any better? Might be worth an at-home test. ??? .
Personally, I don't think 110V migs are good for much over ~1/8", single-p***, V-eed. my opinion.

So, would it be feasible to put in a 220V50+A(?) jack in the house siding(use a "weather-proof" outlet/covering) & run a long homemade(from 0000 welding cable) extension cable to the garage? I used 50A dryer receptacles, never had any issue w/them. I had to do just this decades ago(like ~'74-ish), at my folks house, when my dad upgraded the electrical box from screw-in fuses to breakers. I split the cost to get welding capability, didn't run it underground to the garage, as everything was already concreted-in. Turned out it was cheaper too... . My "extension" cable was something like 30', I still have it, & it still works well. Used those same 50A plugs n receptacles on the extension cable & converted the welder to them. I'd just use what the mig needed. I'd also guess you wouldn't need much more than 20A, maybe 30A, at 220V ?
FWIW.
Marcus...

 

Hey Bob, size wire were you using?

 

@nrgwizard , that welder is 120v only.
But even if it was able to use 240, pretty sure it would just draw less current, but not increase the output.

 

I know it's 120V only, but for some reason, some welders work better than others. I suspect it's a case of others being actually worse, then some being better, but... <shrug> . Probably a situation of designed-amperage-usage. Idk right now, w/o research. My friends' kid that got the ff-hobart, wasn't welding frames, much less in one p***, & was happy w/ its' performance, but even at that, welding w/the thinnest dia wire available(.023" ?) would let it bite better. I'm sure Bob knows his welding.
Marcus...

 

I’ve been using my little old 110v Lincoln SP100 with 025 wire for 30 years. The only time it ever gave me trouble was when I tried to use it at my Dads place with a substandard extension cord. The voltage drop was just too much for it to work right. I thought my machine had finally died but, nope. We plugged it directly into the wall receptacle and it was fine. Still is.
I’ve welded everything from sheet metal to pedal ***emblies to motor mounts with it. From 0.020” to 1/4”, never a problem. I have a full size Lincoln TIG /stick machine that I always use for critical welds and ch***is work. I’m definitely not an expert or a certified welder but I was taught in metal shop cl***es in 1965-67 and have been doing it successfully ever since. Oxy-acetylene, stick,TIG and MIG, I have welded most common materials, even magnesium. I take welding on car stuff very seriously.
The HF machine came set up for 0.030 wire so I started there. Using the recommended settings, the welds seemed to have a humped up, caterpillar look. Moving faster was not an option as the heat and penetration was already not looking good. Various adjustments didn’t improve it. So I switched to my favored wire size, 0.025. (I bought wire and tips, the drive wheel accepts either size by flipping it over) Again, starting with their recommended setting, it improved but not by much. I tried **** welds and a fillet weld or two. After breaking them apart, I was not at all satisfied with the penetration. The settings were very close to maximum. I almost never have to run my Lincoln that high to get better results.
I suppose the HF welder would do an acceptable job with patch panels, floor replacement, small bracketry, etc. It has a nice quiet, smooth operation, but I would definitely not weld anything that takes any substantial load with it. It’s just not very powerful. There are several models above it in the series but I would bet that each one barely lives up to its rating.
Honestly, the way American companies have been outsourcing with overseas suppliers I suspect that today’s equivalent to my SP100 in the current Lincoln line is not American made with American components. I’m going to try to find a gently used older Lincoln or Miller.

 

I’m sure Bob does as well.
I tried some unknown brand I’d gotten from the neighbor when he was moving out, it was .030. Didn’t weld worth beans for what I was doing.
Went to AirGas, for a roll and all was good.
The counter guy told me to always use either the wire with the “S” or maybe it ER70S? For best welds. I’d have to go look.
Edit: Bob snuck in on me

 

Meant to add, spending around 400 for something only capable of doing 1/8th “okay”, tells me I’ll look elsewhere.
Thanks Bob.

 

Just noting my experience with it. Off the top of my head, I believe that ER70S was on both spools of wire.
Glad if it helps. As Jnaki would say YMMV.
In other news…. Here’s the firewall/cowl my buddy left me to repair his butchered one. Not sure what it came from. Two horizontal parting lines??

 

That is a Murry firewall. That's why the lower is different than standard 28/29

 

Well I’ll be. You learn something new everyday.
They didn’t leave much of the old firewall unmolested. I’m not sure what approach to take. I’m thinking that the two flanges in that Murray firewall will interfere with the back of the flathead but I don’t know for sure without dropping the engine in. So, cut everything out and set the whole thing back an inch or two? Foot room isn’t really a big factor in this car.
I’m old and I’m doing this basically for free so I want to make it easy on myself if I can.

