MIG welder.
Forum rules
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
-
- Minor Legend
- Posts: 2437
- Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:10 pm
- Location: North Bedfordshire,
- MMOC Member: No
MIG welder.
I'm finally going to invest in a MIG welder.
I'd like some specific suggestions. I'm after a gas shielded one. Sealey or Clarke? Which model?
I don't have a big budget, about £200 all up I guess, is it better to avoid ebay bargains?
Does anyone have one for sale?
What other kit will I need
Clamps ? Magnets?
Roger.
I'd like some specific suggestions. I'm after a gas shielded one. Sealey or Clarke? Which model?
I don't have a big budget, about £200 all up I guess, is it better to avoid ebay bargains?
Does anyone have one for sale?
What other kit will I need
Clamps ? Magnets?
Roger.
This message board is like a family - you can't choose the other members!! But remember engine oil is thicker than water.
Someone asked the same question not so long ago. See this thread & ask the Mig Forum: http://www.morrisminoroc.co.uk/index.ph ... welder+mig
Eric - 1971 Traveller
-
- Minor Legend
- Posts: 2731
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:54 pm
- Location: Sussex
- MMOC Member: No
Hi Roger, I got myself a clarke mig from machine mart a little while ago. good investment. But my humble fledgling experience based advice will say, practice on scrap parts of differing thicknesses before you let loose on your pride and joy, make notes of succesfull settings for those different materials, and gain some practice, its great fun. scary at first, but when you get your first usefull weld on the car you get this glowing feeling of satisfaction. Go for it .
smile, you never know, you might be winning.[IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/2ro3j37.jpg[/IMG]
Roger
"you can never have enough clamps for serious welding ".I have an old washing up bowl full of them.
Buy a welding set of clamps ( 3 in a set usually ) plus the usual mole wrenches.Autojumbles are a good source for second hand clamps as well.
Magnets have their uses in frabrication but clamps are more useful to start off with.The tighter the clean metal is held together the stronger the finished welded joint will be.
Bob
"you can never have enough clamps for serious welding ".I have an old washing up bowl full of them.
Buy a welding set of clamps ( 3 in a set usually ) plus the usual mole wrenches.Autojumbles are a good source for second hand clamps as well.
Magnets have their uses in frabrication but clamps are more useful to start off with.The tighter the clean metal is held together the stronger the finished welded joint will be.
Bob
Roger
Sorry for the partial response, had to dash for the granchildren's school run this morning.
Other essentials, safety stuff, a welding helmet ( hand held one's are the cheapest, automatic dimming ones are more expensive ) welding gauntlets ( up to your elbows ) and a welding leather apron.Flameproof overalls.Some of this may come "free" with a new welding machine......check with supplier.
A pair of small side cuters to cut the MIG wire.
Most machines are set up to run on DIY..small size gas ( Argon mix ) bottles which only last 20 minutes or so.Result ? Costly running if you are doing a full on restoration.To use the " big ", comparative, bottles
you will need to buy an Gauge Industrial Regulator ( Argon mix ).See a Machine Mart catologue/ website to get an idea.
The big bottles are "rented" annually and you also pay for the gas ( when re-filled.More of an intial outlay but cheaper in the long run than
£10/15 for 20 minutes, small size bottles.
Bob
Sorry for the partial response, had to dash for the granchildren's school run this morning.
Other essentials, safety stuff, a welding helmet ( hand held one's are the cheapest, automatic dimming ones are more expensive ) welding gauntlets ( up to your elbows ) and a welding leather apron.Flameproof overalls.Some of this may come "free" with a new welding machine......check with supplier.
A pair of small side cuters to cut the MIG wire.
Most machines are set up to run on DIY..small size gas ( Argon mix ) bottles which only last 20 minutes or so.Result ? Costly running if you are doing a full on restoration.To use the " big ", comparative, bottles
you will need to buy an Gauge Industrial Regulator ( Argon mix ).See a Machine Mart catologue/ website to get an idea.
The big bottles are "rented" annually and you also pay for the gas ( when re-filled.More of an intial outlay but cheaper in the long run than
£10/15 for 20 minutes, small size bottles.
