Anything welding

I've been MIG welding on vehicles for a long time. Laying on the ground trying to TIG weld makes no sense to me.

For that matter, I just won't take the time to master other types of welding, I'm good at MIG and I can make TIG like welds with my Mig set ups. For that matter, the welds are getting painted, so those majical TIG welds are pointless to me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to sit at the bench and TIG weld, but very little welding takes place at the bench.

As for aluminum, I have a spool gun kit for aluminum. I've built boats and could never imagine using TIG to build a boat. It would take forever( I think my boat build thread is in my signature).

There is just not enough life to spend trying to master 3 types of welding. Pick one and give it your all.

 

Man, you'll love that extra space.

Just a word of advice in case you decide to make it mobile. Numerous Pro users on LS website have said if you add casters to the legs of the Pro you'll have problems keeping the table square. Most build a base with casters and shelf. This is mine when I first setup my table. Nothing special, just a base with expanded metal and some levelling casters off Amazon.

Damn, it was so clean before any cutting!

 

That's a good truck, I wheeled with Carter many times.
https://youtu.be/XFt322IO-fA?si=HTEmuq4KJYKRW0D1

I'm not the expert to learn anything welding from. I'm more like you a novice, here to learn what I can from folks who know a lot more than me. But my 2¢ worth is to buy a good MIG machine to learn on. Later if you have the interest and pocket for it, buy a dedicated stick machine. I tend to think of TIG as a slow delicate, fine touch process. Best suited to jobs that require finesse and a sense of art in the finished product. MIG will do 85-90% of what you need or want to do. Stick is good for outside dirty jobs, where you don't have the option to bring it inside or prep it like you do for MIG/TIG work.

 

@koditten shared a fair amount of information, and I can side with a good portion of it so I'll reply to this second post instead.

If you want to save yourself a little cash, focus on a MIG welder.

In fact, there are many that have even made successful careers as a MIG welder without ever having touched TIG or SMAW. I only say this because you said you've never welded before, and MIG is an easy process to learn.

Me personally, I don't mind a multiprocessor and in fact I use one myself; a PrimeWeld MIG285.

I've used it for TIG welding (rarely do so however), I MIG with it a lot, and I've even used my spoolgun for some aluminum repairs. This works for me because I like to think of myself as a 'jack of all trades'.

However, if I did specialized work on say titanium exhaust, stainless steel (food service) assemblies, or that sort of thing, a dedicated machine will yield much better work performance versus a multiprocessor.

Based on your needs mentioned, a MIG welder will suit you well enough.

 

Absolutely, I've used it plenty myself.

Firepits are a hit and VHT is awesome for it, just keep in mind it won't last forever. Some people prefer the plain steel/ashy look anyway.

 

Definitely don't plan to move it, plus my concrete is smooth as I was able to easily slide it back a hair so it was parallel to the wall

But it's set, it's square, and it's level and here's what's funny. I was jogging the X and Y axis fully multiple times to get the cable as taut as I need it before zip tying it up, and I noticed my damn welding table wasn't level. So much for being able to move stuff around and leaving it alone but fortunately I leveled it out again before proceeding.

Anyway, it's cleaned up and I knocked off the slag off my slats and threw some table mixture in there -



Crazy to think I got so much done on this tiny thing -



And what I can use now -



Got more fluid on the way as I ordered some earlier today.

I should've bought it the first go around, but it worked out even better actually. The small difference I paid for the bigger table is smaller than the difference I would've paid for a Pro vs an XL when I bought mine new. Oh and yes it's super clean, it's only a few months old as my own table was nearing 1 year old next month. Slats are original and on the same side still.

Plan is definitely to add a water tank below along with drain/fill and a pump. Would be nice to dedicate the plasma cutter below as well but with a bad back, I don't picture myself enjoying having to bend over just to turn it on and off.

I do have to ask though, what tank is that?

 

Disregard, I found it!

$70 Valley Industries T-015-WWNA-XL Sprayer Tank, 15 Gallon, White

https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Indus...dec-a30f-ee97e99af1fb&pd_rd_i=B0C2RMPPK5&th=1

 

Looks like maybe they've changed suppliers, but basically same tank. I removed the steel nozzle part of the wand and hang the gun under the table.

Workhorse 15 Gallon Spot Sprayer - LG15ESS | Rural King

 

Cut and welded a laptop mount, just need to wait a few days for some of the pieces to dry

Just used a rust inhibitor/coating on this one so it's dry already



Mount and tabletop will receive paint for durability reasons

 

+1 to what others have already said.

multiprocess welders aren't terrible in their own rights, but it comes down most to the quality/cost/usefulness ratio.

taking what's available at primeweld:
for $800, they offer the mts200, 200A 3-in-1 welder with an optional add-on spool gun(+$135).
for $550, they offer the mig180, 180A mig welder with an included spool gun.

both offer a 30% duty cycle, both will run on 120 or 240v, both are going to very competently weld just about any thickness material you can throw at them--the mig180 means 20A less max current output, but that's really nothing--you're realistically talking 1/2"+ material thickness at that point, and then you'll be making 3-5 passes anyways to ensure appropriate strength between surfaces, which negates running the welder at max power anyways.

after that, the next question is if mig will do 95% of everything you need, what's the purpose of spending the additional $300 for functionality you'll likely never use?

 

Looking factory

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the input!! Really appreciate it.

The consensus is to go with a dedicated MIG machine. Save $$ and complexity. More focused machine. Includes the spool gun!

I will be taking your advice. Updates on my projects to follow!

 

You are not going to miss fiddling with those other types of welding

 

Fuck me if I ever won the lotto

 

I’ve always wanted to see those get made….

 

That'd be a bitch'n tour for sure.

 

project Rolling Baggage is off to some sort of start...

new hubs/wheels--i keep going back and forth about keeping this axle, and/or adding electric brakes. so despite all logic, i spent what i would've on a full electric brake hub kit on normal 'premium' grease zerk hubs at northern tool...



the surge brakes died long ago, so todays main project became tongue cleanup. lots of janky welds-- it seems someone replaced the tongue at some point(there's 1/8" round stock used as filler rod on the underside of the 'v'), so the rear of the tongue got double-passed for my entertainment, all of the linkages and movement was taken out of the system, though i kept the bolts un-welded going to the tongue assembly so it could be replaced easily if it ever came to it.





weather-permitting, the next step will be cleaning off the junk not needed for a standard trailer setup, making the frame rails in front of the tires removable for tire swaps, and adding d-rings on the sides for tiedown support, as well as a general cleaning/stripping and primer/painting.

 

So i wanted to share this flatbed i just build for my brothers truck. I am working on starting a youtube channel, so any feedback or comments on the videos help!

Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qEBMG-pd3w

Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rx8jmMySUY

Please go watch and let me know what you think, I will post updated with the new video link.

 

I'm traveling today, so give me some time to review. I will comment when I get some non drivers seat ass time.

Kirk

 

you picked a heck of a time to start a youtube channel!