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Thanks for the tips guys.
I've sent off a few emails to the suggested places.
If I was to want to buy a stick welder, where would I start as far as working out what I need. Tips, links, etc welcome. Same with helmet. And where's the best (cheapest) place to buy such tools?
Is that the whole kit? Doesn't seem to have any electrodes as part of it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Chucaro
Also doesn't specify how may Amps the power supply has to be.
That is the key as to what equipment and training you will need. Each type of welding has good and bad points. What do want to weld? Or just another skill to have.
I learnt on a MIG, auto darkening helmet, a bit of scrap and a few tips on how to set feed speed and current. Modified a trailer and made brackets for the defender etc. Pretty easy, no holes, no vibrating transformer like when the arc rod gets stuck to the steel. Not the prettiest welds to start with but practise helps. Worst bit about MIG is bottle hire costs. That would be a good reason to try arc.
Electrodes are consumables and you get them on the hardware stores among other shopsQuote:
Originally Posted by VladTepes
Specs:
Voltage: 240 V
Duty Cycle: 30%
Electrode: 1.6 ? 3.2 mm
Current Range: 20 ? 140 Amps
I would like something with more duty cycle if you can afford it like this model with 60% duty cycle + it has the TIG mode as well :)
Nevada TIG-200FT TIG MMA ARC DC Portable Inverter Welder Stick Welding Machine
I've found that for a small home stick welder, something like a 100 Amp Cigweld / Transarc Inverter type (commonly referred to as a "Caddy" welder) is ideal.
You can get a decent one of these for anywhere over about $250 if you look around - many places have them on special. BOC or CIG shops are a good place to start if you have them local. I see that Masters is advertising this brand - but we don't have Masters in Kalgoorlie.
This is mine.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...014/12/187.jpg https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...014/12/188.jpg
As far as the "kits" go - it is really only the welder itself and the plastic case it comes in that is of any value. The "accessories" supplied with most of them (chipping hammer / visor / hand-piece and earth clamp) are usually cheap rubbish, and you will soon find yourself replacing them if you use them at all. In particular, the earth clamp supplied is usually flimsy and will soon fall apart, and the spring loaded hand-piece usually supplied is rubbish and does not hold the welding rod firmly - best to replace it with a "twist grip" or similar style. The visors supplied in some of these kits should be consigned straight to the rubbish bin.
If they do supply welding rods as part of the kit - there will only be about half a dozen in a plastic bag, and these are usually pretty crap quality as well. Particularly for a beginner - buy some "Satincraft 13" general purpose rods in 2.5mm diameter. That's pretty mush all I use for everything I do.
I also have the MiniMig 120 (made by UniMig). Great little unit that I bought a while back from a local toolstore in Kalgoorlie when they had them on special. Much easier to use, especially on light work, but cannot handle heavier work very well (I use the stick welder for anything thicker than about quarter inch steel).
Had to hire the gas bottle (you can buy small pressure cans of argon gas but they don't last long) and the trolley it's all sitting on was my first little project when I bought the welder.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...014/12/189.jpg
Both of these run on single phase power out in the shed (I don't have 3 phase out there) and they never trip out the breakers. I even run the Caddy off a small gen-set at times (haven't tried this with the Mig though).
I have done work from as small as welding up lightshade frames made from wire for my daughter (using the Mig) up to building new back gates and a large shadehouse for SWMBO. The shadehouse frame is made from drill steel rods (no shortage of them around here) and was welded using the stick welder.
Thanks for the info - yeah I'd like to learn for a number of reasons but mostly coz there have been too many times when I've thought.... I wish I could just weld/ fab that up....
I'd like to do a bit of welding and filling on the motorbike I'm building (not structural stuff, just sub frame and brackets etc) and also make up a bike lift,engine stand etc etc.
Endless possibilities....
Any welding on a bike frame would need to be MIG or TIG. The other stuff would be ideal for stick/arc.Quote:
Originally Posted by VladTepes
Why's that Ben?