When you bring up welding on this forum you are going to get a lot of good advice. I have read most of the welding posts here and they inspired me to go and get a welder and do all of the metal repairs on my "rust belt refugee" '53 F100. Now I have been inspired but have not taken most of the advice when it comes to equipment. I have a Lincoln Weld Pak 100 that I got used off of craigs list for $200.00 It is a 110v machine and it takes flux core wire. It can be fitted for gas shielding. I have not bothered with the bottle and have welded up all of the rusted metal on the cab. I do all of my work outdoors. The flux core is good for outdoor use. I have never done any welding up till I got my truck. I am sure that the long time welders on here would find my welds to be quite ugly, but thats OK. There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment that you get when you join metal by welding. So don't be intimidated by the equipment. Get your hands on a welder and have fun.

 

So, Classes sound like an awesome idea. I may either do that, or have the HT's (Hull Techs) at my next ship teach me how to do it. Depends on the time I have and their patience with me! LOL! Hmm, maybe I should just pay someone to be patient with me!

As for the equipment, i'm going to have to read these posts a few more times. As I have no background in welding, my head is spinning just a little. So I need to read it until it makes sense. What I have learned is this in summary:

1. Lincoln and Miller - Good; HF - Bad
2. 220v is better then 110v
3. MIG seems to be the most popular, and may be the most versital, assuming the set up I get has more then 4 settings.

More to follow.

Thank you CharlieLed for volunteering to let me take a look at what you've got. I'll be calling you in a minute!

Thanks to everyone for their input. It's good to hear it from the experienced hands instead of muddeling around in the dark on my own!

Cory

 

your summation is very good thus far!

I still say if I had it to do over I would take classes first but as I said earlier... I do things my way till they dont work..LOL The next best thing besides getting out there and doing it is to do a fair amount of homework reading, even if it what your reading makes no sense. Cool thing is that on a forum like this you can post a question or take your questions to private message if you're too embarassed to ask publically.

Aside from this place (which I adore), I also visit these welding and fabricating forums for information. What you have to keep in mind is that even though they might not be specific to your truck, the questions posted in most instances will be relevant.

Welding technique...
Trucks Forum - MiniTruckin General | WELDING TECHNIQUES - Page 1

A fabricators forum in the s10 world - Many people post here that dont have S10s so dont worry about that
Fabricators Forum - S-10 Forum

And a good area for all kinds of tool information and how to use them...
Street Source - Forum - Tools

 

Being a blacksmith I weld a decent amount. My favorite weld is a forge weld... but you'll have no use for that on a truck, lol.

MIG is my favorite, it's the easiest in my opinion. There are always variations, but usually you just set both ***** about the same and sorta do a scrubbing motion with the gun, little circles. I like MIG for that reason, it's pretty simple and only frustrating when you weld the wire to the inside of the tip, lol. It also gives you a free hand to hold things, cause if you're like me you like to burn gloves cause who knows where that clamp is.

TIG is a lot of fun, best for sheet metal, can't really do much else with it unless you have a powerful machine. It's the cleanest, but hardest in my opinion.

Stick is easy to weld, but the sticks have to be replaced after a weld or two and you need two hands. But you can weld thicker material cheapest with stick.


Auto dim helmets are nice, I need to buy me one, lol, otherwise you have to learn how to hold your spot and flick your helmet down (which if you do a lot or have had whiplash like me, gets very tiring, I usually use my freehand).


College is a great place to learn BUT talk to the students enrolled in it, more than a couple, and see what it's been like for them. My college had a great welding class then for some reason the year after I graduated it became ALL book learning, and no practice. I have no idea how on earth you where supposed to learn how to weld without actually welding. It's like watching someone ride a bike and never getting a go.

You'll learn a lot if the class is even half way decent. Check for scholarships, there are A LOT of little ones, you might even get paid to take the class.

Best of luck!


And remember, it's better to have a welder that can weld thicker material than the most you'll weld (which reminds me I need a new one, lol), but if you're planning on doing a lot of sheet metal work, a big welder will burn through everything even on it's lowest settings. They have charts for the welders that show their range and how long they can weld at them before needing a break. My first welder actually ran off 110, it needed a different outlet, but it was handy when I wanted to move it. Unless you're planning on needing some heavy duty welds, a normal sized MIG welder should work perfect, run around $600.

