Keystone State Thread

@Blackout14
thanks guys
those welds look freaking awesome

 

I only take pics of the good ones...

 

oh ok ill get right on that

 

I have Karen do all the welds that will be seen

 

what is the difference ….mig / flux, machines

 

change gas ? wtf?
got to remember Joe I've ben a desk jockey 45 years im real green to this cool stuff, that is where I rely on all you guys a lot !
and for the most part its all @HolyHandGrenade fault I saw his trailer build

 

100% argon for Aluminum, 75% for steel (or just use 100%, it's not that much more exoenexpe in small volumes).

Wire size for thickness of work and amperage. Also AL vs SS vs mild steel.

 

I use TIG, not MIG, so yes, only 100% argon for that.

MIG is wire feed for the filler, TIG is a tungsten electrode and hand fed wire filler.

 

Big T.
ill will be using it for 2x2,1x1 x.25 A500 and smaller steel, sheet hr steel .075 and maybe some aluminum setting.
amperage ? got me

 

You'll want a machine that can do 200 Amps for 1/4" steel, and really should run on 220V (dryer outlet).

Adding aluminum capability requires an AC capable welder, which adds additional cost.

 

And also a whole bunch of hair pulling if you want to do aluminum TIG. I'm fucking terrible at aluminum TIG.

 

That too. AL is a pita

 

Very finicky. Sometimes my welds look great. Other times like ass.
Still hardest weld in AL to date: 90* inside T joint

 

Your best bet is to get a MIG capable of running a spool gun for aluminum.
For starters get the basic machine and a bottle for Ar/CO2 mix.
You can always use flux core for welding outside in windy conditions.
Then later add a spool gun and a bittle for pure Argon for doing aluminum.
In a perfect world you would have the capability and the ability to do stick, Mig, and Tig dependent on the needs of the project. But for the typical hobbyist, MIG does a damn fine job.

 

https://www.everlastgenerators.com/produc Power I mig 200E
Here ya go Dave.
Lower duty cycle than typical Everlast machines but good capability

 

I never liked multi-process machines.
They may be good. Never owned one. Don't really like the idea of them

 

I guess it helps that I already have a great MIG and a decent TIG.
Still thinking about getting a spool gun capable MIG for bigger aluminum projects

 

There's also generally a huge tradeoff on duty cycle. So if you're planning to weld for several hours straight they're generally a bad idea.

A MIG is probably all most people will ever need. I personally will probably start out by buying a TIG just because I absolutely love the control and that if I do my pre-weld properly I have absolutely zero cleanup to do.

 

u paid to much. Should’ve dealt out the potato chips

 

No one ever gives me free shit. Probably because I'm kind of an ass but what the hell!