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Country oriented nerd with primary interests in alternate energy in particular solar. Dabble in gardening, trees, cob, soil building and a host of others.
C. Letellier wrote:How hard are you willing to work with the skills and what do you want to do with it?
It will mostly be for thin metal welds to fix items that have broken at the weld or solder and to use for light metal art. I haven't done any welding just soldering electronics in Silicon Valley back in the late 70s.
The easiest machine to run is MIG and if you do a bigger 220V machine you can do most things you would likely want to do. By the time you get gas bottles for it it means handling heavier weights and some other problems. Better for thin materials.
Don't think I'll want to haul around bottles etc. My ex is nice enough to offer but think it will amount to under $250 - $300 for the gift card. So a decent MIG would cost much more.
Probably the most versatile is a stick machine. Learning curve is far steeper and will need more effort. But probably the more versatile machine over all for the price.
This I'm trying to decide
Finally is TIG and heliarc. Really versatile but more expensive machine.
I know there are the 2 he told me about but don't think the other was a TIG
Now some machines will do either 2 or all 3 of these. Common is TIG and stick.
James Freyr wrote:May I suggest a MIG welder. It will let you bond metals, make repairs and do art. MIG welders have an easy learning curve. It's like using a glue gun. I have a little Miller 190 and it's been great. I don't use it often, but man it sure does come in handy when I need it.
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Link to source of difference between welders - Alexander Berkin, TIG Welding
John C Daley wrote:Almost too much info. BUT I will try and make it easier;
- Arc welding [ stick ] is the oldest style and 3mm upwards metal can be welded when rusty
- MIG uses a fine very hard wire as the filler rod and metal must be clean.
- TIG
MIG (metal inert gas) welding uses a feed wire that constantly moves through the gun to create the spark, then melts to form the weld.
TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding uses long rods to fuse two metals directly together.
I heard it would be messier without a MIG but just thought I'd do a lot of practice pieces and adjustments on the welder and if I still have unclean welds I'd use the grinder on them..but like I said I haven't tried to weld anything yet.
Getting the welding unit is the start, after that I will need;
- mask,
- chipper
- angle grinder assortment of blades
- materials for welding metals
Country oriented nerd with primary interests in alternate energy in particular solar. Dabble in gardening, trees, cob, soil building and a host of others.
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Anne Miller wrote:Maybe knowing the kind of artwork you will be doing might help folks advise on the welder.
Are you going to do sculpture or the character cut out of sheet metal which are really big here in Texas?
this article might be really helpful in deciding what kind of welder and the equipment that goes with welding:
https://www.weldingmania.com/newbie/welding-for-new-artist/
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John C Daley wrote:Also check with your mate about the 'duty cycle'.
I notice your stick welder hasDuty cycle 120V: 70A @ 40%, 240V: 225A @ 20%
Will do…thanks
John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
Benefits of rainfall collection https://permies.com/t/88043/benefits-rainfall-collection
GOOD DEBT/ BAD DEBT https://permies.com/t/179218/mortgages-good-debt-bad-debt
Country oriented nerd with primary interests in alternate energy in particular solar. Dabble in gardening, trees, cob, soil building and a host of others.
C. Letellier wrote:if you want to weld thin stuff I would go with the MIG. If you want mostly thick stuff go with the stick machine. Old stick machines are still more commonly found at auctions in this area so getting one of them cheap at a later date I would rate as more likely.
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For all your Montana Masonry Heater parts (also known as) Rocket Mass heater parts.
Visit me at
dragontechrmh.com Once you go brick you will never go back!
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A rocket mass heater heats your home with one tenth the wood of a conventional wood stove
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