Stick welding is a gasless process, using a steel rod covered with a flux material. As the rod burns, the flux melts, keeping oxygen away from the molten metal. MIG welding uses wire and a gas, usually argon or an argon/ carbon dioxide blend. The wire is fed into the puddle of molten metal on the workpiece, creating the arc and filling in the area at the same time. The gas prevents oxygen from getting to the molten metal. MIG stand for Metal Inert Gas.
TIG uses a single electrode of tungsten, surrounded by argon gas, to carry current and melt the base metal, then you feed in a seperate filler rod. The tungsten doesn't touch the piece being welded, just heats it. TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas.
What's right for you depends on what you plan to weld. The MIG is generally the best to start with, it's pretty much point and shhot, minimal setup, but takes a bit to get a really good weld. Stick is the next easiest, it takes a lot of practice to get it right. TIG is probably the hardest, it is a slow and intensive process. You need patience and a very steady hand to have a TIG bead that is strong and looks good.
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Jared
The government said all my vehicle were too old to be clunkers
I would go with a MIG for ya. TIG takes a while to learn, and stick doesnt give the prettiest welds, until ya get pretty good at it. With Mig you can pull it outta the box, readthe manual and you can get some decent welds. They all take practice, but Mig's the easiest to pick up. I compare using a MIG to using a hot glue gun. Pull the trigger and away ya go....of course it isn;t quite that simple, but its similar.
Look at your needs and wants as to what type of metals welded and thickness you'll ever think you'll encounter in the future. A Used 180 Lincoln buzz box (AC) for $100 or a 250 amp AC / DC Lincoln around $150 used for stick welding. For Mig (constant voltage unit) a small ( home hobby toy by me) unit like 125-140 amp with small gas bottle will run you 6-$800 plus. If you add a spoolgun with another Argon bottle add another 6-$800 for aluminum my guess. For Tig the hardest to master (constant current unit) that also will be able to do (SMAW) stick your talking like a Miller 180, 200 (brand new item) 250 or 350 amp units, price from $1,800 to $5,500 by the time you get cooler, gas bottle, torch clamp, cables, tungstens, cups and hood.
Remember better to have extra power (amps) than not enough on equipement provided you have the green.
After many brands of welders the last 34 years I have a Miller Synchrowave 350 (Tig) fully loaded thats 10 years old (wife goes before this welder and newer 350's don't have all the features I have), a Miller 251 (Mig) with the 30A Spoolgun ($1,000 addition), two 280 cu/ft gas bottles (owner own no lease) as larger lasts longer and cheaper to refill.
Higher cost and amp units have a better heat low end heat control for better welding vs cheapo welders. Go to a trade school or night welding classes at your local college to learn correctly, not the self taught bad habbits way (me). If it can't be dreamed up, machined and welded it hasn't been invented yet.
The lathe, Bridgeport mill and different welding processes make building / repairing projects alot more fun.
Good welding.
Bottom line, only one brand in my shop, MILLER!
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Last edited by "Beemer Nut"; 03-01-2006 at 11:03 PM.
Ford_6
some times the Tungsten does touch the puddle, at least when I tig weld it does. That's the hardest part for me, too many touchdowns.
Lol, yeah, that's the learning curve for ya. What's really fun is when you are doing the final test on your overhead aluminum TIG, and somebody decides to bump the table.
As far as metal thickness, it depends on the machine you use. The little Lincoln at Home depot can be used on anything from sheet metal up. They recommend a max of 3/16" or so, but that is for single pass. I welded 1.5" steel with that size machine before, it took a long time, and lots of passes, but got the job done.
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Jared
The government said all my vehicle were too old to be clunkers
rocky, I have welded .032" aluminum with the 30A Spoolgun up to 1/4", 3/8" multiable pass as aluminum eats alot of heat (amps) for a Spoolgun.
I have done 1/2" aluminum single pass with the Synchrowave as it will go to 385 amps but the heat will drive you away to the low of 3 amps like screwing around welding beer cans together. A welder friend (Livermore Rad Lab welder) can Tig weld aluminum foil.
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In my expiereince in LIFE there is no such thing as an All Purpose anything!
All though a good welder can stick weld .125 aluminum, Tig wild a 22ft river runner alum. boat from scratch, mig weld an entire stainless exhaust sytem for a street rod show car with 308l wire and a spool gun, it's not the best way to do any of those jobs.
I think the best way to acomodate MOst of those jobs with the least investment is a Miller mig with dual inputs/outputs. Say a 180, with spool around $1800 retail.
Or similar.
rocky35, not to scare you on sticker shock as it's a real high $$$$'s game in the welder market.
Go to www.Millerwelds.com forum under ASK ANDY, you'll deal with people from NASA to field welders who keep this country rolling.
Yes i'm a Miller "TRUE BLUE" person, their prices are competive to stay in business against others. Don't buy a Hardware store brand "X" because it's cheaper, you get what you paid for. Try to get a part from China, Miller / Hobart and Lincoln will ship next day but then they rarely fail.
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