Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Need info on welders

My son really enjoyed his Boyscout welding merit badge and he wants to pursue this welding even more. He wants a mig welder. He is very artistic and wants to make metal sculptures. He also wants to try and make a metal gate out of 3" square stock.
I don't know anything about welding and welders so I was looking for a little advice. I know there is much to it be I am looking for something that is inexpensive and if he learns and grows with his skills than I will address better quality then. Any ideas or information would be helpful. Thanks in advance -tnscouter

Back 20 years ago both me and my older brother got into stock car racing at a local dirt track. We went halfers on a Hobart Handler 120 to use on body panels and roll bar repairs. We used the heck outta that thing, and I believe it'll work out well for your boy. It don't have enough penetration for real heavy stuff, but up to about 1/4" plate it's the cats azz. We ain't racing anymore but that thing still gets used.
7mm

A big question is whether you want a 120 or 240v welder. A 240 will do a LOT more but a 120 is very useful when you have a job outside your shop. For art work, a 120 would probably be plenty but once a guy gets some experience, you'd be surprised at how many larger projects will come up.
Also, whether you can do with a 120 depends on your house wiring. If you're wired with 14 ga wire, a 120 can put a lot of strain on a circuit. You might need to turn off everything else on the circuit to keep from popping breakers.

The guys covered the 120 vs. 220/240 thing well - and they are very correct on this.. I went 240, and wish I'd bought a 120 for small jobs as well.

BTW - Miller is often considered better, but Lincoln machine prices have dropped at Homedepot.. They now have the 240 version for 665..

Some other smaller stuff that I learned
MIG likes clean surfaces - wire wheel what your going to weld first... All good.

Using gas on MIG vs. resin core make a much, much cleaner weld.
A cart comes in handy if you are doing the gas method
Try getting a used bottle, new one's aren't cheap. Craig's list.

Auto Darkening glass in the face shield is all good
Leather arms on a heavy jacket (welding jacket) make things just pleasant.

Aluminum is OK for MIG.. Barely... I think TIG is the way to go there.

Local Community colleges teach welding .. Even during the summer.

Making Metal with FIRE is AWESOME

There are a few models that will run on both 120 and 240. They aren't cheap, though.

Correct.. Flux...

I had some new steel posts I had to cut in a basement that needed to be welded ... So the 120 thing - I meant the plug vs. the 240 is too big.

I've welded traps, lawn mowers, snow blowers, and square channel with my 240 Lincoln so I can go light or heavy just like you said.

First off MIG always use a gas shielding. What you "resin" core is actually "flux core" which when combined with a shielding gas is "dual shield". All welding should be performed on a clean surface.

Set up correctly a 240 or 440 welder will do small thin metal work perfectly.

I supervised a small prototype and the owner was also a car enthusiast, he had a 120 MIG unit he used for car stuff. We also used it in the shop, it did everything I needed it to do. We did a lot of fabrication using angle iron and square tubing and it worked just fine. Good advice regarding the used gas bottle and the cart. Be sure to make the cart wide enough so as not to tip, use quality casters or wheels. A place to wind the cables on the cart is also handy.

I had a machine and metal fab shop for 28 years...used Miller exclusively had Model 200's and variations of them ran them for months at a time 24/7 other than expendables maybe 1-2 brake downs a year with 6 welders that needed a service man...the Classic 200 is a work horse simple dials no digital read outs 2 of my original machines were in perfect running condition after using them for 28 years...

I'am retired and wanting a welder that could be easily put in the back of a truck to take to camp or be powered by a generator for field use on farm only needs 30 amp 208 V. I bought a Miller 180 about 9 years ago it weighs 80 lbs. and have been very happy with the performance. It is use a couple times a week, built several trailers a 10,000 lbs boat hoist, repaired sea walls, docks, tree stands, hunting towers, deer feeders, anything that neighbors and friends need built or repaired.....

I have a spool gun for MIG welding aluminum using 100% argon gas, also a tank of 75%-25% for steel, I keep a couple 10 lbs. spools of "flux core" for when I'am welding outside and there's wind.

A person could get by with just using "flux core" on steel it does create more smoke when welding, so you need good ventilation if doing welding indoors. There is a coating after a weld that must be wire brushed off on the welds. Its a lot more expensive 4-5 time more than plain steel spool wire. It will weld better with dirty, rusty, painted steel. You can weld outside on a windy day, I've welded in 20 mph winds. Don't need to have a tank of gas and worry your going to run out in the middle of a project.

I would stay away from a 110 V welder, they are good for body repair and not much more.

When buying a welder look at the "duty cycle" it is a % of time that the welder is designed to run doing a weld. The higher it is the longer you can weld. If its 80% you should not be welding for 20% of the time..

Yeah, duty cycle is a big thing. My neighbor who doesn't know much about welding,he bought a wire feed from harbor freight. It's like a spot welder, junk.

If I had to choose one welding tool out of my arsenal setting all else aside I would hands down take an ox-acetylene torch. For light art work it would be indispensable. Cut, heat, weld, braze and solder all in one package.

Look on craigslist...you might find a good deal there...especially right after Christmas...before you do though check home depot etc. to get an idea of what a new unit would cost...gas bottles/lines will be an extra expense if buying new...

That said, learning how to properly weld is a great skill to have & he should be encouraged.

Rent the bottles

I bought some used oxy-acet bottles 30 years ago and haven't paid a nickle in rent since. For the long run, buying is much cheaper. You swap them when its refill time so it doesn't matter what shape they're in.

You better buy them from a welding supply that'll refill individually owned bottle. A lot of places will not refill individually owned bottles.

Paying bottle rent is STUPID,....always has been.

GTC

Not being able to get them refilled is even stupider.

BRAVO !

....gotta say that I could not agree more, and of ANYTHING important to a young welder's future, it's GOT to be the intuitive "feel" for a molten puddle's dynamics, surface tensions, and formabilities that ONLY Gas welding imparts.

Whoever first said, "I can teach a monkey to MIG" got it dead right.

GTCGTC

always nice to get sterling advice from a chit hot welding ace.

....leaves one feeling humbled.

GTC

Only been doing it for 45 years and have been all over the US as well as overseas for my expertise.

Try again ace!