Welding

[carpet monster]

Seeing as my life is too easy and I don't have enough of a challenge, I want to learn to weld.

Tips/advice? What's a good baseline to start from?

Looking at 130A Mig Welders on ebay, they seem to go for about £70-80

[Specialone]

Cheap welders are pretty crap tbh, I spent £200 on a sip topmig turbo jobbie and it's not brilliant if I'm honest.

Buy the best one you can afford, it will make welding so much easier.

[carpet monster]

That's torpedoed the plan then!

[Kenzie]

I did an 8 week night class to learn the basics. I bought a Clarke 130a gas no gas welder from machine mart.

[Specialone]

That's torpedoed the plan then!


They will do an ok job on small stuff but dont expect to win any welding competitions ;)

[savage86]

Go to a class, buy the best welder you can afford and then practise a lot before going near anything of value/importance!

[yorkie_chris]

The little MIGs are alright if you're not doing owt serious.

Gasless is crap though, get a proper MMA welder if you want to do that.

And forget disposable bottles, get a pub cylinder.

[_Stretchie_]

I think you'll get the same advice over and over here, get the best welder you can.

I did a course at the local college last year and bought an old 180amp mig, I use pub gas instead of argon mix because you can get a big CO2 cylinder for £15 and it's not like I'm doing any fancy work or pretty work so I am happy to live with it.

I'll tell you what though, you'll end up just looking around for crap to weld, it's fun. Make a topgear sofa and get a picture up here
:)

[yorkie_chris]

There are a few places about that will do you argon co2 mix for reasonable money, cheaper than a BOC rental anyway.

[dirtydog]

I've got a gasless mig and its ok for welding up the cars/van for the MoT, just need to grind the welds back when finished for a nicer looking job. But having used a decent gas mig welder I'd get a gas one next, much easier to use, less splatter and gives a better better finish

[disco2]

I did an 8 week night class to learn the basics. I bought a Clarke 130a gas no gas welder from machine mart.

I got the same welder very happy with it :smt041