I asked this question on s.e.j.welding, and for the most part (with one
or two notable exceptions, thank you if you're reading this) all I got
was fatherly advise on how to break into professional welding (jeesh).

So, I need to get my front gate welded up before it gets lost in the
weeds, and before my dogs figure out once more how to get by the
temporary measure I'm using.

I'd also rather do the job myself, but I have a cheesy old stick welder
that won't do the thin-wall tubing in the gate without blowing through.
I know I can get a cheap wire feed welder that'll cost less than the
welding job, particularly if I stick to flux-core wire until I can
justify to the head accountant (actually, it's the accountant in my
head) that I Really Need to set it up with gas for MIG welding.

I'm going to check with a pro shop tomorrow to get a price on the job,
and if it's enough I'll just go buy a wire feed, teach myself a new
skill and fix my damn gate myself.

So I'm looking for suggestions for a good hobbyist wire feed welder?
I'll mostly use it for welding on 10-16 gauge material. I don't expect
to do any bodywork with it (I'll stick with OA until I get a TIG), and
if I have anything heavier to do there's the stick welder.

Intermittent use is fine. Way intermittent use is fine. Welding
nothing thicker than 1/8 inch is acceptable. A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.

Any suggestions?

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Tim Wescott wrote:
I asked this question on s.e.j.welding, and for the most part (with one
or two notable exceptions, thank you if you're reading this) all I got
was fatherly advise on how to break into professional welding (jeesh).

So, I need to get my front gate welded up before it gets lost in the
weeds, and before my dogs figure out once more how to get by the
temporary measure I'm using.

I'd also rather do the job myself, but I have a cheesy old stick welder
that won't do the thin-wall tubing in the gate without blowing through.
I know I can get a cheap wire feed welder that'll cost less than the
welding job, particularly if I stick to flux-core wire until I can
justify to the head accountant (actually, it's the accountant in my
head) that I Really Need to set it up with gas for MIG welding.

I'm going to check with a pro shop tomorrow to get a price on the job,
and if it's enough I'll just go buy a wire feed, teach myself a new
skill and fix my damn gate myself.

So I'm looking for suggestions for a good hobbyist wire feed welder?
I'll mostly use it for welding on 10-16 gauge material. I don't expect
to do any bodywork with it (I'll stick with OA until I get a TIG), and
if I have anything heavier to do there's the stick welder.

Intermittent use is fine. Way intermittent use is fine. Welding
nothing thicker than 1/8 inch is acceptable. A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.

Any suggestions?

Lots of inexpensive MIG welders out there. With your specs almost
anything would do fine, possibly even the cheapo HF no-gas units.
Unless all of your welding is going to be outdoors, in-situ, and it's
windy, I'd go for the gas kit and get a bottle. They only advantage of
the flux-core that I know of is when your worksite is so windy it blows
away the shielding gas.

But if you want a 110V welder that is worth keeping, look at something
like the Hobart 140.
I am using a FirePower FP120 and it works just fine.

On Jun 23, 12:46*am, Tim Wescott wrote:
...*A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. *A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.
Tim Wescott

See what brands your local suppliers carry. My cheap MIG has a Tweco
torch and parts are easy to find for it, not that it has needed much.
It was a trade-in at the welding store, as was my TIG. Decent
machines, but not big enough for someone, was the story. The TIG also
needed a little adjustment with a file to make the the front panel
connection seal properly, so it may have been returned as broken, and
the MIG didn't have any way to reverse the polarity for flux core. It
does now.

Readywelder

Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/


Tim Wescott wrote:
I asked this question on s.e.j.welding, and for the most part (with one
or two notable exceptions, thank you if you're reading this) all I got
was fatherly advise on how to break into professional welding (jeesh).

So, I need to get my front gate welded up before it gets lost in the
weeds, and before my dogs figure out once more how to get by the
temporary measure I'm using.

I'd also rather do the job myself, but I have a cheesy old stick welder
that won't do the thin-wall tubing in the gate without blowing through.
I know I can get a cheap wire feed welder that'll cost less than the
welding job, particularly if I stick to flux-core wire until I can
justify to the head accountant (actually, it's the accountant in my
head) that I Really Need to set it up with gas for MIG welding.

I'm going to check with a pro shop tomorrow to get a price on the job,
and if it's enough I'll just go buy a wire feed, teach myself a new
skill and fix my damn gate myself.

So I'm looking for suggestions for a good hobbyist wire feed welder?
I'll mostly use it for welding on 10-16 gauge material. I don't expect
to do any bodywork with it (I'll stick with OA until I get a TIG), and
if I have anything heavier to do there's the stick welder.

