Welding Advice Needed

[10K Pete]

Bill--Tig is like magic, once you get the hang of it. You can tig weld aluminum, steel, and stainless with tig. Since you add the filler metal to the arc but independent of the arc, you can build up the contours to whatever you need. Tig has the smallest heat affected zone and the deepest penetration---and can weld the thinnest of steel without burn-thru. If I had to choose one welder to cover all situations, especially where the pieces were small and the cosmetic appearance was important, I would go with TIG.

Been welding for almost 50 years now, every process, and TIG gets
my vote for the reasons Brian stated. Don't forget that a TIG unit
will do stick as well.

Pete

 

[vederstein]

One thing about TIG. If you want to weld aluminum, you need AC TIG, not DC. The alternating current cleans the electrode for a more stable, consistent, and longer acting arc.. The direct current will foul the electrode.

My welder can do DC Tig. For the hell of it I tried to weld some scrap aluminum. It went horribly (worse than my generally bad tig welding. I've never really got the hang of TIG.). After some research on the Internet, I found out why (above).

...Ved.

 

[10K Pete]

One thing about TIG. If you want to weld aluminum, you need AC TIG, not DC. The alternating current cleans the electrode for a more stable, consistent, and longer acting arc.. The direct current will foul the electrode.

My welder can do DC Tig. For the hell of it I tried to weld some scrap aluminum. It went horribly (worse than my generally bad tig welding. I've never really got the hang of TIG.). After some research on the Internet, I found out why (above).

...Ved.

DC TIG works very well on aluminum, it's just different. Use a 2%
tungsten and pure helium. Not much good on thin stuff but you can
penetrate 1/2" in one pass! Material must be really clean as it's the
reversing current of AC that cleans while welding. I've done a ton
of it and love it for heavy work. No pre-heat required.

Pete

 

[Wizard69]

I know you are right Brian, but there are other factors here. Since I will be looking for show quality finishes I expect that I will have to dress the welds and maybe even use some filler before painting.

I once worked with a welder that was very skilled and did die repair. The man was an absolute artist with TIG, even so the welds still needed to be machined afterward. If you want welds good enough for show, you will likely need need to clean them up no matter what welder you use. It is just a matter of what is acceptable for each weld.

Also, I would like to have only one welder, if possible, and would like to be able to weld aluminum and some stainless.

I'd like to have only one router or only one bandsaw but the reality is that sometimes you are better off with multiple machines. A really good multiprocess welder will be expensive so the trick is to find a lesser machine that does most of what you want.

Doing aluminum puts you into a more expensive machine. One rule of thumb that I've heard claimed by some welders is that you need 1 amp per thousands of thickness for aluminum. That can put you into an expensive welder. The other thing with aluminum is that you loose a significant amount of strength in welded aluminum, it is often better to rivet aluminum

I don't know if the above is possible.

Nothing you asked for is impossible. There are many multiprocess welders out there but a welder that does everything you want will be expensive. Well expensive relative to your budget. This especially if you want a TIG welder that can do aluminum well which demands AC TIG capability.

What do you think?

Honestly, if you haven't welded before consider taking a welding course that a local school might offer. You of course would learn a bit about welding but more importantly you will get a feel for the processes.

Another thing to consider is your age, having recently blown by 55 I can attest to the fact that old age does impact your welding. Wearing bifocals for example can be a real pain when it comes to keeping focus on the weld puddle and seam. In my case I'm no longer as steady and sure as I was years ago and this does impact weld quality.

A welder isn't the only equipment you will need. For example a 4.5" right angle grinder is a requirement and you will likely want multiple grinders. A nice collection of clamps and welding specific hand tools are also required. A die grinder comes in handy too. Depending upon what you already own this stuff could add a couple of hundred to your start up costs.

Look into your houses electrical system. My house is very old, built in the early 1950's and has a pathetic electrical service, this is one reason why I went the MIG welder route as it won't overload the electrical service. Some of the transformer based welders can draw a surprising amount of current requiring a dedicated line from your panel box. Setting up an outlet for your welder can get to be expensive. The new inverter based welders can be a big advantage here though. Not to mention the inverter based welders are often one man movable.

Welding can be very dangerous to your health!! Do read up on the health dangers. Your shop may need additional ventilation or an air cleaner which is another expense. Opening a garage door can do wonders except for processes using shielding gasses.

Hope this helps.

 

[Wizard69]

Thank you for taking the time to post such a detailed reply obviously based on your experience. It looks like the Lincoln SP175 has been replaced by the SP180. I'm checking that now.

Could be, as I said I bought mind years ago now. Do look for their multiprocess MIG welder that they are building specifically for the home/small shop market. It might get you 90 percent of the way there.

By the way most of my welding experience was just a function of doing plant maintenance in a die cast foundry! I'm a long way from a professional. The one thing I learned though is that there is a huge difference between a good welder and one that is clapped out.

Sometime after leaving that place I purchased the MIG and have used it on and off for many years now. In a nut shell it has come in very handy for many of the things I do around the house.

My plans are to build 1/4 scale rc cars powered by home built engines. A 1932 Ford coupe looks like my first project. The frame rails for this car would be 1/2" x 1" x 37" to give you an idea of size.

That shouldn't be a problem but you won't do 1/2" thick metal in one pass with the welders within your budget.

You have given me great information and a lot to research. Thank you so much.

Well you got what I know. I'd strongly suggest taking a look see over on Weldingweb and other welding focused sites.

 

[Ken I]

Firstly I sell industrial robotic welding equipment and I am not about to punt anything.

The industrial stuff is outrageously expensive and with good reason - it has to work 3 shifts - flat out.

The cheap stuff doesn't survive.

Having said that (an herein lies the tip) I have industrial customers who have bought cheaper(but still good stuff) and phased them out - also they get to a certain age and I am told to stop fixing and do service exchange upgrades.

So I have a shop full of seriously good "discards" or failed units which could be repaired (get one good one from two etc.).

We never sell this stuff back into industry and have to periodically junk the things.

I have however donated several to worthy causes over the years (fellow modelers etc.).

So my tip is find someone like myself in your area and try to cosy up and get your hands on some "discards".

Just a suggestion.

Regards,
Ken

 

[Bill_Rittner]

I have checked out these welders. I believe they are the new Norstar welders. They look pretty good. Thanks.

 

[billscaramu]

Bill, just came across your thread, I am a retired machinist of 40 years. In my working years I did a lot of welding of all types. The company that I worked for got its first Tig machine in 1972. At that time it was referred to as a Heliarc.

In my experience the tig is the machine I used most. After I retired I just needed to have a tig at home. Like you I did not want to spend many dollars for a Miller. The welder I have is a AHP AlphaTIG 200X it is a AC/DC machine. If you shop around it can be had for under $700. Its been a very nice machine.

It does take a lot of practice to have great looking welds. But for small and thin items (like most said) tig is the way to go.

Bill Scaramuzzo

 

[barnesrickw]

Sounds like a tig would be a useful item for me also.

 

[Bill_Rittner]

Again I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their knowledge with me. I have come to the conclusion that TIG is what I am looking for. LOL I haven't hear it called heliarc in many years. Thanks, that brought back memories.