Welding!

[dogshome]

I have a 140A 45 year old ac machine that is good for medium stuff. It's the variable core type with a simple handle that winds in and out. For anything using 2.5 or 4mm rods, it's fine. 4mm being fully wound in!

For my birthday I now have a 140A MIG. DC in stick mode + or - is brilliant. + for 6013 rods and weld uphill. The gasless MIG is also great fun. The machine will take gassed MIG, but unless it's something really thin or ally, I'm quite happy with the cored stuff.

DC+ on a 6013 is really easy, just keep it moving with the arc pointing downhill to keep the slag out. DC crackle is easy to hear and adjust. Static Arc cheap, gassed, gasless and with an MMA current adjustment as well as MIG volts.   

https://staticarcwelding.co.uk/collections/welding-cutting-machines/products/mig-140a-igbt-inverter-dc-welder-2-in-1-mma-gas-gasless-wire-arc-welding-machine

[Justin B.]

Nice looking unit.  I have an old Snap-On 150 amp unit I got from a friend who retired from the muffler/exhaust business.  No bells or whistles.

[Tony Smith]

I used to be able to weld, but over the last 40 something years since I last worked as a welder the body has forgotten a few things. These days my stick welding looks like the great steel pigeon has visited after eating something it should not have.

Recently I tried a mate's TIG welder. Bliss, I understand that and can do reasonably neat welds with it. My dilemma is now whether to pay him in liquor to use his, or buy myself one a a birthday present in a few weeks time.

[Burt]

The modern automatic welding helmets are a big improvement.  Picked one up on special at Trade Tools or the like for under $50 a couple of years back. 

[Tony Smith]

I bought an automatic helmet from China, I did not expect it to be as good as it is, no more arc-eyes.


My first stick welder was a hideously dangerous contraption made by me and some friends in the 70s because we were too poor to afford to buy one

The transformer was wound on an oper timber frame using a mile or so of telephone multipair cable. The amperage was varied by placing or removing canvas bags of steel nuts and washers inside the frame/core of the transformer - while it was turned on of course.

It made nice welds and as a bonus the absence of power factor correction meant that the electricity meter ran furiously backwards whilst an arc was struck.

[Burt]

I have Dad's old stick welder here.  When he wired up my shed he put in a 15A outlet with a 20A fuse. 

Yesterday we were practising on his hobby gas less MIG which has the teeny wire and I can tell I have not welded for a while.  When working as a fitter in a factory I used to love using the industrial MIG in our workshop.  Nowhere near as good as the full time welders but pretty good by my standard. 

We are in the process of making up a tail rack for one of my motos, hence the need for practice.  Meanwhile the MIG wents tits up with the wire feed.  He'll sort it out tho'. 

Just out of curiosity, how did anyone with no experience and no money survive into the 80s?  At least until we had proper training.  When working in those days I went to after hours TAFE to be taught how to weld properly, amongst other things.  Those types of courses are sadly, no more.