 

My search for a MIG welder took me to Auburn, Ca. today where I met up with a nice older couple and bought a Lincoln SP 125 with a cart and helmet for $350. It even has a mostly full spool of wire.
I saw lots of small Lincoln’s for sale, some cheaper, some newer, some from sketchy sellers but the wife and I drove the hour and a half and were rewarded with a nice machine for a decent price. Deciphering the serial numbers (over the phone) I determined that it was made in the USA in 1997. It’s the next generation newer than my current SP 100. It still has the continuously variable Voltage knob instead of the 6 position switch.
For safety, they wanted to meet in a shopping center parking lot but I told him that I need to know that it works before handing over my hard earned cash. He understood and he ran it in his garage while I was listening on the phone. lol - A compromise but it minimized my risk. He claimed that he bought it to use while building his ‘57 Chevy primarily for patch panels and to build a rotisserie and an engine running stand. It’s been sitting in his shed for years. The condition seemed to be appropriate for his explanation. I think he made the cart also, it looks nice, but homemade.

Of course I had to try it out as soon as we got home….
It was dusty so I wiped it down with some ArmorAll spray cleaner and hooked it up. The tank is mine. It seems to work just like my other little Lincoln. I’ll do more testing tomorrow but it already seems much more powerful than the HF machine. So far, money well spent.
Now I’m on the hunt for a good sandblasting setup. My HF blast cabinet never worked worth a $h!t and now it looks like hell and needs everything. I saw a nice **** Blast setup for sale nearby that I hope is still available.
Basically, I’m trying to rearrange and upgrade my shop after 15 years of abuse and neglect. Instead of adding another building or shed I’m trying to rethink what I have and change things to make it better.

 

Nice score. I've had that exact welder for 30+ years, and it has never let me down.

 

That’s been my experience too. They seem to be pretty bullet proof.

 

I have an SP100 that I bought through a fire insurance adjuster, 31 years ago, still plugging along. Bought a standby Hobart Handler, to have at our seasonal place, for minor work. It's nice to not have to cart them back and forth.

 

Yeah, that’s exactly why I bought another. It’s getting to be a pain schlepping one back and forth.
It also made me learn a little about Lincoln welders. I like how their serial numbers tell you the age and origin of their products.

 

I used to get a newsletter from Lincoln at my dad's engineering company. Those newsletters and various books on welding technique and projects that I bought made me view Lincoln as the front-runner in the welding arena....

 

Nice, Bob. .
Good price, machine/etc. So, yes, worth the price to not have to pack/haul/unpack - repeat. .
Marcus...

 

Well, I think a no brainer there. 339? Plus tax for an HF unit, or what looks like a new Lincoln for 350.
Also, maybe it’s just me, I dunno.
Guys go buy a welder.
Guys buy a cart for the welder.
Ahem, but you have a welder, maybe do as the guy Bob got his from and make the first project, I dunno, build a cart.
Ya, crazy concept

 

Ha, ha, ha, I thought the same thing. He did good, the cart is nice except he didn’t leave room to open the side door and access the wire spool. Oops. I’ll see what I can do to remedy that.
OR, I bought an extra HF cart while I was down in LA thinking that I would be buying just a welder without a cart. I could use the HF cart (with the wide, angled top shelf) for the new welder and use this homemade one with the narrower, level top for my chop saw! Decisions, decisions….

 

The new lathe is hooked up and running, I redid the electrical wiring so it looks kosher but I can still disconnect it easily and move the machine if I want to. I also cut some plywood and made a heavy duty bottom shelf, quickly reminding myself why I don’t do much woodworking. Lol
I was able to get eight 3rd members, several carriers and four R&P sets under there and out of my way.
Love it when a plan comes together. Now back to rebuilding the 650 Holley on the Ranchero.

 

Ha, my dad had a concept about woodworking.
What happens when you cut a board too short?
Get another board.
What happens when you cut a piece of steel too short?
Weld another piece onto it.

 

Reminds me of a joke I heard a while back.

"There is a simple test to determine which loves you more/is more forgiving, your wife or your dog. Lock both your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car. Open the trunk after 5 minutes. Which one of the two is happy to see you? There's your answer ...

 

^^^^ I won’t be trying that any time soon! lol
I think that losing our beloved Daisy has pulled us closer together. We are both trying our best to adjust to no longer having her needs driving our every waking thought. It’s a big adjustment.