Sure would be on my part and I think hermit would also be interested. Learning to weld is high on my to do list. (also high is how to hide the tanks) I have a yearning to try my hand at metal sculture.
Maybe it's a sign of old age but I wander the aisles of Harbor Freight and hardware stores like women shopping for clothes. I wouldn't want to replace a popular section but we must have one or two gathering dust.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
Sure would be on my part and I think hermit would also be interested. Learning to weld is high on my to do list. (also high is how to hide the tanks) I have a yearning to try my hand at metal sculture.
Maybe it's a sign of old age but I wander the aisles of Harbor Freight and hardware stores like women shopping for clothes. I wouldn't want to replace a popular section but we must have one or two gathering dust.
Make sure you get a welder with GAS SHIELDING capabilities if you buy one. For home a MIG welder is the one you need. Argon is the shield too. I did my tub with one.
Make sure you get a welder with GAS SHIELDING capabilities if you buy one. For home a MIG welder is the one you need. Argon is the shield too. I did my tub with one.
I was leaning toward oxyacetylene tanks thinking they might be the cheapest way to weld. I recently discovered my entire apartment is on two fuses in my electrical box. MIG welders might be too much for them/ I need to add a breaker but not by bringing my landlord into it. Not sure how to approach that yet.
I'd never heard of gas shielding, could you explain?
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
with oxy-ace welding you need flux. With a wire feeder you need flux to shield the raw steel from that air to prevent excelleraded oxidation. The argon gas does that. It comes out of the cone tip and shields the metal from air. With out the shield, one form or another a decent weld is all but impossible. A MIG (metal inert gas) welder is EASIER. Mine came with feed/metal thickness charts and all. EASY. In fact, I have had certs in TIG (tungsten inert gas), SMAW (shielded metal arc welding) and MIG, out of these MIG is easiest and best prolly for most applications. I am not a welder, I only had plate certs. If you have had no welding before, or very little, I would NOT recommend Oxy-ace welding. The cheapest is the 120V MIG (get the MIG set up) http://www.harborfreight.com/120-amp...der-97503.html
The argon gas does that. It comes out of the cone tip and shields the metal from air. With out the shield, one form or another a decent weld is all but impossible. A MIG (metal inert gas) welder is EASIER. Mine came with feed/metal thickness charts and all. EASY. In fact, I have had certs in TIG (tungsten inert gas), SMAW (shielded metal arc welding) and MIG, out of these MIG is easiest and best prolly for most applications. I am not a welder, I only had plate certs. If you have had no welding before, or very little, I would NOT recommend Oxy-ace welding. The cheapest is the 120V MIG (get the MIG set up)
120 V MIG requires what wattage? Thanks for all that advice, I was unaware you were so well versed on the subject.
I know a few pawn shops that often have MIG sets from out of work folks. I should explain I won't require "pretty" at all. I want to turn rebar and pieces of odd metal junk into sculpture and messy welds will even add to the mix.
Why Oxy-acetylene difficult? One summer working construction part of my job was burning off rebar uncovered by our jack hammer guy. I've watched people weld and I expect to weld like Mikey on Orange County Choppers but I don't mind. If I don't like it I'll probably need Oxygen in a few years and if the Canucks invade I could push both tanks under their tank treads.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
N/P...I've actually been looking at welders myself, so your information was good stuff!
any experience with it? I'm guessing courses would teach me more about aspects of welding than I'd use or need. There is no possible way I could live in any normal apartment setup with tanks so MIG makes the most sense.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
I took metal shop in high school, and have tinkered around with welding a bit, but from what some of the experts (like Rusty from JF) say, you need to stay away from Harbor Freight and get a reliable welder, which costs major bucks. Spending that kind of dough to tinker makes it not worth it IMHO.
you need to stay away from Harbor Freight and get a reliable welder, which costs major bucks. Spending that kind of dough to tinker makes it not worth it IMHO.
awwwww
That Harbor Freight one for $179 looked possible down the road but not even that would be easy. There's a welding shop a few blocks from me and I've thought of offering my services a free apprentice
Either way people are hurting without new construction so pawnshops are filled to the brim. If you see something gathering dust make an offer.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost