Hi,

I have some body work that needs to be done on my truck. I thought about trying to do it myself and maybe get a "home" use welder. I thought about a flux-core arc welder, but have heard that it is best to weld sheet metal with argon gas.

Could I weld sheet metal without the gas?

 

I have used both and there is no comparison. It's possible to use either one but the flux core is so dirty and much more difficult to get a good smooth weld. It takes much more skill to use the flux core.

 

Flux core welders look a lot like real mig welders but the simularities end there, kinda like harbor freight selling a lot of tools that look like real tools.

 

where in Georgia? i know some one that has a 120V welder that may be for sale.

Jeff

 

this is one place you dont want to cheap out. there are alot of used lincoln and millers to be had on craigslist. i use both in mine, and i can tell you this, i havent put a spool of flux in my wire feed in years. i only used it on heavier material, and they way i see it, if i need to do anything heavy ill use my stick machine.

the flux core is messy, smokey, and if memory serves me correctly, is only available down to .030 size. thats a little bigger than i like to use for body work. with the gas setup, you can get down to .025 wire,its clean, no smoke, and works a whole lot better for thin metal. i used to use the hell out of my mig, until i got the tig setup. now, i try to tig everything i can.

if you do get a gas setup, 75% c02 and 25% argon is the prefered mix for general welding. if you plan to only weld sheet metal with it, i would go pure argon.

110v vs 220

this is again where you gotta ask yourself what your plans are in the future. if you go with the 110 your gonna be limited to 1/8'' max with gas and with proper prep, up to 3/16 with flux core.

with the homeowner 220 machines, you can usually get closer to the 1/4'' mark while still using gas, and still be able to turn it down enough to do sheet metal.

 

For body work you can use C02. Much cheaper.

 

I've got a Miller 140 with Autoset and have been able to weld 3/16" with good penetration. I use 80/20 gas mix for everything and have never used flux core wire but do have a spool of it sitting on the cart - just in case. The Miller was $800. I got a 110v Hobart Airforce 250i plasma cutter for my birthday (Thanks Mom!) and it does 99% of what I need to cut. There isn't much on dents that is more than 3/16ths thick and it cuts great if you are patient. Plus, it has a built-in compressor so you don't need shop air.

Being able to weld is a great skill to learn. Like I always say in here "Get a welder and you'll never look at metal the same way again". To that end, part of my yard has become a scrap yard... I recently built a cart for my plasma cutter from a shopping cart someone abandoned up the street.

You've got to know that there is more than just the welder itself.. you'll need a shield or helmet (get an auto-dimming version), gloves,C-clamps, locking pliers, 4.5 inch grinders, a carbide tipped scribe, etc. With regards to grinders, I have two at the ready - a nice DeWalt armed with a flap wheel and a ($10) Harbor Freight strictly equipped with a cut-off wheel. The HF grinder has really weak bearings and using it to grind eats them up. Is stands up well to cutting because of the reduced side load. You can cheap out on some stuff but invest in quality on the big ticket items. On other stuff, weigh out the cost versus their expected durability and usage.

Go for it!

 

strait co2 is somewhat cheaper, but the weld quality isnt as good. i would use strait co2 if i planned on mostly welding steel on the upper end of what my welder is rated to weld, due to the fact that strait co2 will give the best penetration. for general use, i wouldnt use anything less than 75/25, and strait argon if all i was gonna do is sheet metal. its been about a year or two since i had to refill, but i paid around 38 dollars for 75/25.

i used the harborfreight grinders for years before i finally got a bosch set. never had a problem with them.

 

now that theres funny on a serious note x2 on the gas flux core sux

 

i use flux on stuff at home and mig 75% arogon 25% co2 personaly i like the flux cus thats what i learned on i weld 22g sheet metal with it all the time if you havent welded before its up to you, one or the other just pratice before doing its hard to switch back and forth because they look the same but are realy diffrent. if you have the money buy a welder capibul of both

 

The most common mix is 75 Argon/ 25 CO2, or C25.

C20 and C15 make prettier welds, with straight 100% Argon being the Cadillac mix for mig welding, but very pricey.

If it were me I would ask around if you could borrow a welder, rather than buy a flux core only welder.

It would also be hard to justify buying a new or used gas machine if it isn't going to be used much once the metal work is done.

Much cheaper to buy a few spools of wire, have your buddy's gas bottle refilled and a 12 pack of beer for a thank-you than to throw the price of a welder on top of that as well.

Josh

 

damn it, i dont know how i swapped those two figures. your absolutely right. 75% argon and 25% co2.

i honestly would try to justify the cost. i cant count the money my welding machines have saved me.

when i bought the tig, i spent 3k between the machine and acessories. i cringed when i bought it, but i cant help but smile everytime i use it.

 

Yeah, but when you read the original post you see "some bodywork" and "thought about doing it myself"...

So you have someone with little to no experience and isn't sure just how much he can or wants to do.

Easier to borrow and get some work done, than to sink several hundred or thousands of dollars and still not be even close to being done.

Or worse, buying all the equipment and not having any funds left for sheetmetal or materials.

My welding shop goes thru a dozen 45 pound spools a week, buying a $1000 set-up and only using 2 5 pound spools doesn't justify anything.

josh

 

I do not know anything about flux core mig but in the last couple years I have became a harbor freight tool fan, I probably have 15 snap on ratchets that I never use any more because I have 3 harbor freight Icon ratchets now that are much nicer to use and if I do break something I do not have to track down a snap on truck and get the stink eye from the dealer because i have not bought any new snap on since before he was born.

 

I bought a Lincon 135 120v gas MIG for sheet metal work.
It came with Flux Core and that is what I started with and was not happy with the welds.
I then went with Co2 gas as I got a tank for nothing and the welds were a lot better.
When I had to do a lot of metal replacing on my pickup I went with a Argon mix and the welds were again a lot better.

Now something to know about wire / size and sheet metal work, you want the thinnest wire you can run in the machine and that is wire made for gas NOT flux core wire.
Thicker the wire the more amps you need and it burns thru the sheet metal.
Now if you are working where it is windy, outside or a fan blowing you will need to us flux core as the gas gets blown away or turn the fan off LOL.

Just what I have found when building a door slammer drag car sheet metal work and welding the rear axle tubes and pads so they would not break.
My 81 F100 where I replaced the floors, rockers, cab corners, lower inner & outer left door sheet metal, lower rear door posts and swapped in half the firewall so I could have factory AC.
Other than the axle on the drag car I have not needed any larger machine than what I have now. I think if I did more often I would get a 220v stick machine.
Dave ----