Gas or Gasless mig welder?

[Ian Vincent]

Steve,

 

In the ideal world you would want more than 130 amps for 3mm material but if you haven't got more power available, you have to manage with what you've got.

 

if you do a proper weld prep it can be done.

 

Rgds Ian

[littlejim]

hopefully the welder selling man will mention the different wire sizes and matching tips.

There heaps of references on the web as to which wire size and current to use for different metal thicknesses. You still have to have a test run and tune the welder to get the result you want.

I learnt the hard way that when you change wire reels you put tape over the spool as you wind the last bit out of the machine.

It takes a long time to rewind half a mile of 'sproing' back on to the reel.

Edited December 3, 2015 by littlejim

[MRG1965]

Hi all, purchased a mig welder on eBay at a good price.

 

Question: is it better to use .6 or .8mm welding wire with gas?

Only going to use it on thin panel steel not chassis thick steel at present.

 

Mark

[RogerH]

Hi Mark,

What model did you get. Did you get a user manual with it - this should specify the wire gauge and settings.

 

Roger

[MRG1965]

Hi Roger I purchased a SIP Migmate turbo 130. No manual so trawling the net to find one for that model, but it seems there are a couple of versions of that model. Mine has the rocker switches on the front for power not push buttons on the top.

 

Mark

[AlanT]

Never needed a manual for mine, bought in the 80's, rebuilt three cars and made loads of tools, with this.

 

Edited December 13, 2015 by AlanT

[barkerwilliams]

​Mark,

 

Best advise I can give is to get both 6 and 8 and "buy" a Hobyweld 5 ultra cylinder and a regulator set, Auto dim mask, lots of flap discs, and collect up lots of scrap steel all thicknesses up to 10mm and get welding it together - bring out the artist in yourself.

 

Don't start welding until you have cleared a space of inflammable materials and moved any cars well away, weld spatter can travel a long way any it burns what it touches. A bucket of water nearby would not go amiss.

 

You will find the 10mm steel is too much but until you try you wont know.

 

I find if I have the settings too low although it looks ok'ish but it has no strength, so I start too high current on a test piece and turn it down - I find that is easier to judge when it is correct.

 

Also try welding without the gas, you will find it splashes and if you grind the weld down it is full of tiny bubbles. That is what happens when you don't have enough gas flowing or it is too windy and blows the gas away. Once you have done that you will recognise the signs.

 

Buy a number of tips and a few nozzles before you start. If you have spares you wont need them very often, if you don't have any then as soon as you start there will be a problem.

 

Look up "metal fume fever" on the internet before you start on other materials especially galvanised.

 

Welding is a real skill, don't expect beautiful results until you have accumulated many hours, you can soon produce good strong welds but if they are like mine they need cosmetic treatment with a flap disk afterwards before anyone else sees them.

 

 

Alan.

[Ian Vincent]

For butt welding car bodywork I used 0.6mm wire and intermittent welding with the amps on the lowest setting otherwise you will just blow holes. Make sure your material is clean and that you have a good earth connection.

 

There is a very good tutorial on welding thin material on the MIG Welding forum site.

 

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/thin-metal.htm

 

Frost sell some very handy little butterfly clamps for holding the steel at the right spacing - pricey but they work really well.

 

Rgds Ian

Edited December 13, 2015 by Ian Vincent

[MRG1965]

Thanks Alan top tips, especially the fire warning.

I plan to go to the local scrap yard and get a random steel wing or boot lid etc, so I can practice the techniques before I go near the TR.

 

Mark

[MRG1965]

Thank Ian, yes I've been looking at all sorts of magnets and clamps to keep things in the right place and your hands free, feel another small shopping spree coming on.

 

Mark

[AlanT]

Get a bit of flat copper about 1in wide and a few inches long. 1/8n thick is ideal.

Aluminium might work but I've not tried it.

 

If you blow hole, clamp the copper behind and fill the hole in.

Useful for filling in holes drilled for things like number plates.

 

Also useful on metal that has gone a bit thin.

[rcreweread]

Get a bit of flat copper about 1in wide and a few inches long. 1/8n thick is ideal.

Aluminium might work but I've not tried it.

 

If you blow hole, clamp the copper behind and fill the hole in.

Useful for filling in holes drilled for things like number plates.

 

Also useful on metal that has gone a bit thin.

Just to expand on Alan's tip re copper - you can use a bit of 22mm or for tighter areas, 15mm. copper pipe and flatten about 2" to end up with a double thickness flat peice - if you then bend this into an angle where the flat and tube meet, it will allow you told it against the underside of where you are welding with one hand whilst welding with the other.

 

It's a very useful tip which you will use a lot when you start - the weld pool won't (usually) stick to the copper, so as it sets ( almost immediately), you simply take the copper away - if bits of weld do stick, they normally scrape off.

 

It really does work!

 

cheers

 

Rich

[RogerH]

Hi Rich,

thanks for the tip - I was wondering where to get a thick piece of copper from.

 

Roger

[AlanT]

Here I am using the copper to make a guide for the nozzle.

This ensures I run the weld right into the gap at the base of the joddle.

 

Edited December 14, 2015 by AlanT

[MRG1965]

Just to expand on Alan's tip re copper - you can use a bit of 22mm or for tighter areas, 15mm. copper pipe and flatten about 2" to end up with a double thickness flat peice - if you then bend this into an angle where the flat and tube meet, it will allow you told it against the underside of where you are welding with one hand whilst welding with the other.

 

It's a very useful tip which you will use a lot when you start - the weld pool won't (usually) stick to the copper, so as it sets ( almost immediately), you simply take the copper away - if bits of weld do stick, they normally scrape off.

 

It really does work!

 

cheers

 

Rich

HI Rich, top tip, I've seen Stuart use a similar principle at one of the IWE's using aluminium when lead loading to keep the lead where he wants and it does not stick to that either.

 

Mark

 

Mark

[foster461]

Filling wing mirror holes

 

[mleadbeater]

gas every time.

 

Main thing to look for is plenty, say 6, of power settings. 130 amps usually plenty for car stuff, fan cooled desirable, don't use large wire spools as too much for lighter duty units, and get a self darkening visor, and some gauntlets. Co2 fine for mild steel, pub bottles ok if you know a friendly landlord. Argon good for mild and stainless, also ally if you get proficient.

Plenty of u tube info to help you get going.

 

Good luck

 

Mike

[Lebro]

I used Co2 for many years, & always struggled to get consistant welds, I changed to Hobbyweld argon/Co2/O2 mix recently, & was amazed at the difference - so much easier to get good splatter free welds. Wish I had changed sooner.

 

Bob.

[Tonyloz]

Totally agree, used pub gas for a while, co2, then changed to hobbyweld 15,the difference is remarkable!

Tony

[Devs]

Just read this thread through again (since I last posted on the first page).

 

25 years of welding experience and I've never heard of, or used that copper method previously. That is a top tip. Can't believe I've never heard that before. Makes me want to cry a little.

 

Just to add my own tip for welding panel; alignment .... love these little clips from Frosts. Have saved me so much time in the past. http://www.frost.co.uk/intergrip-welding-clamps.html