Bob
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 7679
- Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2002 2:55 pm
- Location: LEAMINGTON SPA
- MMOC Member: No
Hi Roger, if you want a regulator for a big argon bottle, just ask in my direction ;-)you will need to buy an Gauge Industrial Regulator ( Argon mix ).See a Machine Mart catologue/ website to get an idea
To be honest, unless you're doing a BIG project, the disposables Argon/CO2 mix 600g ones can work out cheaper. Bottle rental pays for a lot of disposable bottles, and refilling a big bottle is getting hugely expensive.
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
I got fed up with paying for the disposables (depressing large pile which you can't help thinking 'each one of those cost about £10 - 1, 2, 3....7,8, ) I've rented a fairly expensive 'Integra bottle' but since discovered that there's a local company that sells you a bottle about the size of a 'pub gas' cylinder for £65, then charges £10 a time to refil it, which has to be a bargain!
-
- Minor Legend
- Posts: 3824
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2004 1:30 pm
- Location: Shropshire/Sussex/Cumbria
- MMOC Member: No
I pay £19.50 + vat for a refil on a pub size gas bottle. Just turn up with a bottle scavenged from your local and they fill it!
Sealey and clarke are both good, but I have heard that the newer "budget" sealey ones (siegen I think) are not as well made as they used to be!
My opinion is to get a good quality 2nd hand one. I got my 170A Sealey semi pro one for £16 on ebay because it was "broken" I put a fuse in the plug and its been excellent ever since!
I would also advise getting a welder that will take a 5kg roll. They work out a lot cheaper than the little 1kg ones
Sealey and clarke are both good, but I have heard that the newer "budget" sealey ones (siegen I think) are not as well made as they used to be!
My opinion is to get a good quality 2nd hand one. I got my 170A Sealey semi pro one for £16 on ebay because it was "broken" I put a fuse in the plug and its been excellent ever since!
I would also advise getting a welder that will take a 5kg roll. They work out a lot cheaper than the little 1kg ones
Serial Morris Minor Owner and Old Vehicle Nutter
www.facebook.com/transitionclassics
www.facebook.com/transitionclassics
-
- Minor Addict
- Posts: 784
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:09 pm
- Location: Hurstbourne Tarrant, Andover, Hants.
- MMOC Member: Yes
Roger,
Consider a welding course at the local college. They're about £100 for 10 evenings of 2 hrs each, i.e. £5 per hour for expert tuition usually done on "homers" you bring in too! These are run now till Xmas (and are often repeated in Jan/Feb) and make good family Xmas presents - so they shouldn't come out your budget. Secondly I'd DEFINITELY buy an auto dimming helmet for the reason given by MarkyB, and like Mogbob I use all the G clamps and moles I can get hold of.
My welder is a delightful 20 yr old Clarke PRO-90 (cost £130 - they're so much cheaper now) which is too small by most people's judgement but it will go down to low currents - OK on really thin stuff. But it cuts out when hot - then its teatime.
I'd only get 5Kg rolls of wire if you remember to take it off when you finish and put in a plastic bag and keep it rust free. Rusty wire is a real pain. And as said above, practice and practice. MikeN.
Consider a welding course at the local college. They're about £100 for 10 evenings of 2 hrs each, i.e. £5 per hour for expert tuition usually done on "homers" you bring in too! These are run now till Xmas (and are often repeated in Jan/Feb) and make good family Xmas presents - so they shouldn't come out your budget. Secondly I'd DEFINITELY buy an auto dimming helmet for the reason given by MarkyB, and like Mogbob I use all the G clamps and moles I can get hold of.
My welder is a delightful 20 yr old Clarke PRO-90 (cost £130 - they're so much cheaper now) which is too small by most people's judgement but it will go down to low currents - OK on really thin stuff. But it cuts out when hot - then its teatime.
I'd only get 5Kg rolls of wire if you remember to take it off when you finish and put in a plastic bag and keep it rust free. Rusty wire is a real pain. And as said above, practice and practice. MikeN.
Morris Minor, the car of the future. One day they will all look like this!