Anything welding

I agree with the above. You will be able hold the whole family using 1/4".

 

lol it'll definitely be overbuilt, that's for sure. Nothing wrong with that though.

 

I picked up the titanium mp 200 last week. The slight price difference between the two and the capabilities of the 200 sold me on it.
Now I’m just waiting for it to finally come in so I can get set up and start practicing.
Hopefully by spring it’s time to make some bumpers!

 

I thought about that last year but wasn't really sure how much welding I'd do or whether I'd have any need for TIG. Plus I was already stretching up from the Titanium 140 to 170 - $350 vs $500 at the time.

BTW - in case you didn't have a coupon for the 200, it's currently $90 off.

Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database - Free coupons, 25 percent off coupons, toolbox coupons - TITANIUM UNLIMITED 200 PROFESSIONAL MULTIPROCESS WELDER (hfqpdb.com)

 

They were all a stretch for me. Lol.
I just kept thinking of how much money I’d need to spend on people performing the work or buying something already made when I could do it myself.
I have high hopes to learn tig after I get mig down. I have an odd fascination with attempting to build an aluminum flatbed. Maybe not for the taco but I think it’d be sweet to fab up.
I didn’t, and since I haven’t picked it up yet, I will certainly be using this. Now I’ll put that 100$ towards a nice helmet that actually works.

 

Now you've got me thinking and perhaps the experts can comment...

When does it make sense to go with a single multiprocess box like the Titanium 200 and when might a combination of two separate boxes be more suitable? (e.g. Titanium 170 + say a Klutch ST201iDV or something better)

Seems like with the Titanium 200 you're either buying a 2nd regulator or swapping the existing regulator between tanks when switching between TIG & MIG. Not a big deal if you don't switch process often, so likely a big YMMV.

I also notice the 200 doesn't have ability to add a footpedal for TIG. Perhaps someone knowledgeable can comment on the importance of something like that for controlling the amperage?

 

I can't speak to most multiprocess welders, but the titanium mig 200 is a DC tig welder, but AC is recommended for welding aluminum. That's about all I know on the matter so maybe someone else can comment on why that is.

 

Recommended or required? I have not put in the research as @gpb has (I didn’t recognize the requirements to use foot pedal) so now I’m curious as well... any chance you know if it can be altered to go AC tig?

 

From my understanding, aluminum forms a surface layer of aluminum oxide - which has a higher melting temperature than the underlying aluminum. With DC supposedly you risk melting the underlying metal before getting through the oxide layer. AC apparently solves this by somehow self-cleaning the oxide off the weld as you go. From my reading, (and getting on thin ground here where I could easily be wrong), you can clean the layer off and still use DC. But perhaps not what you'd want to have to do in a production environment due to the slower throughput yet perhaps still viable for the hobbiest?

Again - I'm at the edge of my understanding and bow to the more knowledgeable folks here.

@MCJohnston AFAIK those boxes can't do AC. I'd also ask what you want to do with TIG as opposed to perhaps stick or a spool gun on MIG? With that info perhaps others can better advise you on the best path?

EDIT - also I don't think foot pedal is required per-se, as you can adjust the front panel setting. My understanding is it's more a convenience to allow adjusting while welding vs stopping & restarting.

 

Honestly as this point, this is a hope to the start of a new hobby.
It started as “WellP I need to repair my frame”. Weighed out cost and such and decided the possibilities were endless if I learned how to weld.
With some research, I went with the MP because of some reviews that compared the 200 to the 170 for its mig welds, but also because it had the extra few capabilities I thought might be cool in the future. What I’m realizing now is how little I actually researched those extra capabilities as compared to the mig reviews.
Back to google I go.

 

@MCJohnston welcome to the rabbit hole that this can become. LOL

My journey started similarly - after paying for some welding repairs and minor fab work then looking at future projects I had in mind, I quickly decided it was time to learn to weld.

The new ability also opens up new possibilities & ideas that you might not otherwise think to do. Reading through this thread and looking at the various stuff people build is very inspiring.

BTW - definitely find a local metal supplier. Pricing can be 1/2 to 1/3 the price of buying from HomeDepot/TSC/etc. My small town local place has half-stick minimums but getting 10 or 12 ft for what I'd pay for 3-4ft costs at HD isn't a bad thing.

 

I like the gusset idea. Would you do them on both sides of the pin, so a total of 4?

 

I would, yeah. Not really necessary but I like the symmetry and it wouldn’t add much time to do.

 

Just don't tell the wife she's a four-gusset kinda girl...

 

Just about finished with this Silverado kit, the arms and shock mounts are all tig and the engine cage is mig...

 

She's a redhead. Would end in me getting stabbed minimum...

 

So badass. Well done!

 

Not so much the size of the hanger material .The quality of the welds just how it is attached and what it is attached to plays in much more.

I Figure your supporting not more then a 1000 pounds ? A couple I know could be real close .

 

Here are my very first MIG welds. How can I improve them?

 

Is this flux core? If yes, they look about the best you are going to get.

Maybe work a bit on your steadyness, but you are definitely in the right neighborhood.

Look great for the 1st time out!