| Author |
Message |
    
Dave Smith (Javelinadave)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 - 11:30 pm: | 
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I am attempting to teach myself how to weld. I am asking anybody who welds, which is easier / better for a general use by a fast learning novice.
Does anybody live in the Phoenix area that would like to spend an hour or two and teach a fellow Roverman the fine art of welding? Thanks......Dave |
derek (Vortrex)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 12:26 am: |
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you'd want a MIG welder. if you want to buy check out www.cyberweld.com, I think they have the cheapest prices on miller welders. |
derek (Vortrex)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 12:27 am: |
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also, there is a good welding video for sale at www.autobodystore.com. |
Greg Davis
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 09:52 am: |
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Definitely MIG. Also, consider taking a class at your local Comm College. Probably only two nights a week and you'll learn to weld the proper way. Plus, you'll meet people with similar interests which can pay dividends in the future! One of the best things I ever did to further my fab skills.  |
Dave Smith (Javelinadave)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 11:18 am: |
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Thanks |
warburtonr
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 11:18 am: |
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I have to put in my two-cents worth: I took an evening "community ed" course to learn arc welding. Well worth the money. And bought a little arc welder that has been very convenient.
BUT, I just dropped off my Adventure roof rack at a shop here in town that can do MIG welding to finish some of the modifications. Arc welding will only melt the tubing, you can't get the voltage low enough to keep from melting the tubing and still be able to maintain an arc. So, I second the motion to take a class, and to get a MIG welder. A mig welder is easier to learn and is the only way to go on thinner material, say up to 1/4". An arc welder is best for the thicker stuff. |
Dean Brown (Deanbrown3d)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 01:39 pm: |
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I use a wire-feed MIG (Lincoln) but with the flux-core wire (so you don't need gas, which means you can weld outdoors on a breezy day), and I could not be more pleased with it. If you remember from past threads I was asking for tips on welding, and it was only a few practice runs before I was doing fine. For example, two bars welded together end to end would bend somewhere else, rather than at the bend. As for arc welders, despite several hours with the bugger I could never get ANYTHING to weld properly.
JM2CW,
Dean |
Blue (Bluegill)
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 02:34 pm: |
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Phoenix, huh? Let me know if you're hitting up any CC classes....
My wife's Aunt has a garage full of tools, including a welder, that her dearly departed husband left behind (he was a mechanic for major airline). I'll be going over for milk & cookies soon to check things out |
Dave Smith (Javelinadave)
| | Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 05:48 pm: |
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Thanks again guys for your input. It sounds like a class and a MIG welder are the next project here! |
ZKyle
| | Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 08:42 pm: |
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Avoid the flux cored welders....... Go full boat adn get a Gas mig , not gasless...
Kyle |
Greg Davis
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 09:31 am: |
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Yes, I agree. I've used both. You get a much nicer bead with the solid core wire. It's nice to have flux core on-hand incase you run out of gas on a Sunday afternoon, , but try and use the solid core whenever possible. Plus, there's ALOT less cleanup with the solid core as compared to the flux core. |
muskyman
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 11:40 am: |
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I say buy a power unit that will run mig,tig, and stick. get the wire feed unit that can run large rolls of wire and let the heat fly!
once you get started having a simple ac/dc stand alone welder lets you go anyway you want down the road as aposed to having to get another unit when you decide to branch out into other welding processes. also you can get used comercial units really cheap and the likelyhood of problems on a big old idealarc or lincoln or miller unit is like damn near nill. |
Kyle
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 12:10 pm: |
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My Hobart is actually set up for that Musky... You just plug the other shit in...
Kyle |
Dean Brown (Deanbrown3d)
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 01:33 pm: |
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So do you guys find mig works well outside, on a breezy day? FOr example working on the truck where you might not be able to shield the wind? |
Erik G. Burrows (Erik)
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 01:47 pm: |
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Flux-core is the cat's meow as far as I'm concerned. Yes, you might not be able to do some metals, but my little 85 amp job can do steel in a hurricane! |
Kyle
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 01:55 pm: |
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Eeeek , that flux is a dirty bastard... Yeah Dean , you have to play with pressures at times bt it gets it done ...
yle |
Greg Davis
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 03:22 pm: |
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Dean, I was referring to fabbing parts. As far as field repairs, Flux has alot of advantages. Neatness is not one of them. |
muskyman
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 05:17 pm: |
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I want a ready welder...been eyeing them for awhile as soon as they drop under $300 I'm gonna scoop one up...you can carry a flux core wire feed welder that runns on three batteries in a shoe box...pretty cool...then again I'll miss fixing drivshafts and spring hangers and shit with jumper cables and and a few 6013's.
kyle,
hobart is putting out some pretty nice boxes...my 20 year old craftman roll around welder is a hobart in black and red clothing. |
Dee
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 10:22 pm: |
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MM,
I went to Hobart�s site, Nice line of welders top of the line has a nice price 1700 plus 150 for the tig attachment. Thats my next investment a quality welder.
I need to brush up on my Tig welding. I used to have some welders who could Tig weld bubblegum wrappers. There welds looked better than a machine made. If you ever want to find a quality welder look for a guy who was a Nuclear welder in the Navy |
muskyman
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 10:48 pm: |
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hey Dee
yes tig is wear its at...never sean the bubble gum whapper thing...but I'v seen guys weld stuff to aluminum cans without springing a leak
I did Piece work with a tig welder as a teeny bopper if I ever had a ton of free time I'd play with it more...now all my welding is reactionary
someone breaks it I glue it back togather.
i'll bet if someone built all pretty tig welded togather add-ons with anodized coatings you could charge a bazillion $'s for it and it would still sell to LR guys...pretty counts
good tig welds are like art |
Dave_Lucas (Dave_Lucas)
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 12:25 am: |
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I LOVE TIG!
TIG is my favorite, especially on stainless
Second choice would be Aluminum with a TIG welder.
I wish I still had access to a welder so I could keep up my skills : ( |
Dee
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 10:32 am: |
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yeah its been almost 10 years since i touched a tig torch. I will most likely need to take a refresher course. Get the book TIG welding for Dummies
MM i have a "Dream" to see every Land Rover Discovery outfitted with my products. Buy 2005 the Discos and Exploder's parts will cross change LOL Dam i cant see myself making parts for Fords... |
Kyle
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 11:10 am: |
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Cmon now Dee . The competition is stiff!!
Kyle |
muskyman
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 01:23 pm: |
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yes kyle it is...but if a guy were to take the high road...high end road that is and produce a perfect piece with artwork like tig welds and awsome coatings he could price it at the sky and still sell a good number.
but Dee that is no way the type of product that fits your "DREAM" of getting all the guys to put your stuff on...high end =small numbers...cheap but simple and good will get way way more guys.
in the long run simple is almost always better |
Dee
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 01:43 pm: |
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Kyle its a dream I also dreamed of becoming a formula 1 driver, well at 6" 4 280 that idea went in the shitter. besides there always room for a KVT Bed Frame... LOL
MM I have to disagree good quality at reasonable prices will always rule. Cheep is still always cheep. Hell if you want a cheep Diff guards Go see Rugged Rover...
If cost was an issue would you buy a Land Rover? |
muskyman
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 06:39 pm: |
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now rugged rover is a whole different issue...
when i say cheap I guess I mean affordable.
what KVT has going for it is clean simple lines
if thats combined with a price under ARB, Kyle could become bumber man USA
where as if rugged rover charged 1/2 of ARB they still wouldent sell enough to pay for lunch
now if you want to charge more then ARB or $G you better have something to hang your hat on when people are asking what they paying for. |
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