/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.1788191]

Hello, I'm from /o/ looking to do some welding on a classic car. My step father has an oxy- acetylene welder as well as an old arc welder. I have not been having luck doing body work with either. Looking into mig because I've heard that's the way to go. Any recommendations?
The HF brand DC inverter seems like a better deal than most transformer migs but I would like it to last a while

[MrCrummy No.1788200]

>>1788191
That's a flux core welder, that has zero place in an automotive shop
You want a mig or tig, I recommend the miller multimatic 215 as long as you don't need to mess with aluminum, multimatic 220 if you do want to mess with aluminum.

[Anonymous No.1788208]

>>1788191
Which country, op?

[Anonymous No.1788210]

>>1788208
>>1788200
USA
My understanding is that flux core is essentially the same as mig with no gas. To me it seems like the extra clean up of splatter isn't as bad as dealing with gas

[MrCrummy No.1788212]

>>1788210
Flux core wont work with sheet metal, it's designed for industrial applications like building mezzanines or sky scrapers, for sheet metal you'll get WAY too much heat input and either melt holes or warp the fuck out of everything.
Don't even bother, trust me, I did rust repair on classic cars for a living, flux core is useless for automotive.

[Anonymous No.1788215]

>>1788212
I see
Is there an intermediate brand you can recommend that is somewhere below the $1700 price range? I don't plan on doing it for a living it's just a hobby project car

[MrCrummy No.1788217]

>>1788215
I'd check offerup or fb marketplace for a used machine.
Rather have a used miller than a shitty chinese piece of crap.

[Anonymous No.1788219]

>>1788217
Thanks. Been looking for a good deal on used for around 2 months, people mostly have stuff listed for more than new because it has a welding stand

[MrCrummy No.1788220]

>>1788219
Yeah, people are pretty awful when it comes to buying stuff, they want twice what it's actually worth and when you're selling people offer you half or less than what you're asking.
The whole thing is so tiresome, but I've had my share of amazing deals, the trick is checking often and taking action quickly.
Used is also great for buying argon/co2 tanks, airgas will want 300 for a small tank, you can get them for like 20 bucks all the time here, it's fucking great lol.

[Anonymous No.1788528]

I have one. Runs too hot to do anything decent with thin stuff, that's not to say I am not incompetent at welding, but it sure doesn't help cutting teeth with like 16 or 18 gauge stuff with something that burns through even at low settings.

[Anonymous No.1788552]

dont be afraid to get a cheap hardware box store lincoln. The cheapest ones are mig only, but the 130 is a decent machine.

Miller is nice, but you dont need that nice. Cheaper entry level lincoln's get the job done all the same.

Sell the stick and oxy/accy setup to some other sucker building farm equipment.

[Anonymous No.1788553]

>>1788220
first the namefagging, then you recommend airgas?

OP, dont be a faggot, dont goto airgas. Expensive and shitty service. Avoid at all cost.

[MrCrummy No.1788565]

>>1788553
There's literally no difference between airgas and praxair, I have accounts with both companies.
This is like 1/3rd of all my cylinders, I think I have around a dozen but I lost count 2bh

[Anonymous No.1788575]

>>1788565
You dont get it. Whats next, westaire?
Theyre all chains that rip off customers with a single welder or two. OP would be better off to find a local mom and pop welding supplier. I routinely pay half what airgas charges.

No wonder you like airgas, you cant keep track of what tanks/sizes/etc you have either.

[MrCrummy No.1788619]

>>1788575
How much does mom and pop charge you for a K size oxygen refill?
I pay 20 dollars, argon K size? 60.
How much are you paying???

[Anonymous No.1788629]

Get an Everlast mig. They are the cats Meow. The cats pyjams, the bees knees, the monkey's eyebrows, the snakes hip, the elephants instep, it'll bail your ass out of jail at 2AM on a Tuesday bring a bottle of Jack and suck your dick in the stations parking lot.

It's a good machine.

[Anonymous No.1788646]

[Anonymous No.1788719]

>>1788565
Do you have to pressure test your tanks?
In Austria you have test your tanks every 10 years by the TÜV.

[Anonymous No.1788744]

>>1788191
>>1788215
>$1700
Buy a cheapo chink MIG welder for like $300. CO2 tank will set you back another $150 or so. Then if it fails out of warranty and you've been using it a lot, then consider buying a big expensive machine.
The best for thin metal is actually TIG though, but TIG is harder and slower to use. A simple DC TIG would be around $400, probably another $100 for a pedal if you let yourself get jewed, and then the argon tank another $150.

[Anonymous No.1788803]

>>1788565
Aren't you supposed to keep those from tipping over?

