adam300tdi
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i want to learn to weld and been looking on ebay at welders and seem arc welders cost fook all.would an arc welder be good to learn with or would a mig be better.just wana learn for general repairing and stuff
learning to weld
- Thread starter adam300tdi
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Forgottenpoppy
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A mig is very easy to use and learn with but arc is a really good skill to learn but they are non comparable techniques as they are very different. If you could get a bit friendly with your local steel fab shop and get a few pointers on both. But mig (I don't rate gasless migs) is very easy to pick up
nrgserv
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mig easier but more expensive, arc cheap but requires skill. a lot of skill.
Dr_evil
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It's also a pain on super thin metal!
I was welding some .8mm steel yesterday with the stick welder and it took ages as all I could do was slowly add tiny tacks
I was welding some .8mm steel yesterday with the stick welder and it took ages as all I could do was slowly add tiny tacks
discomark10
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All I say is make sure the work your welding is a clean as poassible
nrgserv
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:nopics:
:bounce:
jamesmartin
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well you cant really weld anything thinner than the rod
Dr_evil
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I'll take some next time it breaks
its a mates lawnmower tractor! In the last month I've had to weld up the drive belt pulley, the steering arm, the steering pin then broke which I had to weld to the arm so its now not going to break and then yesterday the grass shield broke -_- thing wants a new deck really, whole things made of rust!
its a mates lawnmower tractor! In the last month I've had to weld up the drive belt pulley, the steering arm, the steering pin then broke which I had to weld to the arm so its now not going to break and then yesterday the grass shield broke -_- thing wants a new deck really, whole things made of rust!
Thor1950
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robbh
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Mig is definitely easier to learn as already said.
And again do not buy a gasless welder they are ****e! I used a friends one once when mine was out of action and i swore from that day on id never use one again!
And again do not buy a gasless welder they are ****e! I used a friends one once when mine was out of action and i swore from that day on id never use one again!
beerdude
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MIG for anything on a and Land Rover except perhaps very heavy chasis stuff and well worth getting an auto darkening helmet, the Clarke machines are good entry level tools, also consider buying gauntlets to save burning fingers and an angle grinder to clean up the metal before welding. Good luck
Snifflebag
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Definitely worth learning to do. As a rookie I find it pretty tricky to get a nice finish. Strong enough, but not always very pretty. Upside down welding is really hard
Check out mig-welding.co.uk, lots of useful videos and tips.
B&Q are doing a small angle grinder for £15 by the way - great value!
Check out mig-welding.co.uk, lots of useful videos and tips.
B&Q are doing a small angle grinder for £15 by the way - great value!
blue beasty
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Gasless has it's place, esp if you'll be welding outside a lot. I don't have any problems getting a good weld but you do get more splatter.
Having said that I wouldn't want to not have the option of gas.
I would like a small stick welder simply because there's places you can weld with a stick that a torch won't reach but given a choice of one or the other a gas/gasless mig wins every time.
For Landy and general small project stuff look for 150amp +.....the smaller, cheapest migs tend to have a lack of control which can make welding thin material difficult
Having said that I wouldn't want to not have the option of gas.
I would like a small stick welder simply because there's places you can weld with a stick that a torch won't reach but given a choice of one or the other a gas/gasless mig wins every time.
For Landy and general small project stuff look for 150amp +.....the smaller, cheapest migs tend to have a lack of control which can make welding thin material difficult
disco147
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i'm learning with a gas MIG that I picked up second hand over a year ago - got my mate to come round and set it up the other day and after about 10 minutes on it he reckons my welds are better than some people who claim to be able to weld proficiently!
still blowing holes n stuff though so gonna get plenty more practise in before I do anything on the landy! :lol:
still blowing holes n stuff though so gonna get plenty more practise in before I do anything on the landy! :lol:
adam300tdi
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weve got a mig at work so i can learn that a work but i was just looking at buying 1 for haveing at home and arcs are dirt cheap.think i mite learn a how to mig at work if its fairly easy and just get an arc welder for home to mess about with seein as tho there only about £20 second hand.
I bought myself a Portamig 185...like this one:
Portamig MIG Welders - Weldequip
Never got it from there - just posted the link to show you the spec etc, as it came highly recommended from all the mig forums.
It can go right down to do 1mm thick metal upto around 6mm thick. And it works fine off the normal house ring main - no tripping out the circuits
For the mig, gas, helmet etc etc cost me £700.00, and to be honest, best thing I have bought. I had never welded, and taught myself. I have now restored most of the Disco - started at the back (boot, arches sills etc etc), and now upto the front footwells. My gas is just coming up empty now after 1 1/2 years, and lots of creations later. Saved a fortune from employing someone to fix it, so I have easily got my money back.
I was told not to buy too cheap, as then you will want a better one, and will cost you double with the initial outlay, so try and buy the best you can - you won't regret it, plus they always seem to hold their value.
I have also made loads of stuff, including a few full length expedition racks, modding a winch bumper (most recent), guards you name it. Only limitation is your imagination. Plus there is loads of help on this forum if you ask nicely
And before the post comes saying its useless without pics.....
Portamig MIG Welders - Weldequip
Never got it from there - just posted the link to show you the spec etc, as it came highly recommended from all the mig forums.
It can go right down to do 1mm thick metal upto around 6mm thick. And it works fine off the normal house ring main - no tripping out the circuits
For the mig, gas, helmet etc etc cost me £700.00, and to be honest, best thing I have bought. I had never welded, and taught myself. I have now restored most of the Disco - started at the back (boot, arches sills etc etc), and now upto the front footwells. My gas is just coming up empty now after 1 1/2 years, and lots of creations later. Saved a fortune from employing someone to fix it, so I have easily got my money back.
I was told not to buy too cheap, as then you will want a better one, and will cost you double with the initial outlay, so try and buy the best you can - you won't regret it, plus they always seem to hold their value.
I have also made loads of stuff, including a few full length expedition racks, modding a winch bumper (most recent
), guards you name it. Only limitation is your imagination. Plus there is loads of help on this forum if you ask nicely And before the post comes saying its useless without pics.....
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discomark10
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I agreed, the welder is the best bit of kit if you want to modify a landy!
adam300tdi
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did you make that from scratch
SmileySteve
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Good advice in the thread, have used stick , gasless mig, gas mig, etc and found all good just use the right ones for the right job.
End of the day, its practice and preference, but key is clean steel, if its still full of tin worm, half a mil thick it aint gonna weld, best case it will just vaporize.
Lots of cost effective units on he market, see if you can have a go on some mates units first, but migs gas or gasless tend to be easiest to get good results.
Having said that i cut my teeth on an old stick welder and after practice was able to weld Austin mini wing sections together....tediously slowly & carefully but it worked
End of the day, its practice and preference, but key is clean steel, if its still full of tin worm, half a mil thick it aint gonna weld, best case it will just vaporize.
Lots of cost effective units on he market, see if you can have a go on some mates units first, but migs gas or gasless tend to be easiest to get good results.
Having said that i cut my teeth on an old stick welder and after practice was able to weld Austin mini wing sections together....tediously slowly & carefully but it worked
