nightrider Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I am interested in buying a mig welder for various projects in my garage, dont know anything about mig welding, can anyone perhaps let me know the rudiments for welding small items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 When I bought my MIG welder, I got a hardback book by Lindsay Porter called 'MIG welding step by step' published by S.I.P. (Industrial Products) Limited. It has a simple text and lots of illustrations in it. It takes a bit of practice to get a decent weld.Have a google! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Do a google search for the mig welders forum, there are plenty of people on there who can give you chapter and verse on any given type of MIG welding: mild steel with CO2 gas, mild steel with no gas systems, stainless steel with Argon gas, aluminium with Argon gas etc. Before you buy a set check what current and wire size you will need for whatever thicknesses of material you wish to weld. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Thanks lads, will follow your advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 What do you want to MIG weld? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 peter - 2010-10-13 10:35 PM What do you want to MIG weld? Restoring an old Russian fighter plane ? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 One of my past jobs was as a carpenter for a small company that specialised in repairing and restoring light aircraft , my then boss the owner was a fully certified airframe welder and to watch him welding was an art form he could practically weld to needles together and you would not see the join , he was highly strung and as volatile as a bottle of shaken pop I have never known anyone with such a short fuse ,but left alone to weld he was fantastic in his field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 peter - 2010-10-13 10:35 PM What do you want to MIG weld? There are times when one of my garden machines needs a broken part welding back on, I also want to make up a brushwood carrier to fit on my trailer using 1" square tubing and 2"mesh I can of course buy a purpose made carrier but would be an achievement to make my own. Over the winter period I make window boxes and various garden artifacts and it would be the ideal thing to be able to make my own ornamental iron brackets to support the window boxes. Earlier on in the year I was down Shropshire way at Irongorge and called into a couple of fabrication shops that sold the type of brackets that I want. That is what I am aiming for, I went up to Machine Mart this morning checking out their welders and prices so for perhaps 2 to £300 I should get what I want, they had the gasless mig welder and the gas one on asking what the difference was I was told that the gas welder gives a cooler and neater weld, Is that so? I have got the basic idea but just need to get the welder and jump in on it and have a go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Hi Malcolm Check out if there is any Adult Education Welding classes in your area. Then take your bits for welding, learn hoe to use the equipment & find out what's right for you, before committing financially in something that may /may not be suitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I wouldn't bother with a gasless welder, the wire is expensive as it has a flux core, and you need to be a pretty competant welder to get a good job. If you go for a gas welder, don't buy the little bottles, you will spend a fortune, if you know someone who runs a pub, get a bottle of CO2 from them and use that as your welding gas, a lot cheaper than Argon. Alternatively, have you considered an arc welder, these can be pretty easy to learn to use, and need no gas. Not best suited to very thin metals, but ideal for small jobs. lastly, don't scrimp on your mask, get a good one, you will suffer if you don't. Go for one that fits on your head, not a hand held one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 If you Google ' MIG Welding ' you will find there is a DIY guide on there which may give you some idea of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Hi Malcolm, I switched from Oxy/Acetylene to MIG about 10 years or so ago mainly for car body repairs but have found it invaluable since for construction jobs both small and large. I agree with Donna, DO NOT get a 'No-Gas' MIG, IMO they are a waste of space as the slightest breeze will blow the 'Gas' away and then give you a very poor weld. With a cylinder you can turn the flow rate up and carry on welding. I have a BOC MigMaster 130 Turbo which can handle 0.6 and 0.8 mm wire and have welded 1/4 inch thick steel channel with it with ease. I also go to the expense of renting a small cylinder of 'Argoshield' direct from BOC as this is meant to give a far better weld than CO2 alone. I have never used anything else so cannot compare directly, I just know I can always get a good weld with it, even on Stainless Steel with SS wire. The cost of renting a cylinder and using Argoshield probably works out cheaper than using 'No-Gas' in the long run as well! Make sure the current settings go low enough for the thinnest metal you are likely to weld (rusty car panels?) as well as high enough for the thickest and also check the Duty Cycle as smaller machines will have a lower Duty Cycle meaning you have to allow them to cool off more often than a larger machine. Final thoughts are go on a course if you possibly can as you will learn so much more than by trial and error on your own. If you're thinking of making decorative ironwork then possibly look for a course specifically aimed at that? Any more questions then just ask. Keith. Edit, Just read Donna's note on masks, get a head mounting auto dimming visor rather than a hand held fixed glass as it is so much easier to weld with. If you look on eBay you may find one at around £20 or £30 from the USA, I've got one and it's really good! Edit 2 Try a mask like this on eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 Not that I will be, but if you were doing mig or arc welding on a car, would you have to disconnect the cars battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 knight of the road - 2010-10-14 8:22 PM Not that I will be, but if you were doing mig or arc welding on a car, would you have to disconnect the cars battery? Its not always strictly necessary but in general is a good idea. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 And have a big fire extinguisher standing by. :D You can weld 16g sheet with a stick welder if your careful with the current setting. Basically you use a rod that is the next guage down from the material your'e welding. The welders are cheap and so are the rods. They are harder to learn to use well than a MIG though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 This site may be helpfull. http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 Nigel - 2010-10-15 1:57 PM This site may be helpfull. http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ Nigel, Thanks for that link I have joined the forum and should get all my info from there, thanks also to everyone else who gave me valuable advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotscougar Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Join the ranks of the many who buy, try and then sell welder in local rag or ebay at a loss ...so if you wish to try then buy second hand and also buy a lot of nozzles and go for 0.8 wire as this is most common size for multitude of jobs needing done. Gassless wire good for when you run out of gas when you are unable to get gas. good luck in your endeavours from a Welder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 scotscougar - 2010-10-15 5:20 PM Join the ranks of the many who buy, try and then sell welder in local rag or ebay at a loss ...so if you wish to try then buy second hand and also buy a lot of nozzles and go for 0.8 wire as this is most common size for multitude of jobs needing done. Gassless wire good for when you run out of gas when you are unable to get gas. good luck in your endeavours from a Welder It might be a good idea to place an ad in the wanted section of the loot for a second hand one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred22 Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Just checked with my local college. They only run courses on welding for those looking for a career. At £620 (inc extras and exam fee) for 30 days tuition it's expensive unless you intend tackling a lot of projects.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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