Thinking about getting a welder - Page 2

xoxoxoBruce · 02-06-2009, 12:37 PM

Buster, if money wasn't the deciding factor, wouldn't a TIG, or at least a MIG, be a lot more useful than either an arc or gas setup?

busterb · 02-07-2009, 06:50 PM

Well gas is good for cutting, brazing, and silver soldering, but on thin steel it distorts from the heat. IMHO, perhaps a like of skill? MIG around the house and not used much, wire gets rusty, jams cable, and you need gas unless you use fluxcore wire. Plus the cheaper ones I've tried suck. I hate MIG!! When fab shops first got them, Some assholes thought you never needed a break. 40 lbs. of wire is a long time between breaks.
TIG I'm not good at, because I'm nervous, shaky. I can build SS beltbuckles, rings and such. But would never call myself a TIG welder.
Tig you can weld more alloys, better with, but you might need to change the gas, rods. TIG DC won't weld aluminum, TMK.
Around here the companys get a better price on bottle refills than me. Some folks come around for work, I just tell them, sorrry no gas. SOBs to cheap to pay. Sorry for TMI

BTW AC welding current will bite your butt, big time. DC you just taste and turn your fingernails blue.

footfootfoot · 02-07-2009, 07:38 PM

I was looking at the Lincolns and wondered if they were any good. We had Millermatics in school and I liked them a lot. They are out of my price range. Actually everything is out of my price range right now, but you know.

busterb · 02-07-2009, 08:32 PM

Chris. Regaurdless of what welding process you choose, you still need a few things for weld joint prep. For small home jobs a portaband saw is great for cutting angle iron and such. A grinder, buffer. As much construction as goes on around Houston, might find some buys at pawn shops?
Anything my portaband will cut I use. Cheaper the gas. BTW dealer will pickup and drop off your tanks for a small fee. NOT. They drop off next door to me, at dentist office and then charged me $6 buck saftey handling fee, by ICC regs. For a flappin 100 feet?

Griff · 02-08-2009, 09:46 AM

Buster, do you have any background with acetylene generators? Are they useful for gas welding? I don't know the first thing about them so any information you have would be useful. thanks g

busterb · 02-09-2009, 09:53 PM

Griff. I worked at shop that had one, back in 63. Only thing I remember, is having to clean it out once. And they use carbide, just like old miners lights. Sorry.

Griff · 02-10-2009, 03:28 PM

Thanks b, I'll just keep poking around.

TheMercenary · 02-10-2009, 08:30 PM

bb, other than taking a formal course to learn welding, can I learn some basic welding from a book or some kind of a short course online?

xoxoxoBruce · 02-11-2009, 01:22 AM

Try youtube, they've got everything else.

Trilby · 02-11-2009, 01:32 AM

I like wolf's post best.

busterb · 02-12-2009, 11:00 AM

If you have good hand-eye coordination and patience should be no problem.
Maye a book w/photos to show good from bad.
I haven't looked at any of these at Instructables Might be some help there. HTH bb

02-06-2009, 12:37 PM	#16
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Buster, if money wasn't the deciding factor, wouldn't a TIG, or at least a MIG, be a lot more useful than either an arc or gas setup? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

02-07-2009, 06:50 PM	#17
busterb NSABFD Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MS. usa Posts: 3,908	Well gas is good for cutting, brazing, and silver soldering, but on thin steel it distorts from the heat. IMHO, perhaps a like of skill? MIG around the house and not used much, wire gets rusty, jams cable, and you need gas unless you use fluxcore wire. Plus the cheaper ones I've tried suck. I hate MIG!! When fab shops first got them, Some assholes thought you never needed a break. 40 lbs. of wire is a long time between breaks. TIG I'm not good at, because I'm nervous, shaky. I can build SS beltbuckles, rings and such. But would never call myself a TIG welder. Tig you can weld more alloys, better with, but you might need to change the gas, rods. TIG DC won't weld aluminum, TMK. Around here the companys get a better price on bottle refills than me. Some folks come around for work, I just tell them, sorrry no gas. SOBs to cheap to pay. Sorry for TMI BTW AC welding current will bite your butt, big time. DC you just taste and turn your fingernails blue. __________________ I've haven't left very deep footprints in the sands of time. But, boy I've left a bunch. Last edited by busterb; 02-07-2009 at 06:56 PM.

02-07-2009, 07:38 PM	#18
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	I was looking at the Lincolns and wondered if they were any good. We had Millermatics in school and I liked them a lot. They are out of my price range. Actually everything is out of my price range right now, but you know. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

02-07-2009, 08:32 PM	#19
busterb NSABFD Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MS. usa Posts: 3,908	Chris. Regaurdless of what welding process you choose, you still need a few things for weld joint prep. For small home jobs a portaband saw is great for cutting angle iron and such. A grinder, buffer. As much construction as goes on around Houston, might find some buys at pawn shops? Anything my portaband will cut I use. Cheaper the gas. BTW dealer will pickup and drop off your tanks for a small fee. NOT. They drop off next door to me, at dentist office and then charged me $6 buck saftey handling fee, by ICC regs. For a flappin 100 feet? __________________ I've haven't left very deep footprints in the sands of time. But, boy I've left a bunch.

02-08-2009, 09:46 AM	#20
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Buster, do you have any background with acetylene generators? Are they useful for gas welding? I don't know the first thing about them so any information you have would be useful. thanks g __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

02-09-2009, 09:53 PM	#21
busterb NSABFD Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MS. usa Posts: 3,908	Griff. I worked at shop that had one, back in 63. Only thing I remember, is having to clean it out once. And they use carbide, just like old miners lights. Sorry. __________________ I've haven't left very deep footprints in the sands of time. But, boy I've left a bunch.

02-10-2009, 03:28 PM	#22
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Thanks b, I'll just keep poking around. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

02-10-2009, 08:30 PM	#23
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	bb, other than taking a formal course to learn welding, can I learn some basic welding from a book or some kind of a short course online? __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

02-11-2009, 01:22 AM	#24
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Try youtube, they've got everything else. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

02-11-2009, 01:32 AM	#25
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	I like wolf's post best. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

02-12-2009, 11:00 AM	#26
busterb NSABFD Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MS. usa Posts: 3,908	If you have good hand-eye coordination and patience should be no problem. Maye a book w/photos to show good from bad. I haven't looked at any of these at Instructables Might be some help there. HTH bb __________________ I've haven't left very deep footprints in the sands of time. But, boy I've left a bunch.

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