Greg Luckett Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 I am wondering which welding machine to buy for my shop, now that I have a 100amp service into my shop. I stopped by Home Depot last week and there were several to select from. Since I have no welding experience, but have brazed and soldered, I think the Tig type machines would suit me best. I would like to be able to weld 1/4 thick steel/iron such as used to build trailers, vehicle body repair, etc. or the thinner sheet metal types of materials. Any recommendations or experiences as to which machine to buy? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kormorant2 Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 Greg, for light work you will enjoy a tig/ mig type machine. Just a few pointers (1) Keep the feed cable as straight as possible, a sharp kink or bend will break the wire and cause a sudden loss of power while welding. (2) invest in an instant change hood. It allows you to see your target area clearly then blackens in a 1/1000th of a second as soon as the arc is struck. Depending on your choice of wire, and material a shield gas may be required. Most use argon/nitrogen and helium as shield gasses.Helium is the primary choice of gas for welding aluminum while argon/ nitrogen is good for stainless and carbon steels. Get an assortment of small plates, from 1/4 down to 18 gauge to practice welding with. On carbon steel the easiest method is the circle puddle where the molten metal is progressed in a series of overlapping circles. Remember that welding is a skill and will require practice to learn, kind of like cutting out boat parts to a tight tolerance. Sometimes you will need to grind it all off and start over and others it will burn through but with practice and patience you will learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Luckett Posted October 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 kormorant2, I read this earlier but need to thank you for the advice, ergo, THANKYOU! I decided to back off the welding things for a bit until I have time to learn and experiment. I may take a welding class at the local schools if they ever offer it again. Most of the adult education classes were killed off years ago for budget reasons....go figure >. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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