Some Welding Tips for the DYI'ers

[duwem]

I know there is a tools section on this website, but I figured I would post this here for all the DIY'ers that hang out in this part of the site.

I see many different levels of welders digging through the build threads, I'm by no means an expert but I have been welding a lot for the past 10 years anything from race car tube frames to tractor plows and my dad does it for a living every day for the last 30.

I figure others with experience can add info as well. I will start some discussions.

WELD PREP:

CLEAN THE METAL! Welding over rust/paint makes a big mess and usually leads to a bad weld with little strength and penetration. This is something I do see on here and it scares me. If your going to weld on your frame, wire wheel at a minimum, sandblast is better. I usually sandblast small parts in my cabinet prior to welding even if its new metal. Gets rid of the black scale and contaminations.

DO NOT USE BRAKE CLEANER TO CLEAN PARTS YOUR GOING TO WELD. It gives off very toxic fumes that can kill you. There is an article online about someone that almost died.
I got some exposure to it once and had a hard time breathing for a day and felt sick. It luckily passed with no further problems. Use rubbing alchol or something else to clean parts.

The smaller the gap the stronger the weld, spend extra time fitting parts so you dont have burn through or weakness.

Welding is harmefull to your skin. Even a few minutes of tach welding will give you a sun burn. Wear your mask. Wear gloves (I use the thin leather welding gloves). Wear long sleeves and long pants for exended welding.



WELDERS:

Mig Welder:
Fux core welders make a hug mess, think stick welder. I believe most are farily low amperage and probably not strong enough for structural work.

I would highly recommend a mig welder, with gas. Results in much cleaner welds.

Get as high of amperage as you can afford, you will use it some day. I have a 175 and wish I had a 200.

Keep an eye out on craigslist. I picked up my Hobart 175 with a tank of gas and an extra spool of wire for $550 used. Definitely try it out before buying.

Mine runs off of 220 volt so I had to run 220 into my garage to run it. You can get 110 volt machines, but your max amperage output will be lower in most cases.

You can get stainless steel wire for a mig welder. I welded some stainless tube with stainless wire then left it in water to see if it would rust. The weld did rust over time. I believe you need a different gas (possibly straight argon) to properly weld stainless with a mig??

Tig Welder:
I tig weld 90% of what I make. I love Tig, you have so much more contol as your welding.

Tigs come in 2 types, DC or AC/DC. You dont need AC unless you plan to weld Aluminum. AC feature adds pretty significant cost to the machine.

I have a 200 amp AC/DC, but have only welded aluminum once wth it in the 3 years I have owned it. I figured I would use it eventually and since I know how to weld aluminum, I would be wanting it if I didnt have it.

Tig takes a lot of practice to master, but once you get there you can make some beautiful welds.

Tig welding is quiet and has no smoke/spatter.

Tig is a lot slower than mig, so you use more gas and more time but for me the results are worth it.

Stick Welders
I have seen people make some nice stuff with stick welders, but in my opinion they are more suited for fixing farm impliments than working on vehicles.


OTHERS PLEASE ADD TO THE DISCUSSION