Intermittent use is fine. Way intermittent use is fine. Welding
nothing thicker than 1/8 inch is acceptable. A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.

Any suggestions?



----== Posted via Pronews.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.pronews.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

On Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:46:02 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

I asked this question on s.e.j.welding, and for the most part (with one
or two notable exceptions, thank you if you're reading this) all I got
was fatherly advise on how to break into professional welding (jeesh).

So, I need to get my front gate welded up before it gets lost in the
weeds, and before my dogs figure out once more how to get by the
temporary measure I'm using.

I'd also rather do the job myself, but I have a cheesy old stick welder
that won't do the thin-wall tubing in the gate without blowing through.
I know I can get a cheap wire feed welder that'll cost less than the
welding job, particularly if I stick to flux-core wire until I can
justify to the head accountant (actually, it's the accountant in my
head) that I Really Need to set it up with gas for MIG welding.

I'm going to check with a pro shop tomorrow to get a price on the job,
and if it's enough I'll just go buy a wire feed, teach myself a new
skill and fix my damn gate myself.

So I'm looking for suggestions for a good hobbyist wire feed welder?
I'll mostly use it for welding on 10-16 gauge material. I don't expect
to do any bodywork with it (I'll stick with OA until I get a TIG), and
if I have anything heavier to do there's the stick welder.

Intermittent use is fine. Way intermittent use is fine. Welding
nothing thicker than 1/8 inch is acceptable. A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.

Any suggestions?

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
Greetings Tim,
I have a Lincoln SP125 Plus welder. It is a great machine that I
bought used for $250.00. I think the welder that Lincoln now makes
that is equivilant is the SP140 Plus. Anyway, if you can find one
used, either the SP125 Plus or the SP135 Plus, that might just be the
way to go. Make sure they are the PLUS model.
Cheers,
Eric

Tim Wescott writes:

So I'm looking for suggestions for a good hobbyist wire feed welder?
I'll mostly use it for welding on 10-16 gauge material. I don't
expect to do any bodywork with it (I'll stick with OA until I get a
TIG), and if I have anything heavier to do there's the stick welder.

Intermittent use is fine. Way intermittent use is fine. Welding
nothing thicker than 1/8 inch is acceptable. A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.

Any suggestions?

It sounds like you just described my Clarke 130EN. Inexpensive, and
for the six months I've had it has worked just fine.

--Yea verily I say unto you avoid 110V MIG rigs like the plague! You
can't stick anything together without 220v. FWIW I stuck a ReadyWelder onto
my EconoTig and it's a good fit. I'd love to have a dedicated MIG machine,
but there's only so much space and so much money, heh.

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : "Hold on! we're passing
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : through the moronosphere!"
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

steamer wrote:

--Yea verily I say unto you avoid 110V MIG rigs like the plague! You
can't stick anything together without 220v. FWIW I stuck a ReadyWelder onto
my EconoTig and it's a good fit. I'd love to have a dedicated MIG machine,
but there's only so much space and so much money, heh.



Nonsense! I have a 110 rig and I do plenty of welding with it and the
only time I've had a weld fail is when I didn't do it right (didn't make
contact with both pieces because of a wierd angle, or something). In
fact, I just finished welding up a five plate target rack made up of
3/16" diamond plate with 1/2" pivot pins and it is functioning as
designed and has NOT lost a single weld. Granted, a 110 vac rig can't
do 3/4" plate, but then again, neither can most of the home
hobbyist/small shop stick rigs either. For the occassional, light duty
welder 110 rigs are just fine.

Jim

--Well I'll confess I'm a noob; I had better luck with the bigger
machines when I took the class... ;-)

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : "Hold on! we're passing
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : through the moronosphere!"
www.nmpproducts.com
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

On Jun 24, 1:03*am, steamer wrote:
* * * * --Well I'll confess I'm a noob; I had better luck with the bigger
machines when I took the class... ;-)
* * * * "Steamboat Ed" Haas

I had better luck with bigger machines in class, too, but afterwards I
could also weld better with my little 75A Century, and the instructor
could weld 3/16" plate with it. There is no gap between its capacity
and my stick welder's.

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:31:43 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

I have a Lincoln SP125 Plus welder. It is a great machine that I
bought used for $250.00. I think the welder that Lincoln now makes
that is equivilant is the SP140 Plus. Anyway, if you can find one
used, either the SP125 Plus or the SP135 Plus, that might just be the
way to go. Make sure they are the PLUS model.

