Calling All Welders!, MIG, TIG or.....? |
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Calling All Welders!, MIG, TIG or.....? |
dcecc1968 |
Sep 16 2015, 12:19 PM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 252 Joined: 31-December 12 From: Concord, NC Member No.: 15,313 Region Association: South East States |
A friend of mine wants to restore an old car that has a lot of body rust and asked me about the best type of welder to use. I told him I didn't have a clue, but knew lots of people (who know what they are doing) that I could ask.
Keep in mind, he has never welded before (but is very determined and picks up things quickly) and will be doing mainly body (sheet metal) welding. Any suggestions on brands of welders and the best places to buy would be welcome as well. Thanks in advance for your help. -Don |
daytona |
Sep 20 2015, 10:30 AM
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#2
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daytona Group: Members Posts: 437 Joined: 13-April 14 From: Ormond Beach, Florida Member No.: 17,249 Region Association: South East States |
Hi all,
In the spirit of full disclosure I'll say that I work for one of the leading welder manufacturers in the world and it is not one of the three mentioned in earlier posts. I work for Cebotech, Inc. which is the US representative for the Italian company Cebora SpA who specializes in welders for the automotive industry, and in fact were the first to introduce a portable welder back in 1980. First, there is no such thing as a "true mig". It either is a mig or it isn't. If it uses gas it is a Mig/Mag welder, and if it does not use gas it is a wire feeder (flux cored wire). Flux cored wire is not recommended for thin sheet metal. With that out of the way, I would suggest that for someone starting out and working on older cars such as the 914 we all love, go with a mig. I suggest buying a 110V unit. Other than making sure that it has multiple heat settings and variable wire speed control, make sure that the lowest heat setting is as low as 20 or 25 amps. The welder has to be able to maintain a stable arc at low amperages in order to facilitate the welding of thin sheet metal. There are some 220V single phase welders on the market that go even lower than 20Amps which is nice. But with some practice a 20 Amp setting will be fine. There are a lot of used welders available on craig's list and other sites. One thing that I strongly recommend is that you get an auto darkening helmet with adjustable shades of darkness. It is very difficult to weld if you can't see what you are doing. With regards to the auto darkening helmet I recommend that you stay away from the Harborfreight $39.99 helmets and pay the money for a good quality helmet such as Autoarc, Speedglass, Jackson, Sellstrom etc... I hope this is helpful in making a decision on what to buy. Practice some on scrap metal then attack the project. It will be rewarding. It is not black magic, so don't be afraid of it and enjoy it. Bill. |
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