MIG Welding - Go for it OR Leave it to the Pros

[tony-muscle]

BTW, the Eastwood 175, although more expensive than the 125, comes with the gun spool for welding aluminum. I have never used it, but you have it just in case. Off course, if you have to weld aluminum you will have to have a different tank since the gas mixture is different. The 175 is a 220v unit.

 

[OzCoupe72]

Absolutely go for it but make sure you practice first, Youtube is your friend here also

Some tools I find invaluable maybe already mentioned are plug welding kit such as this Eastwood one -  https://www.eastwood.com/mig-spot-weld-kit.html

This allows not only the correct distance but also you can push down with the nozzle to hold the two work pieces close together

Also when welding thin metal if you have access behind the panel make yourself a heat sink from copper or aluminium, this will prevent blowing holes

Eastwood make a few magnetic copper backing tools but be careful not to weld too close to the magnets

Oh and +1 on getting a good welding helmet, I've been welding blind for ages! time for a decent helmet

 

[Omie01]

Also make sure whichever wall socket you plug into has a 20amp breaker or more. Most 110v MIG welders are very sensitive to the amperage at the breaker. I have one receptacle that is 30amp for my miller 120. Good luck!!

 

[Bentworker]

Be sure to check out what your local junior college offers for classes. Mig welding is pretty easy, but the better knowledge base you have the better your projects will turn out. Learning and practicing techniques to weld vertical and even overhead on a car are valuable since you can’t flip a car around too easily.

Someone beat be to it, but check what electrical you have available where you are going to use it. If your home has laundry in the garage most likely the washer is a dedicated 120v 20 amp circuit and the dryer is a 240v 30amp circuit.

As far as welders go, a 120V machine is fine for sheetmetal, but if you ever think you will do anything more than 1/8” or so consider a 240v machine.

Personally I favor Miller, Hobart or Lincoln

 

[ITMike5.0]

Any reason NOT to go with something like this from JEGS instead of that Eastwood Mig 135 I was looking at? This definitely seems like a much cheaper way to get into the 220v that a lot of you have recommended. Otherwise there is the Eastwood 175 for $449 plus shipping and also the Hobart 190 on Ebay for about $550.

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/81541/10002/-1#reviewTab

 

[ITMike5.0]

Never mind that last post... Ordered a Hobart Handler 190 off of Ebay tonight! So that settles it...I guess I'm learning how to weld.

 

[turtle5353]

Hobarts are decent welders. Should do everything you need. If you have any questions when setting up let us know. You won’t regret buying a welder. You will use it more than you think!!

 

[Omie01]

Just make sure that the drive roller tension, and the spool brake work well together, if you have too much tension it will flatten the wire and cause unsteady feeding, and premature wear on the liner for the wire, not enough tension and you will have intermittent wire feeding problems. If the spool tensioner is too tight, same thing, you will have spotty wire feeding, or it will over-spool causing a rat nest around your spool. The biggest rookie mistake I see are these issues. Other than that, try to keep your tip about 1/8" above the work and keep your movement steady. With sheet metal you have to do a lot of stitch welding, meaning zap-hold-zap-hold-zap-hold and so on. If you try to run a continuous bead you will likely blow through. Most rookies will not move fast enough to not burn through. This is not an insult, just an experience thing. If your welds start to bubble and spit, it means the metal is not clean enough. Welders hate rust!! Use 12-15cfh on your regulator/flow meter. That should be enough to shield your weld zone. Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[turtle5353]

Just make sure that the drive roller tension, and the spool brake work well together, if you have too much tension it will flatten the wire and cause unsteady feeding, and premature wear on the liner for the wire, not enough tension and you will have intermittent wire feeding problems. If the spool tensioner is too tight, same thing, you will have spotty wire feeding, or it will over-spool causing a rat nest around your spool. The biggest rookie mistake I see are these issues. Other than that, try to keep your tip about 1/8" above the work and keep your movement steady. With sheet metal you have to do a lot of stitch welding, meaning zap-hold-zap-hold-zap-hold and so on. If you try to run a continuous bead you will likely blow through. Most rookies will not move fast enough to not burn through. This is not an insult, just an experience thing. If your welds start to bubble and spit, it means the metal is not clean enough. Welders hate rust!! Use 12-15cfh on your regulator/flow meter. That should be enough to shield your weld zone. Good luck and have fun!!!

Goods tips.

I found that running a higher flow on your shielding gas helps get a nicer weld on sheetmetal and or any contaminated metals. I usually run my welder around 25CFH.

