Ronnie wrote:
Gots a small shop making mostly garden stuff for a landscaper. Do 95%
of my work with a MillerMatic 135, however the other day he threw some
4 x 4 .188 wall stuff my way. It took all the 135 had to weld it and
I'm still not real warm and fuzzy about the penetration. Here's my
delima...
I've got the dough to buy a MM210 and solve my concerns about not
having enough machine for the rare (very rare) occasion I do bigger
stuff. But, sitting in the back of my shop right now, is an old Sears
Crapsman A/C (only) stick machine of the 25 to 250 amp persuaion, I got
it for free for the taking, with about 100 pounds of various rod that
are many years old and been stored in open paper sacks.
I tried a project with it when I first got it, it turned out looking
like **** with all the spatter and slag balls from hell all over
everything. Granted it's got a hot arc and it'll warp the **** out of
stuff, but having used a clean, tidy MIG welder, a job that has to be
chipped and flap wheeled afterward is just unacceptable if you know
what I mean.
Do I try some new, fresh rod and blame the mess on the old rod, or do I
throw the A/C machine away and spring for the big MIG? I would
eventually like to get into aluminum trailer frames, so the MIG would
be beneficial, but honestly the 135 is still gonna be my main workhorse
regardless of what I do, as I make nearly all my stuff out of thin wall
material.
The lines are open, you be the judge...
Ronnie Lyons
Boise, Idaho
You can do very nice work with an AC stick welder. I think you'll find
that 7014 or an AC7018 will do the job nicely without too much spatter.
Keep the arc as short as possible with either of those rods, you may
find the 7014 to be more agreeable at first but with some practice
you'll impress yourself with the 7018.
I'd think a 135 mig would do tube the size you mention but maybe it just
won't. Ernie always recommends a fluxcore for greater heat, that may be
all you need if you're not going to do anything heavier. Me, I'd just
use the stick welder..
John
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