welder question (not sure where to post this)

not sure where to post this…but welders are associated with auto’s obviously lol.

What decent gasless welders are out there? are craftsmen any good? i’m looking for a mig to learn on…pretty much i just want to make charge piping and possibly tac together a turbo manifold and then have it stick welded…any input would be appreciated…thanks!

welds without shielding gas will be weaker and look shittier than welds with shielding gas. but the welder i have would be great for you to learn on. its the lincoln weldpak 110

i dont like gasless welding to begin with, but thats my opinion. im a qualified welder, and have been for little more than 2 years, and again in my opinion, i dont think you should stick weld a manifold. yes, it will hold and seal, but it will look like crap if you dont have enough experiance with arc welding. tig is the way to go on a manifold.

the craftsman gasless is ok, if you just want to learn some of the basics. give it a shot.

[quote=“cky89,post:2,topic:39542"”]

welds without shielding gas will be weaker and look shittier than welds with shielding gas. but the welder i have would be great for you to learn on. its the lincoln weldpak 110

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is that a gas welder? ive welded before…i borrowed a generic one from a guy a work with when i was building my civic…i was able to make a good seal but my welds didnt look that good lol.

[quote=“chickenfingerfanny,post:3,topic:39542"”]

i dont like gasless welding to begin with, but thats my opinion. im a qualified welder, and have been for little more than 2 years, and again in my opinion, i dont think you should stick weld a manifold. yes, it will hold and seal, but it will look like crap if you dont have enough experiance with arc welding. tig is the way to go on a manifold.

the craftsman gasless is ok, if you just want to learn some of the basics. give it a shot.

[/quote]

can i ask what is the difference between tig and mig? is tig harder than mig? i was taught the basics in BOCES but i didnt really get into welding because i took auto tech instead of auto body.

tig is a slower, much more precise process. and when done right, a beautiful looking weld. with tig welding you have the torch ( kind of like mig, but it does not shoot wire, it only has the current) in one hand and with your other hand, the filler rod. you push a foot pedal down to control the current, and dab the filler rod into the arc.

EDIT: watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfOqyqKR0IU&feature=related

get a mig gas welder. you can get the gas tank for as low as 100 bucks and it only costs 12 bucks to fill. Welding will be easier in the long run. I have a millermatic 175 and it rocks.

get a lincoln weld pac they can be gasless or used with gas, thats what i have and i love it, DO NOT BUY A HARBOR FREIGHT WELDER UNLESS YOU LIKE THROWING AWAY MONEY,

[quote=“JDMjunkie,post:4,topic:39542"”]

is that a gas welder? ive welded before…i borrowed a generic one from a guy a work with when i was building my civic…i was able to make a good seal but my welds didnt look that good lol.

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I saw your welds, the problem with them was that you tried to weld galvanized steel without removing the zinc from where you are welding, you have to sand it off the area you are welding, then with practice you can weld almost as well as a gas welder, it just takes practice.

You are not ready for Tig though young jedi.

Lincoln Power MIG 140 or the Millermatic 140, don’t waste time with cheap machine with shitty arc quality. If you want to get into welding buy something good the first time around. Don’t waste a few hundred and then wish you would’ve gotten a quality machine

dont go buying an expensive machine and expect it to turn beginner into an expert. if you are going to get a welder just to tack things together and make small simple stuff dont buy the top of the line, most expensive thing you can find… basically, be realistic with your purchase.

I have an older used miller arc welder and a cheap harbor freight 130amp mig with flux core in it right now (i was just tacking together a new mailbox pole and wanted to use up the wire). works just fine. i was surprised how well it welds. ive been welding for years though using both cheap and expensive machines. the problem ive had with some of the cheap machines is: duty cycle limitiations and overheating the guide tube and melting it for the ones that used plastic/nylon/lower temp teflon tubes. i havent had the latter problem with the HF welder though. im pleasantly suprised. :slight_smile: the duty cycle is like 26% though for the highest power setting.

Brian

I am not going to read all this so sorry if this point has already been covered, but your question is an oxymoron :tdown: to gas-less.

I have a 110 hobart handler w/ gas, I would definetly suggest it, it was in the $500 range