Why only the PLUS model, Eric?

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:31:43 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

I have a Lincoln SP125 Plus welder. It is a great machine that I
bought used for $250.00. I think the welder that Lincoln now makes
that is equivilant is the SP140 Plus. Anyway, if you can find one
used, either the SP125 Plus or the SP135 Plus, that might just be the
way to go. Make sure they are the PLUS model.

Why only the PLUS model, Eric?

I don't know why he said that, but I think the plus models have the
continuous variable voltage control where as the standard models have a few
(5?) switched voltage settings to pick from. I think both have continuous
variable wire speed controls.

I've not used these small machines (but they have been on my wish list for
some time now), but from the people I've talked to that own them and use
them, they are all happy with them for the type job you are looking at
doing. The cheap HF units are fine for a few simple jobs but won't last
long and generally can't be fixed. It will get your gate fixed, but won't
be a good long term investment. To invest in a machine that will last a
while and that you can buy parts for, get one of the 110V Lincoln, Miller,
or Hobart (Hobart is made by miller now so the quality is the same either
way).

Tractor supply is having a 10% off sale and they carry Hobart welders. You
might compare their price to other prices you are looking at...

http://www.tractorsupply.com/

--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
http://NewsReader.Com/

OK, maybe I am missing something, but why a gate cannot be fixed with
a stick welder?

I fixed a scrap truck gate (rear door) with a stick welder and the
result was quite acceptable. Looked good (7018) and is still holding
up fine.

The other door was repaired with a cheap MIG welder (not by me) and
actually failed utterly and looked like a goat pooped on the weld
area.

i

"Ignoramus19021" wrote in message
...
OK, maybe I am missing something, but why a gate cannot be fixed with
a stick welder?

I fixed a scrap truck gate (rear door) with a stick welder and the
result was quite acceptable. Looked good (7018) and is still holding
up fine.

The other door was repaired with a cheap MIG welder (not by me) and
actually failed utterly and looked like a goat pooped on the weld
area.

i

It all has to do with thickness of metal, filler rod, metal condition,
metallurgy, and operator skill, just like any other welding.

I can weld light gauge tubing with 6011 stinger negative, although I get
people who say it's impossible in the book. In the book, maybe. On the
table, or in the field, it works.

As you know, sometimes the metal that's there is just cancerous, and one has
to make brackets, braces, and gizmos to strengthen it. Old farm welders can
fix just about anything because they are talented at making what they have
work.

Steve

On Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:46:02 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

I asked this question on s.e.j.welding, and for the most part (with one
or two notable exceptions, thank you if you're reading this) all I got
was fatherly advise on how to break into professional welding (jeesh).

So, I need to get my front gate welded up before it gets lost in the
weeds, and before my dogs figure out once more how to get by the
temporary measure I'm using.

I'd also rather do the job myself, but I have a cheesy old stick welder
that won't do the thin-wall tubing in the gate without blowing through.
I know I can get a cheap wire feed welder that'll cost less than the
welding job, particularly if I stick to flux-core wire until I can
justify to the head accountant (actually, it's the accountant in my
head) that I Really Need to set it up with gas for MIG welding.

I'm going to check with a pro shop tomorrow to get a price on the job,
and if it's enough I'll just go buy a wire feed, teach myself a new
skill and fix my damn gate myself.

So I'm looking for suggestions for a good hobbyist wire feed welder?
I'll mostly use it for welding on 10-16 gauge material. I don't expect
to do any bodywork with it (I'll stick with OA until I get a TIG), and
if I have anything heavier to do there's the stick welder.

Intermittent use is fine. Way intermittent use is fine. Welding
nothing thicker than 1/8 inch is acceptable. A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.

Any suggestions?

Lincoln SP125+ or later version (135+, 140+ whatever). Avoid imports.
These little red boxes really do work a lot better than the
similar-looking imports, and you can get parts for them.

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:29:37 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:31:43 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

I have a Lincoln SP125 Plus welder. It is a great machine that I
bought used for $250.00. I think the welder that Lincoln now makes
that is equivilant is the SP140 Plus. Anyway, if you can find one
used, either the SP125 Plus or the SP135 Plus, that might just be the
way to go. Make sure they are the PLUS model.

Why only the PLUS model, Eric?