Flux core is simpler but makes more of a mess. My next welder will be CO2, sucks having to clean up tight designs, lol...


again, best of luck!

 

Stephen, thanks for the great info! When you say a "Normal sized MIG Welder", can you tell me what size is "Normal", so I know where to start looking?

Thanks!

Cory

 

lol sorry, normal for me are the ones I see more often.

One that fits on a kart that has a carry handle, when they have their own wheels you're getting into the larger ones. When they need to be moved by a truck, then you have a really big welder, ha. Around 175- 200 Amps

Also, when buying gloves, just get a normal leather pair, about $15. The expensive deer skin ones are thinner and made for TIG welding, you'll ruin them from the MIG heat, not to mention since they are thinner your hand will get hotter.

 

Cory,

If you find a school that offers a metal/melding class please let me know. I live in San Diego (Mira Mesa) so not too far from you. I did a little looking around and the only one I could find was a Metal Scalpture 101 offered at UCSD it was like $90 for the class and $125 for supplies. That's a little steep for me, so if hear of anything else please send me an email.

Thanks,
Mike

 

...I forgot to mention that I did not like about some MIG machines...

The adjustment ***** "clicked" in to place at preset levels.

Sort of forces you to go with someone elses idea of the "perfect"
settings for wire-speed and voltage-control...

Many of the newer models are going that route but Miller offers a
manual setting so you can "do-your-own-thing" if so desired......

I really like that option...might want to keep that in mind...

Miller - Millermatic 140 Auto-Set Competitive Comparison
-

Although...I would reccomend using C25 shielding gas (75% Argon, 25% CO2)....

-

 

i hate those click settings, its never were you want it to be lol. my lincoln has the manual setting (sp135 plus / Power Mig 140C) so i'd definitely listen to rockher_man and keep that in mind. like most said, stick with miller or lincoln, i've never had a miller, but i've got nothing against them.
oh, and i wanted to clarify that i dont use flux on body, just frame. but everyone has a preference.
i've been welding for about 10 years, my neighbor in NC taught me a few things, and everything else was trial and error. i've never had any "formal" training on welding, so i am always willing to learn from the veterans.
but everyone is different, and i took right to it(dont mean to sound vain) and hopefully you will too. good luck, and dont forget to let us know what welder you picked out!!
Power Mig 140C: Lincoln Mig Welders - Light Duty, K2471-1

i just went back and checked out the link rockher_man posted, and I DONT know why lincoln quit making the sp135!!! its so much better than the power mig 140c(which is what replaced it) but it still has the infinite voltage control.
i'd check into that millermatic 140, seems pretty nice. i'm curious about that smooth start on the miller.

 

The new Miller Auto machines are pretty incredible.. THEY decide the power required dynamically.. helps out a whole new generation of newbie welders.

of course, these new machines are not less expensive than their manual brothers..

sam

 

Check into financial aid as well you may be suprized. Mine was a metal sculpture class and I liked it because there was no book learning or tests...just welding. My class was a lot more than that so that is a deal if you ask me...california is cool that your com colleges are so cheap!

 

I went the same route as many previous posters. Vo-tec farm welding course. Bought a Hobart Handler 185 MIG and a Miller plasma cutter. Got a great deal on the MIG and have been steadily getting better. Invest in a good quality helmet too. I would suggest the auto darkening unit. Very convenient when laying under a truck welding on the frame in tight quarters.

 

If you have never welded before, you should not buy anything at first. Take a welding class at the high school or community college and learn to weld and find out if you are good at it or not. If you aren't good at it or if you don't like it, you can always get someone over who is a certified welder.

There are different types of welders, but mig and gmaw are the two types that you could afford. I do a lot of arc welding and could not get by with only a mig welder. Mig welding on frames is extremely hard to do correctly and it takes quite a high skill level. Arc welding is easier to learn and you can easily learn to weld correctly with good penetration. Mig welding if used with gas, cannot be used outside in wind. IMig, if used with flux core wire can. Arc welding can be done outside. Mig welding makes beautiful looking welds, but may have little strength. That is the hard part, to learn to weld with high penetration.

Mig welding is a valuble tool when welding sheet metal. So I use both, but don't use Mig for heavy welding for two reasons. The smaller Mig welders do not have more than a 20% duty cycle when turned up. Also, you have to change wire sizes when welding heavy stuff. So rather than use Mig with these disadvantages, I use Arc for heavy, and Mig for light. I also have a rod oven for arc welding so I can use rod of a high tensile strength. When you weld on a frame, you had better do good work or leave it to others.

