Welding what do you use? Recommend?

DRC, when you do some welding get some pics to show. Well after practice anyway. That welder is much like my Hobart Autoarc 130, it runs on 120 volt outlet.

MT
 
Cowboy:

That little welder will be at it's best with .023 diameter wire.

Use ER70-S6 spec wire, and 100% Co2 shielding gas.

You can buy a cylinder, most cylinders under 50 lbs are customer owned. Co2 is economical, and offers the best weld cleaning when used with S6 wire. look around on craigslist or the local paper for cylinders, & talk to your local gas supplier. A 20 lb Co2 cylinder is standard for small beverage stations, so they are plentiful.

Sounds like you got some good equipment. Be sure to wear your safety glasses when you are using that lathe.

.
 
I never tried CO2 100 percent, but use ARGON 75 C02 25 mix. It cost for my 40 cubic foot 2200 psi bottle about $75 dollars to fill. I've been told the bigger bottle twice as big an larger still only cost about the same to fill so why not get a bigger bottle. It is just too much for me to store and handle so it is OK what I have as I don't do that much welding. The bottle I think was around 50 dollars from Air Gas and even though I own it, they just swap another bottle when it runs out.

I'm gonna check the price on that CO2 100 and see if I can get by for less.

MT
 
Using straight Co2 for MIG welding works great.

In the 1970's I was working for Challenge Cook Bros., which was at the time the worlds largest manufacturer of truck mounted concrete mixers. We would change a 45 pound spool of wire at least once a shift at most stations. They welded everything. From the ,093 thick tanks, brackets etc - to the drums & supports made from heavy plate. The only gas on the MIG machines was Co2.

So why do so many welding suppliers push mixed gasses? Profit. The active de-oxidizer is the Co2. With a 25/75 mix, you get less gas in the tank & pay more. The tri-mix stuff is even worse. Sure, for some things like stainless a mixed gas is better. For aluminum you need straight Argon. But for carbon steel? Co2 is what you should use.

At CCB we welded a lot of hot rolled steel that had been flame cut. Some parts like fresh tube were oily from processing, others might be starting to rust freckle. With ER70-S6 wire & Co2, you can weld right through all of that. The Silicon in the weld wire & the copper plating on the outside act with the Co2 to remove the oxides & filth from the weld. A finished weld on hot rolled will have a smooth flat bead, with tiny surface deposits of silicon dioxide - usually greenish from the trace copper.

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I got the same weld wire that Tool Maker mentioned. The small 2lb spool of 0.023 wire that I had from the regulator kit ran out an I decided on the big 11lb 0.030 spool, but unfortunately I cracked the plastic spool and I tried using it in some funky way, and it worked but not too good. The weight of the wire made a larger lump on one side. I just got another 11lb spool and it is the 0.023 thinner stuff like I used before. It works really good. I just make a few passes and with feed rate turned up it worked really great today. I still have 800psi left in my 40cf tank of AR CO2 mix and was just checking like you said about using straight C02.

I checked the cost and it is about $25 in stead of the $75 more expensive gas. When I was mentioning that I would use it for carbon steel, the sales guy kept saying how better the AR CO2 was, Eh! I may still try it anyway. If I could find a way to use the CO2 bottles that are food grade C02 and get connections to have it work both on my home brew keg idea and also my welding carbon steel, then I'd have something.

MT

PS I did remember to change the tip to match the 0.023 wire and have still one more spare.
 
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MT:

The guy at the welding counter is blowing the usual smoke. Of course he wants to sell you a product that is three times more costly. Ask him if he has a 6G weld certification in his pocket, or a degree in Metallurgy.

You have Co2 on hand? Great, all you need is a regulator or flow meter. All Co2 in tanks is the same stuff - when the tank leaves the fill manifold it may go to a welding machine or a beverage station.

Commercial Co2 is very pure, because it is a refrigerant gas. It is handled as a liquid, and there is no moisture present.

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Straight co2 does not work nearly as well except for certain materials (can't remember which)
I always had best results with ar co2 mix
 
I just use a hotglue gun for my welding needs......you can tell from the exhausts that I build laff
 
scotto- said:
I just use a hotglue gun for my welding needs......you can tell from the exhausts that I build laff
Click to expand...

:)
If that is true scotto, why is it no one can get close enough to get a good look at your builds?
I've never seen any front or side views of you RIDING....only parked.
I suspect you flout our nations speed laws regularly!
:)
 
maniac57 said:
:)
If that is true scotto, why is it no one can get close enough to get a good look at your builds?
I've never seen any front or side views of you RIDING....only parked.
I suspect you flout our nations speed laws regularly!
:)
Click to expand...

Who......me?

front view:



side view:



any questions?

laff
 
scotto- said:
BTW, my welds look like turds in a punchbowl......or hotglue on Ragu rotfl

true story
Click to expand...

Im a member of the gloop and grind club myself, getting better everyday tho!
But as long as I manage to get good penetration its just extra time. I ran my dragbikes down the track @ 140+ never even a crack. Im on a clarke wire welder w/gas set up I bought for 200$
 
Old thread, but anyway I found the problem with the generator that powers my MIG welder. New carb on Ebay for 11 dollars free shipping and now I am expert. Added a clear fuel line and fuel filter also from the Auto Part Store locally. Well you know now I can use two more setting C & D which are higher amps up to 130 on D. 15/64" steel welds up nice now.
 
I use oxygen/ propane. It gets to over 1000 degrees. Silver solder with white paste flux is the way for me. I make my own experimental exhaust pipes with flanges.. The exhaust temp never gets over 350 degrees, so it works without compromising the welds.
 
I use Oxy-Acetylene for everything I need to weld. I used to suck at it, but now I can weld pop cans together without blowing through, and I can make custom exhaust pipes for all my bikes.
 
I use the cheapest Lincoln mig machine, which works fine and is probably all my circuit breaker can handle. It trips off when I try to do a long bead, so I usually do a series of tack welds. I've had it for about four or five years now and had to replace the inner sleeve once .
There are a few quirks I've gotten used to, like making sure the two buttons that toggle from 1 to 2 are not stuck in between settings, or it won't start. Sometimes I accidentally bump into it and move them from the #2 setting (which I always keep it on). I had a **** of a time before discovering this, after taking everything apart and finding nothing apparently wrong.
I always keep the speed on seven and use the highest setting. Also, since it is not too powerful, I make sure the welds are good enough by going over a spot a few times, which adds more metal and insures good penetration. I' m not so much worried about looks as I am welding strength, and often get ugly looking joints that I can clean up later with a grinder. I used to think a neater looking tack with less metal was fine, until I discovered they often came apart too easily.
It's a very simple machine and I've always been able to keep it running. I only played $75 for it on ebay.
 
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