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren
Greetings Larry,
The PLUS model has the infinite voltage and wire speed adjustment. At
least the 125 Plus model does. And that makes a HUGE difference in
welding capacity. I can adjust to get the most out of the little
machine. From the thinnest to the thickest the machine will weld. I
currently run 5 types of wire. They are inner shield, mig, ss mig,
aluminum mig, and silicon bronze mig.
Eric

Ignoramus19021 wrote:
OK, maybe I am missing something, but why a gate cannot be fixed with
a stick welder?

I fixed a scrap truck gate (rear door) with a stick welder and the
result was quite acceptable. Looked good (7018) and is still holding
up fine.

The other door was repaired with a cheap MIG welder (not by me) and
actually failed utterly and looked like a goat pooped on the weld
area.

i
_I_ can't weld that thin of material with my Lincoln Tombstone.

I've welded material that size before with other stick welders, but that
was (a) when I was welding all the time and (b) with different, more
capable (and older and dustier) welders.

Perhaps if I filled this one up with fiberglass dust it would work
better; but I doubt it.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:21:42 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don
Foreman quickly quoth:

On Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:46:02 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

I asked this question on s.e.j.welding, and for the most part (with one
or two notable exceptions, thank you if you're reading this) all I got
was fatherly advise on how to break into professional welding (jeesh).

So, I need to get my front gate welded up before it gets lost in the
weeds, and before my dogs figure out once more how to get by the
temporary measure I'm using.

I'd also rather do the job myself, but I have a cheesy old stick welder
that won't do the thin-wall tubing in the gate without blowing through.
I know I can get a cheap wire feed welder that'll cost less than the
welding job, particularly if I stick to flux-core wire until I can
justify to the head accountant (actually, it's the accountant in my
head) that I Really Need to set it up with gas for MIG welding.

I'm going to check with a pro shop tomorrow to get a price on the job,
and if it's enough I'll just go buy a wire feed, teach myself a new
skill and fix my damn gate myself.

So I'm looking for suggestions for a good hobbyist wire feed welder?
I'll mostly use it for welding on 10-16 gauge material. I don't expect
to do any bodywork with it (I'll stick with OA until I get a TIG), and
if I have anything heavier to do there's the stick welder.

Intermittent use is fine. Way intermittent use is fine. Welding
nothing thicker than 1/8 inch is acceptable. A reliable source for
replacement and upgrade parts is a big plus. A machine that makes
crappy welds no matter how good I am is just not what I want at all.

Any suggestions?

Lincoln SP125+ or later version (135+, 140+ whatever). Avoid imports.
These little red boxes really do work a lot better than the
similar-looking imports, and you can get parts for them.

Are Clarke products imports? I've seen them on eBay for considerably
cheaper prices than Lincoln and Miller.

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren

On 2008-06-24, Tim Wescott wrote:
Ignoramus19021 wrote:
OK, maybe I am missing something, but why a gate cannot be fixed with
a stick welder?

I fixed a scrap truck gate (rear door) with a stick welder and the
result was quite acceptable. Looked good (7018) and is still holding
up fine.

The other door was repaired with a cheap MIG welder (not by me) and
actually failed utterly and looked like a goat pooped on the weld
area.

i
_I_ can't weld that thin of material with my Lincoln Tombstone.

I've welded material that size before with other stick welders, but that
was (a) when I was welding all the time and (b) with different, more
capable (and older and dustier) welders.

Perhaps if I filled this one up with fiberglass dust it would work
better; but I doubt it.


Tim, what is the thickness of your gate material?
--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:42:34 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:29:37 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:31:43 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

I have a Lincoln SP125 Plus welder. It is a great machine that I
bought used for $250.00. I think the welder that Lincoln now makes
that is equivilant is the SP140 Plus. Anyway, if you can find one
used, either the SP125 Plus or the SP135 Plus, that might just be the
way to go. Make sure they are the PLUS model.

Why only the PLUS model, Eric?

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren
Greetings Larry,
The PLUS model has the infinite voltage and wire speed adjustment. At
least the 125 Plus model does. And that makes a HUGE difference in
welding capacity. I can adjust to get the most out of the little
machine. From the thinnest to the thickest the machine will weld. I
currently run 5 types of wire. They are inner shield, mig, ss mig,
aluminum mig, and silicon bronze mig.

How thick is the plate you can weld with it?

Are you MIGging bronze statues together? Cool! Pics, please.

--
They also serve who stand and weld.
--David Weber, On Basilisk Station.

Larry Jaques writes:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:21:42 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don
Foreman quickly quoth:

Lincoln SP125+ or later version (135+, 140+ whatever). Avoid imports.
These little red boxes really do work a lot better than the
similar-looking imports, and you can get parts for them.

