Buying Welding Equipment Options

[saigon71]

I started looking into welding equipment for body/hell hole/jackstand repair of my 914. A friend told me that MIG is the way to go for this. My question is what specifications do I need in a MIG welder to get the job done without a lot of grief? Also, what gage steel should be used for making patches?

Thanks

[VaccaRabite]

You want to get a 120 volt mig welder, Miller or Lincoln is fine. Loews and Home Depot both sell decent set ups for about $450-$550. If you weld using true MIG, you need to have a bottle of shielding gas that HD will not have. Find a welding shop. Welding with flux core from a MIG is fine, its just messy and harder to use on really thin stuff. MIG is easier.

Get a auto-darkening helmet from somewhere. Mine is from Harbor Freight and works fine.

Metal is 18 - 22 gauge. I usually get 18 gauge for my patches as the really thin stuff burns through too easy.

Zach

[saigon71]

You want to get a 120 volt mig welder, Miller or Lincoln is fine. Loews and Home Depot both sell decent set ups for about $450-$550. If you weld using true MIG, you need to have a bottle of shielding gas that HD will not have. Find a welding shop. Welding with flux core from a MIG is fine, its just messy and harder to use on really thin stuff. MIG is easier.

Get a auto-darkening helmet from somewhere. Mine is from Harbor Freight and works fine.

Metal is 18 - 22 gauge. I usually get 18 gauge for my patches as the really thin stuff burns through too easy.

Zach

Thanks Zach - appreciate the advice. How many Amps do I need? I noticed some 220V mig welders at Harbor Freight from Chicago http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/...word=mig+welder should I avoid these? I have a 220V outlet in my shop.

[VaccaRabite]

Thanks Zach - appreciate the advice. How many Amps do I need? I noticed some 220V mig welders at Harbor Freight from Chicago http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/...word=mig+welder should I avoid these? I have a 220V outlet in my shop.

220volt is too much power. You will have a hard time welding the thin metal that our cars are made from.

The Lincoln 150 (at Home Depot it is the 1500) that I have (15amp, 120 volt) is great. It has enough power to weld 1/4 in wall tube, but can go low enough not to always burn through thin sheet.

Don't buy a welder from HF. It is a false economy.

Zach

[Richard Casto]

220volt is too much power. You will have a hard time welding the thin metal that our cars are made from.

Actually I don't agree with that at all. Inexpensive 220V units generally let you weld thicker metal single pass than 110V units, but the lower settings are pretty much (if not idential) on 110V vs. 220V. When it comes to welding thin metal its about 90% technique. In fact, much of the welding I do on my car doesn't even require the lowest setting on my 220V unit.

110V units tend to be the easiest to deal with because most people don't have 220V outlet handy. This also allows you to cart a 110V unit to a friends house and be assured you will have power. 220V units allow you to weld thicker metal single pass.

Even if you don't want to use shielding gas today, make sure your welder can use shielding gas.