Search craigslist for a welder, I found this one on craigslist over a year ago for $1200.00 it's a Miller syncrowave 180SD with digital readouts, it only had 5 hours use on it when I bought it, it cost well over $2000.00 when it was new (and no I won't sell it, it's a keeper).
Just to be honest before I knew a scratch tig could purchased I tried buying a tig element and rigged it up in my welder. I had no trouble welding with it. In fact there are pics on my website of that first weld. Stu Denyes the welder friend, saw that and told me to buy a scratch tig. He and his crew use them 8 hours a day. SO today when I was in town buying metal for the new rail I went to the Millar dealer and asked. Millar scratch tig was $243.95 plus $18 for the adapter for a Arc welder. A non branded version with a longer hose was $104.88 plus still the $18 for the Arc machine adapter. He said he has sold both and realistically thought both were decent units. I already have the flow meter for my mig unit and it is mounted in the same cart. Just a matter of switching the hose . I know from experience that a lot of things are difficult at first (I learned to play the fiddle at 50 ,at 51 learned to make them so this is my turning 60 project). A year down the road the early difficulties are not even a conscious thought. BTW not once even hintingly did the Millar dealer suggest that there was anything wrong with this idea. If other people can use these successfully so can I and you. Period! Don BTW there is nothing wrong with a dedicated machine. In fact it is the ultimate. And for those who can swing it it is the way to go I am sure. But for me and guys like me who have to hoard $20 just to buy the next section of tubing the cost is out of the question. Been retired for 12 years with only my cookie jar for a pension. Every dime has a place to go.
I bought a new Miller Diversion 165 from Praxair for $1300 and like it a lot. One nice thing about it is it only pulls 20+ amps, so if you have a small electrical service on your garage, it will still work fine. My big Miller wanted a 100 amp breaker (yes, it was more capable, but these new inverter based machines are really nice.
Mikey, I looked into the ultrasonic /vibritory method of stress relief when I was building chassis, and what steered me away from it was that at that time , no sactioning body or the FAA recognised it as acceptable...and I don't think they do now. Whenever possible , If I can relate a car/bike part to a similar part in a plane , I see what the FAA rulebook says it takes to pass their inspection, as I have a SIL that is an airframe mechanic ,and a co-worker with a A&P licence...If it good enough to fly It should be good enough for ground based travel....Shawn
shawnspeed, was it a system called "Metalax", or something of the sort???? Pretty neat system, and impressive as well when you see the test results!!!
I belive that was it ...The guy had a shop down on 8 mile in detroit....he had a wicked 750 ninja with a extended swingarm and a turbo it ran low 7's at 190 +mph....on street tires .....sombody said 100 bucks a gear , and 500 to win , on the 696 service drive....he made A-LOT of money
I will be welding together a front engine dragster, so I think I'll buy a used Miller or rent one. Thanks to all and have a Safe and Happy New Year! Bob Lintner
post some pics once you get goin i used to help a buddy with a front engine digger , runs a blown early hemi , typical Dononvon block with ported 354 heads , 6/71 blower with a injector it,s a nostalgia class legal set-up
An FED, yup get a TIG with foot control. Too bad, this thread was really gettin good too. Couldn't you have made something up like a rocket powered pedal car to really keep these boys cranked up? We were about ready to find out about which way the seam was supposed to face!
I guess I really fired up the troops with one question.Hey guys-I bought a good used Miller dial arc HF from a fellow HAMBer and will probable keepit!!! Let's go look for someone else to roast!
If you're REALLY good at gas welding, you'd be better off going that way than a Tig, which you have little or no experience with. Make your welds nice and petty, paint it before you bring it to get certed, and you should have no problem. If you're really anal about it, just tack weld the rollbars, seat and rear end uprights in place, and have somebody who tigs every day of their lives do the finish work on those parts.
The Jalopy Journal