Are Clarke products imports? I've seen them on eBay for considerably
cheaper prices than Lincoln and Miller.

Yes, but (last I heard this was still true) from Italy, not the far
east.

"Joe Pfeiffer" wrote in message
...
Larry Jaques writes:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:21:42 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don
Foreman quickly quoth:

Lincoln SP125+ or later version (135+, 140+ whatever). Avoid imports.
These little red boxes really do work a lot better than the
similar-looking imports, and you can get parts for them.

Are Clarke products imports? I've seen them on eBay for considerably
cheaper prices than Lincoln and Miller.

Yes, but (last I heard this was still true) from Italy, not the far
east.

What is it about "Buy Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart" that you don't understand?

If you insist on buying a piece of **** welder, just get one with a large
handle, as then it makes a better boat anchor.

Steve

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:27:03 -0600, Joe Pfeiffer
wrote:

Larry Jaques writes:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:21:42 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don
Foreman quickly quoth:

Lincoln SP125+ or later version (135+, 140+ whatever). Avoid imports.
These little red boxes really do work a lot better than the
similar-looking imports, and you can get parts for them.

Are Clarke products imports? I've seen them on eBay for considerably
cheaper prices than Lincoln and Miller.

Yes, but (last I heard this was still true) from Italy, not the far
east.

I had one of those Italian MIGs. I was flat amazed at how much better
*I* could weld when I tried the Lincoln SP125+ at the store one day.
The wop wire welder still "worked", but it went in the shed and hasn't
been touched since. I may find a use for the xfmr some day.....

That little red box is still my "go to" for steel from .090 down to
about .024 (24 gage). It'll do heavier, up to 1/8" with gas or 3/16"
with fluxcore, but the bigger machine (Millermatic 210) does the
thicker stuff quicker and better.

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:40:07 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:42:34 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:29:37 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:31:43 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

I have a Lincoln SP125 Plus welder. It is a great machine that I
bought used for $250.00. I think the welder that Lincoln now makes
that is equivilant is the SP140 Plus. Anyway, if you can find one
used, either the SP125 Plus or the SP135 Plus, that might just be the
way to go. Make sure they are the PLUS model.

Why only the PLUS model, Eric?

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren
Greetings Larry,
The PLUS model has the infinite voltage and wire speed adjustment. At
least the 125 Plus model does. And that makes a HUGE difference in
welding capacity. I can adjust to get the most out of the little
machine. From the thinnest to the thickest the machine will weld. I
currently run 5 types of wire. They are inner shield, mig, ss mig,
aluminum mig, and silicon bronze mig.

How thick is the plate you can weld with it?

Are you MIGging bronze statues together? Cool! Pics, please.

--
They also serve who stand and weld.
--David Weber, On Basilisk Station.
Greetings Larry,
I have welded 3/8 steel plate but I pre-heated it first. Otherwise 1/4
is what I consider the maximum. I know my 1/4 plate welds are good
because I tested welds in the press. I use silicon bronze for brazing
steel if brazing makes more sense than welding. I have brazed silicon
bronze sheet too but it was only 1/16 thick. The thickest aluminum
I've welded with the machine is 1/8. I dropped my camera in the sand
and now it has a stuck lens system. When I figure out how to get the
last few parts out and cleaned I'll run some beads for you.
Cheers,
Eric

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:34:47 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

_I_ can't weld that thin of material with my Lincoln Tombstone.

I've welded material that size before with other stick welders, but that
was (a) when I was welding all the time and (b) with different, more
capable (and older and dustier) welders.

Perhaps if I filled this one up with fiberglass dust it would work
better; but I doubt it.

You can always try a Carbon Arc Torch with your tombstone.
See:

http://www.airgas.com/browse/product...&recIds=232164

Good for brazing, soldering, heating...

If you do a little googling, there is quite a bit of info
around for these units.

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas writes:

"Joe Pfeiffer" wrote in message
...
Larry Jaques writes:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:21:42 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don
Foreman quickly quoth:

Lincoln SP125+ or later version (135+, 140+ whatever). Avoid imports.
These little red boxes really do work a lot better than the
similar-looking imports, and you can get parts for them.

Are Clarke products imports? I've seen them on eBay for considerably
cheaper prices than Lincoln and Miller.

Yes, but (last I heard this was still true) from Italy, not the far
east.

What is it about "Buy Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart" that you don't understand?

The part about "it's only been six months, but my Clarke works just
fine". And the part about "he asked whether it was an import, not
whether he should buy it".