There have been times when due to medications I was ordered to take, my hands shook, and I turned the welding over to a good friend. You can't let your ego get in the way.

Finally, you need to learn gas welding (Acetelene/Oxygen) also, because you need to be able to cut steel, and with body work, even exhaust work, you will need it.

Tig welding is not economical for a home shop. It takes a long time to learn. Plasma torches are not economical either. A class will show you why these are all factors to consider.

Regards,

Alan

 

[QUOTE=perrymedik;7524186]So, Classes sound like an awesome idea. I may either do that, or have the HT's (Hull Techs) at my next ship teach me how to do it. Depends on the time I have and their patience with me! LOL! Hmm, maybe I should just pay someone to be patient with me!

As for the equipment, i'm going to have to read these posts a few more times. As I have no background in welding, my head is spinning just a little. So I need to read it until it makes sense. What I have learned is this in summary:

1. Lincoln and Miller - Good; HF - Bad
2. 220v is better then 110v
3. MIG seems to be the most popular, and may be the most versital, assuming the set up I get has more then 4 settings.

More to follow.

Thank you CharlieLed for volunteering to let me take a look at what you've got. I'll be calling you in a minute!
Thanks to everyone for their input. It's good to hear it from the experienced hands instead of muddeling around in the dark on my own!

Cory (quote)

I got the following from Harbor Freight, and have had no quallty problems:

Auto Darkening helmet
Dual Mig 131, which replaced a cheaper Lincoln Mig welder.
This one goes from 25-85 Amps and is gas or flux core.

My stick welder is a big Miller, model 250P and can go to 285A.

But I also have a Miller Plasma cutter, A Gas welder, and a Miller TIG machine. I use the Tig mostlly for Aluminum. Since I am closing my shop, it is sold, along with the Plasma cutter and most of my steel pile.

I think that the point here is that the HF stuff gets a snooty rebuke from those who have bought Miller. I have found that when money is scarce, you try alternatives and the machine I bought was excellent, as was the helmet.

Regards,

Alan

 

One more brand I'd suggest considering is Hobart. Hobart is made by Miller for the mass merchandizer sales/serious hobbyist market, whereas their Miller brand is aimed at welding supply housesales/industrial users. The Hobart machines typically have a few less whistles and bells and a shorter duty cycle (duty cycle is the percent of an hour it is designed to be used continuously at the highest setting. A 20% duty cycle means the machine is designed to be used continuously for no more than 12 minutes before cooling for 48 minutes out of each hour. Unless you are building bridges or helping that hull guy weld a ship back together you'll never exceed a 20% duty cycle, you can run a LOT of bead in 12 minutes!) than their muscular brother, but have a smaller price tag. The biggest seller of Hobart machines is Northern Tool. They have excellent prices, free delivery, and often offer sale prices and/or free accessory packages or welding cart thrown in.
The Hobart Handler 140 is the machine I have, It's runs off a standard 110V outlet, so you can use it most anywhere, comes with all the parts needed for shielding gas use (you DEFINITELY want to use shielding gas, lesser machines make you buy a "gas kit" as an extra cost item which brings the price up nearly the same as the bigger machine) and a real flip down welding helmet with head harness for <500.00. Lincoln cuts corners on their smaller machines by giving you a face shield on a stick that is better for a holloween costume than welding since you have to tie up one hand holding the stupid thing in front of your face. The 140 is about the size of a oversized carryon suitcase weighs about 60# so it is luggable and can be stored in a closet if necessary. If you have a permanent shop to work in equipped with at least a 30A 220 outlet then you might opt for a slightly larger machine in the 175-190A range (600-750.), but I wouldn't go much larger or it won't be able to be used for sheet metal work. I have yet to find anything on my truck I didn't have enough power to weld with my 140. I have a stick weld buzz box sitting in the corner of my shop, but it just gathers dust.
A self darkening welding helmet is a much better use for the 60-100. left over from the 140 purchase IMHO. The SD helmet makes the learning curve a breeze, and will make you a much better welder. One of the biggest advances in welding tech, use one once and you'll never use anything else.

By the way Norfolk is ~ 4 hours away from me. We go there to race on the ACU4 ramp at Little Creek 4 or 5 times a season. Was there just a couple weeks ago, we'll have to get together once you get settled in.