[MrCrummy No.1788853]

>>1788719
Yes, hydrotesting
>>1788744
CO2 mig welding is not a good idea for thinner metal, you want 75/25 mix.
>>1788803
It really doesnt matter, it only matters with acetylene, if you leave it sideways you have to put it vertical for a while before you use it to avoid sucking up raw acetone.

[Anonymous No.1788968]

>>1788629
very happy with my everlast 200 multiprocess. had it for almost 3 years now. I've run about 100 pounds of solid 035 and 200ish of 040 flux. stick works nice with it also. I plan on getting the spool gun for it because I have some aluminum and stainless projects I want to do.

[Anonymous No.1789158]

>>1788619
i (and others i know), regularly get charged $70+
for a large bottle of 75/25.
Mom and pop is roughly $30 walk in. Not sure if you are including 'haz mat' and other fees, or if your state has them.

They rip you off if you dont have an account.

[Anonymous No.1789188]

>NOOO YOU CAN'T JUST DO SHEET METAL WITH WIRE FEED!

fucking tig nerds lmfaoo

[MrCrummy No.1789226]

>>1789158
That's with fees added.
Give me the phone number of your local welding shop you use and I'll call them tomorrow and ask how much for an argon K bottle, if you dont give me the number I know you're full of shit.

>>1789188
I use mig and tig and I'm not sure how you can call tig people inferior, mig is literally nigger tier but it still has lots of use.

[Anonymous No.1789245]

>>1788552
I'd keep the OA since it's so versatile.

Cutting torches can be impressively precise and require no electrical power while heating tips can gas weld (easy if you study a bit, USE THE RIGHT TIP SIZES and practice on scrap). Much love for my wire welders (ESAB Migmaster 250, ESAB SVI 450i with Hobart suitcase feeders, Lincoln 100) but I'd never be without oxy-acetylene. OA can free stuck parts, torch bend heavy steel, or with small tips weld jewelry. It can sweat pipe, braze parts welding doesn't suit (like brazing a special or modified bit into a chromed socket), anneal copper gaskets from brake washers up to head gaskets. Your wire welding machine won't weld aluminum without a cylinder of argon or helium.

Gas welding can weld thinner metal than wire welding machines. It can use MIG wire as filler on jobs rod filler is too heavy for.

>Cheaper entry level lincoln's get the job done all the same
Truth, which is why so many body shops with expensive welding machines also own the little Lincolns, which fit nicely inside cars and won't be missed too much if dropped.

[Anonymous No.1789324]

>>1789226
>how you can call tig people inferior

Not saying they're inferior, just full of shit. All this talk about what you "CAN" and "CAN'T" do and my granddaddy was stick welding panel on his low boy back in the day.

[Anonymous No.1789572]

>>1789324
tons of lead to cover the shitty welds, is probably why your granddad died at 60.

you cant compare old school and nu skuul automotive fab work without sounding like a moron.

TIG is superior, thats not the question. the question is do you want to spend your day tig welding tent poles, or do you want to spend 20 minutes MIGing it up quickly. Everything has its place, even flux core and stick welding. If that has to be explained to you, fuck off newb faggot.

[Anonymous No.1789576]

>>1789226
Eat a dick faggot, got nothing to prove to you.

[MrCrummy No.1789606]

>>1789576
Well then I guess I'm proven right huh?
Dumb fuck lol

[Anonymous No.1789623]

>>1789572
>If that has to be explained to you, fuck off newb faggot.

Only tigtards are this defensive. Just admit you don't really know how to stick weld and we're all good.

[MrCrummy No.1789639]

>>1789623
Why would knowing one welding process exclude you from knowing another?
That's weird logic.
Only plebs or poorfags dont use every process available to them.

[Anonymous No.1789643]

>>1789639

fart butt

[Anonymous No.1789648]

>>1789623
I dont know how to stick weld. Never bothered to try. Frankly it doesnt bother me either. I do know O/A, mig/fc, and tig though... I dont work on mining equipment.

>>1789606
Your not worth a google search, nevermind exposing my location online. Frankly our back and forth is becoming a little gay, so...

[MrCrummy No.1789688]

>>1789643
Yeah I just farted
>>1789648
>expose my location
You're a fucking anon you retard, nobody gives a fuck about you jesus christ lol how cringe.
Reply to me again.

[Anonymous No.1789690]

>>1788200
>zero place in an automotive shop

I can't disagree but for the average person who needs to do a couple of welds it's a far more cost effective solution and it can work with the right technique.

[Anonymous No.1789840]

>>1789572
>TIG is superior, thats not the question.

TIG cannot weld the smallest or thinnest material. You're just being an angry teentard.

[Anonymous No.1789854]

>>1789648
>I dont know how to stick weld.

called it haha