If you insist on buying a piece of **** welder, just get one with a large
handle, as then it makes a better boat anchor.

It's got a nice big handle, so if it starts misbehaving and I buy a
boat, I'll have an anchor for it.

Don Foreman writes:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:27:03 -0600, Joe Pfeiffer
wrote:

Yes, but (last I heard this was still true) from Italy, not the far
east.

I had one of those Italian MIGs. I was flat amazed at how much better
*I* could weld when I tried the Lincoln SP125+ at the store one day.
The wop wire welder still "worked", but it went in the shed and hasn't
been touched since. I may find a use for the xfmr some day.....

What made the difference?

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:49:02 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:21:41 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:40:07 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:
How thick is the plate you can weld with it?

Are you MIGging bronze statues together? Cool! Pics, please.

Greetings Larry,
I have welded 3/8 steel plate but I pre-heated it first. Otherwise 1/4

Preheated to red hot so the weld bead doesn't chill and solidify too
quickly?


is what I consider the maximum. I know my 1/4 plate welds are good
because I tested welds in the press. I use silicon bronze for brazing
steel if brazing makes more sense than welding. I have brazed silicon
bronze sheet too but it was only 1/16 thick. The thickest aluminum
I've welded with the machine is 1/8.

You can MIG aluminum?!? (I _just_ picked up on that.)


I dropped my camera in the sand
and now it has a stuck lens system. When I figure out how to get the
last few parts out and cleaned I'll run some beads for you.

Thanks, Eric. I'd like that.

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren
Yeah, I can mig aluminum. But only up to 1/8. Mig for steel uses C25
mix while aluminum needs pure argon. As to pre-heat, only about 400
degrees or so for 3/8 steel. Ernie Leimkuhluer told me that even 1
inch plate can be welded if pre-heated.
Eric

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:21:41 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:40:07 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:
How thick is the plate you can weld with it?

Are you MIGging bronze statues together? Cool! Pics, please.

Greetings Larry,
I have welded 3/8 steel plate but I pre-heated it first. Otherwise 1/4

Preheated to red hot so the weld bead doesn't chill and solidify too
quickly?


is what I consider the maximum. I know my 1/4 plate welds are good
because I tested welds in the press. I use silicon bronze for brazing
steel if brazing makes more sense than welding. I have brazed silicon
bronze sheet too but it was only 1/16 thick. The thickest aluminum
I've welded with the machine is 1/8.

You can MIG aluminum?!? (I _just_ picked up on that.)


I dropped my camera in the sand
and now it has a stuck lens system. When I figure out how to get the
last few parts out and cleaned I'll run some beads for you.

Thanks, Eric. I'd like that.

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:39:25 -0600, Joe Pfeiffer
wrote:

Don Foreman writes:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:27:03 -0600, Joe Pfeiffer
wrote:

Yes, but (last I heard this was still true) from Italy, not the far
east.

I had one of those Italian MIGs. I was flat amazed at how much better
*I* could weld when I tried the Lincoln SP125+ at the store one day.
The wop wire welder still "worked", but it went in the shed and hasn't
been touched since. I may find a use for the xfmr some day.....

What made the difference?

I've wondered that too. Might be a combination of things. Whatever,
there is no doubt at all that the quality, consistency and ease of my
welding improved noticably and instantly with the Lincoln.

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:11:33 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:49:02 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

You can MIG aluminum?!? (I _just_ picked up on that.)

Yeah, I can mig aluminum. But only up to 1/8. Mig for steel uses C25
mix while aluminum needs pure argon. As to pre-heat, only about 400
degrees or so for 3/8 steel. Ernie Leimkuhluer told me that even 1
inch plate can be welded if pre-heated.

Excellent.

--
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for.
-- Earl Warren

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:21:41 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

You can MIG aluminum?!? (I _just_ picked up on that.)

Yeah, you sure can. But like he said, you have to use a different gas.
You have to use pure Argon instead of the standard 75% Argon 25% Co2 which
is normal for mild steel.

You have to use aluminum filler wire of course, and that creates a problem
because it's so soft it's hard to push feed without jamming. The normal
way to mig aluminum is to use a spool gun which pulls the wire from the gun
instead of pushing it from the welder. (or use a push-pull system for a
larger set-up). This makes it rather expensive because of the extra cost
of the spool gun (many hundreds of dollars). The Millermatic 250 series
supports two guns connected to the machine at the same time so you can have
it configured to do either steel or aluminum without changing guns or wire
and the runner cart that goes with it will hold two tanks so you can weld
either by just picking up the right gun.