 

[kcmash]

Take the classes if you can.  I remember trying on my own and making real pretty welds that didn't have any strength.

Cosmetic welds on sheet metal are all about pretty.  When you get into floors, aprons, frame rails, crossmembers, seat pans, etc you need to be sure they are structurally sound.

Lessons learned.  That's why they have certified collision specialists.

kcmash

 

[ITMike5.0]

Practiced on a Hobart Handler 135 today with some scrap sheet metal at a friend's house.  I feel like I got the hang of it pretty fast and did pretty well for my first time ever trying to weld.  

The line on the left is the underside of my first set of welds.  The line on the right is a butt weld which I think looks pretty decent.  Obviously with more and more practice these should look better and better.  ...and maybe a couple of beers 

 

[turtle5353]

Not bad. keep up the good work. But if that's sheetmetal, you want to practice doing spot welds, not continuous beads.  On sheetmetal you will end up just blowing through it. Get some metal a little bit thicker, and make sure you get it clean clean!  Then practice running beads.  You don't want to just run your torch in a straight line down the seam of the buttjoint. The weld puddle will want to hump in the middle as it cools. You want to whip your arc onto each piece as you weld. Make a U shape with your arc onto each side of the seam with the seam being the middle of your U. Also you want to push your puddle with a mig welder not drag it. With a mig welder you will have to move fairly fast compared to stick welding. Keep practicing and keep posting up questions and pics. Took me years to get really good at it. I have been teaching my son since he was 6. He's 10 now and is getting pretty good. I even had him help weld up grandpas trailer last summer. Just remember practice practice practice!!







Some other projects.







Next project he wants to weld!!  He gathered up parts I had laying around.

 

[red351]

Hope you didn't need them parts.....

 

[ITMike5.0]

Next project he wants to weld!!  He gathered up parts I had laying around.

Haha...Nice!  There is a guy here in Sarasota, FL who lost his job during the real estate crash and he started his own business called Tube Dudes.  He's made a killing basically welding and painting these metal tube dudes (mailbox holders, sign holders,etc).  Also this project your son wants to do is pretty cool.  I've seen stuff like that on sale in stores and it's not cheap!  Tell him to keep up the good work.

OK...so with mig welding you want to push huh?  I was definitely pulling...  So if I'm welding a body panel I would just do quick spot welds all the way around?  Would I then go back and do continuous bead welds to close it up or just leave it and use some sort of panel adhesive everywhere else?

 

[ITMike5.0]

What gauge would you recommend I use for body panel patches? Also how about for the fender apron section?

 

[turtle5353]

Next project he wants to weld!!  He gathered up parts I had laying around.

Haha...Nice!  There is a guy here in Sarasota, FL who lost his job during the real estate crash and he started his own business called Tube Dudes.  He's made a killing basically welding and painting these metal tube dudes (mailbox holders, sign holders,etc).  Also this project your son wants to do is pretty cool.  I've seen stuff like that on sale in stores and it's not cheap!  Tell him to keep up the good work.

OK...so with mig welding you want to push huh?  I was definitely pulling...  So if I'm welding a body panel I would just do quick spot welds all the way around?  Would I then go back and do continuous bead welds to close it up or just leave it and use some sort of panel adhesive everywhere else?

Definitely push when welding a continuous bead.  For sheetmetal, you do a tack, move several inches do another tack, moveseveral inches do another tack. you keep repeating this process all over the panel until it is completely filled in with weld. Yes it takes a lot of time! But if you try to do toom any tacks in one spot or too close together you can easily warp a panel.

Heres a quarter panel I was welding.

Tacked in place



Keep tacking till it looks like this



photo host sites

Then grind flush..... but move around a lot with the grinder to avoid warpage. Also good idea to cool the area with a wet rag as you tack and grind.

 

[ITMike5.0]

OK, so tack weld all the way around until it looks continuous. I see you did the tail panel too. Are those sheet metal screws just holding it in place until you do those welds all the way around? For that panel you did spot welds correct?

 

[turtle5353]

OK, so tack weld all the way around until it looks continuous.  I see you did the tail panel too.  Are those sheet metal screws just holding it in place until you do those welds all the way around?  For that panel you did spot welds correct?

Yep you got it.  I use self tapping sheetmeteal screws to hold everything in place. Also use a combination of small c clamps, vise grip c clamps, magnets, ect. You don't want to tack it at all until you are 100% happy with where it is.  Sheetmetal screws make it easy to adjust and move before tacking.