With the small Lincoln machines you can buy an aluminum "kit" which gives
you a different gun cable liner and I think different feed rollers made to
push aluminum without marking it. Even tho ugh it's a push configuration
I'm told it works. However, you have to take it apart, switch cable liners
and rollers and wire, and switch the gas tanks to convert from steel to
aluminum so it's a real pain to do. And you do have to be very careful
keeping the cable fairly straight. If you try to cheat and not switch
liners, I think for one, it's more likely to jam, and two, you are likely
to get steel dust contamination on your aluminum which will cause problems
with your welds. But, you can mig aluminum with it and the add on kit
isn't that expensive so it's a nice option to have.

The miller units don't have that add on kit. They tell you to buy a spool
gun (for $500 dollars?).

Aluminum conducts heat away from the weld faster than steel so it takes
more heat to weld aluminum than steel for the same size material. As such,
the small mig machines (which can't weld very thick steel to begin with),
have any more trouble trying to weld thicker aluminum.

I much prefer TIG for aluminum and my personal plan is to get a machine
like the Miller Dynasty 200 for steel and aluminum (TIG and Stick). Unlike
MIG, you can use one gas (Argon) for both steel and aluminum with TIG so
it's easy to use one machine for both. Of course, decent TIG machines are
in a different price bracket than the small wirefeed units. I'd like to
get a small wirefeed as well but I'd just use it for steel.

--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
http://NewsReader.Com/

On 26 Jun 2008 04:31:25 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
(Curt Welch) quickly quoth:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:21:41 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

You can MIG aluminum?!? (I _just_ picked up on that.)

Yeah, you sure can. But like he said, you have to use a different gas.
You have to use pure Argon instead of the standard 75% Argon 25% Co2 which
is normal for mild steel.

You have to use aluminum filler wire of course, and that creates a problem
because it's so soft it's hard to push feed without jamming. The normal
way to mig aluminum is to use a spool gun which pulls the wire from the gun
instead of pushing it from the welder. (or use a push-pull system for a
larger set-up). This makes it rather expensive because of the extra cost
of the spool gun (many hundreds of dollars). The Millermatic 250 series
supports two guns connected to the machine at the same time so you can have
it configured to do either steel or aluminum without changing guns or wire
and the runner cart that goes with it will hold two tanks so you can weld
either by just picking up the right gun.

With the small Lincoln machines you can buy an aluminum "kit" which gives
you a different gun cable liner and I think different feed rollers made to
push aluminum without marking it. Even tho ugh it's a push configuration
I'm told it works. However, you have to take it apart, switch cable liners
and rollers and wire, and switch the gas tanks to convert from steel to
aluminum so it's a real pain to do. And you do have to be very careful
keeping the cable fairly straight. If you try to cheat and not switch
liners, I think for one, it's more likely to jam, and two, you are likely
to get steel dust contamination on your aluminum which will cause problems
with your welds. But, you can mig aluminum with it and the add on kit
isn't that expensive so it's a nice option to have.

Hmm, I wonder if I could add a spool gun to my HFT 44568 (now under
HFT #97719, 132A AC/200A DC) stick welder...


The miller units don't have that add on kit. They tell you to buy a spool
gun (for $500 dollars?).

Thanks, Curt. Nice enlightening post.


Aluminum conducts heat away from the weld faster than steel so it takes
more heat to weld aluminum than steel for the same size material. As such,
the small mig machines (which can't weld very thick steel to begin with),
have any more trouble trying to weld thicker aluminum.

I much prefer TIG for aluminum and my personal plan is to get a machine
like the Miller Dynasty 200 for steel and aluminum (TIG and Stick). Unlike
MIG, you can use one gas (Argon) for both steel and aluminum with TIG so
it's easy to use one machine for both. Of course, decent TIG machines are
in a different price bracket than the small wirefeed units. I'd like to
get a small wirefeed as well but I'd just use it for steel.

I picked up one of the little HFT units and it's great for what it is,
a scratch-starter.

--
Deep doubts, deep wisdom; small doubts, little wisdom.
--Chinese Proverb
----

Larry Jaques wrote:
On 26 Jun 2008 04:31:25 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
(Curt Welch) quickly quoth:

I much prefer TIG for aluminum and my personal plan is to get a machine
like the Miller Dynasty 200 for steel and aluminum (TIG and Stick).
Unlike MIG, you can use one gas (Argon) for both steel and aluminum with
TIG so it's easy to use one machine for both. Of course, decent TIG
machines are in a different price bracket than the small wirefeed units.
I'd like to get a small wirefeed as well but I'd just use it for steel.

I picked up one of the little HFT units and it's great for what it is,
a scratch-starter.

I've stood in the store looking at the unit. It's so damn cheap it's
almost free. Hard to resist. But I know I'll want more so I keep waiting
until I can justify the price of a higher quality one as a new toy or have
some excuse to buy it for a job I have to do.

--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
http://NewsReader.Com/

On 26 Jun 2008 04:31:25 GMT, (Curt Welch) wrote:

Aluminum conducts heat away from the weld faster than steel so it takes
more heat to weld aluminum than steel for the same size material. As such,
the small mig machines (which can't weld very thick steel to begin with),
have any more trouble trying to weld thicker aluminum.

I much prefer TIG for aluminum and my personal plan is to get a machine
like the Miller Dynasty 200 for steel and aluminum (TIG and Stick).

The high heat conductivity of aluminum will also limit that machine to
relatively light material. Welding 3/16 aluminum will be pushing the
welder quite hard. You could probably do 1/4 in a pinch with preheat,
or on small pieces.

--
Ned Simmons

Ned Simmons wrote:
On 26 Jun 2008 04:31:25 GMT, (Curt Welch) wrote:

Aluminum conducts heat away from the weld faster than steel so it takes
more heat to weld aluminum than steel for the same size material. As
such, the small mig machines (which can't weld very thick steel to begin
with), have any more trouble trying to weld thicker aluminum.

I much prefer TIG for aluminum and my personal plan is to get a machine
like the Miller Dynasty 200 for steel and aluminum (TIG and Stick).

The high heat conductivity of aluminum will also limit that machine to
relatively light material. Welding 3/16 aluminum will be pushing the
welder quite hard. You could probably do 1/4 in a pinch with preheat,
or on small pieces.

Yeah, most my interest is in small robotics projects which should be
limited to about 1/8" so I think it will do ok. If I find it's not cutting
it, I'll just have an excuse to buy more hardware! Thanks for the heads
up.

--
Curt Welch http://CurtWelch.Com/
http://NewsReader.Com/

On 27 Jun 2008 06:37:15 GMT, (Curt Welch) wrote:

Ned Simmons wrote:
On 26 Jun 2008 04:31:25 GMT, (Curt Welch) wrote:

Aluminum conducts heat away from the weld faster than steel so it takes
more heat to weld aluminum than steel for the same size material. As
such, the small mig machines (which can't weld very thick steel to begin
with), have any more trouble trying to weld thicker aluminum.

I much prefer TIG for aluminum and my personal plan is to get a machine
like the Miller Dynasty 200 for steel and aluminum (TIG and Stick).

The high heat conductivity of aluminum will also limit that machine to
relatively light material. Welding 3/16 aluminum will be pushing the
welder quite hard. You could probably do 1/4 in a pinch with preheat,
or on small pieces.

Yeah, most my interest is in small robotics projects which should be
limited to about 1/8" so I think it will do ok. If I find it's not cutting
it, I'll just have an excuse to buy more hardware! Thanks for the heads
up.

I think you would find a small TIG much more to your liking. MIG can
do ally, but thin ally is tricky and thicker ally is beyond the
capacity of a small MIG box. Thin ally is tricky because you need to
have everything set up just right -- and then maintain a rather brisk
welding speed. MIG

TIG affords much better control. You can weld at whatever rate is
comfortable, a definite advantage on small projects. You can change
from ally to steel and back without changing anything other than AC to
DC and perhaps changing the tungsten. If the joint design permits,
you can do autogenous welds in which parent metal is fused together
without addition of filler. With MIG, you are *always* adding filler.
You can't go back and remelt without adding even more filler.

TIG can do about anything MIG can do, though usually considerably
more slowly. On small jobs where a modicum of precision might be
sought, that can be a distinct advantage.

On 27 Jun 2008 06:37:15 GMT, (Curt Welch) wrote:


Yeah, most my interest is in small robotics projects which should be
limited to about 1/8" so I think it will do ok. If I find it's not cutting
it, I'll just have an excuse to buy more hardware! Thanks for the heads
up.

Sounds like you've done your homework and found a machine that meets
your requirements. If you've never done it, you may be surprised how
much you can extend the capacity of the machine by preheating the
workpieces. It's neither convenient nor pleasant welding on a large
plate that's heated up to 400-500 F, but it's doable for the
occasional job.

--
Ned Simmons