Topic: Welders

[Torch_Ind]

honestly I don't care about the mask more the welder so if it's not worth it I will just hold off

I will go in to the store and check it out and take pic's or get a model number of it and see what it actually is

[Jeffy]

honestly I don't care about the mask more the welder so if it's not worth it I will just hold off

I will go in to the store and check it out and take pic's or get a model number of it and see what it actually is

The cheap mask just tells you it's one of their low end kits as the regular line does not come with them.  You can go on Lincoln's site and compare the features yourself.

[Torch_Ind]

The cheap mask just tells you it's one of their low end kits as the regular line does not come with them.  You can go on Lincoln's site and compare the features yourself.

I'm going to go to the store and see if I can get the lincoln part number of it.  they have there own stock number for everything they sell.

but your probably right about it being the sp-180.  If it is that one is it worth the buy?

[sharpxmen]

i initially bought a Mastercraft MIG/flux (does both) 100amp, can weld ok but anything serious is too small.

Found a brand new chinese made AC/DC TIG/stick Riland 200amp with foot pedal on ebay "best offer" with free shipping, i threw an offer on there not expecting to be accepted but the seller took it - had pre flow, post flow and downslope adjustments, works surprisingly well considering all the bad things i read about the chinese welders. The only thing i don't like is that you're limited to 60Hz for AC, tried some aluminum welding but doesn't look pretty and i'm sure it's mostly my fault. Can weld pretty much anything as far as thickness goes, i used it with good results on mild steel and stainless steel so far.

i tried again yesterday to weld aluminum and turned out much better than the first time - not showroom quality but for certain jobs should be good enough



nowhere near as good as the ones my friend puts out with his Miller but i'm sure my hand and foot also have something to do with it too

[FourbangerYJ]

When I was in welding class, it took me forever to get stacked coin looking beads on Alum. You need to make sure it's brushed off real good where your gonna weld. Oxidation will make it hard to get nice beads. IMO If you can weld alum. with TIG then you can weld just about anything. The SS and mild steel, and chromo are nothing to weld after learning on alum.

[sharpxmen]

When I was in welding class, it took me forever to get stacked coin looking beads on Alum. You need to make sure it's brushed off real good where your gonna weld. Oxidation will make it hard to get nice beads. IMO If you can weld alum. with TIG then you can weld just about anything. The SS and mild steel, and chromo are nothing to weld after learning on alum.

yeah, for the weld on the left i had the parts chamfered and cleaned up well, the one on the right i just threw on a piece that was not cleaned at all, you can see some difference in quality there. the first welds i tried with alu (should've taken pics) back in January when i got the welder were horrendous, more like molted metal than anything - what i notices this time is that once i start the weld going i can lower the amps with the pedal quite a bit and that is enough to keep the puddle forming on the seam - i have trouble adding filler as it melts before i get the rod close enough to the puddle - need to practice more but i am happy that i  can at least join 2 parts together without any holes :)

[FourbangerYJ]

yeah, for the weld on the left i had the parts chamfered and cleaned up well, the one on the right i just threw on a piece that was not cleaned at all, you can see some difference in quality there. the first welds i tried with alu (should've taken pics) back in January when i got the welder were horrendous, more like molted metal than anything - what i notices this time is that once i start the weld going i can lower the amps with the pedal quite a bit and that is enough to keep the puddle forming on the seam - i have trouble adding filler as it melts before i get the rod close enough to the puddle - need to practice more but i am happy that i  can at least join 2 parts together without any holes :)

I am/was a expert in putting holes in alum. part of the problem is the oxidation melts at a higher temp than the alum. By the time you burn thru the oxidation the heat is to hot for the alum. and bam instant hole. Cleaning with a wire brush helps a ton.  (metric ton in your case) 
With alum. you can back off the pedal as you get your bead going. Alum absorbs the heat and it spreads out throughout the entire piece so as you get closer to finishing the bead you don't need the heat coming from the peddle since it's so hot from running the bead. While stainless is the other way around. You can weld on it and if it's a large enough piece you can grab it away from the weld without it being very hot.

[Torch_Ind]

The cheap mask just tells you it's one of their low end kits as the regular line does not come with them.  You can go on Lincoln's site and compare the features yourself.

I picked it up anyway Jeffy.  I couldn't afford to go to the other one. and I found out that the one I used for my frame that I borrowed off my buddy is the same one and it worked great and he has had it a few years now. should work good for me for my projects

[sharpxmen]

I am/was a expert in putting holes in alum. part of the problem is the oxidation melts at a higher temp than the alum. By the time you burn thru the oxidation the heat is to hot for the alum. and bam instant hole. Cleaning with a wire brush helps a ton.  (metric ton in your case) 
With alum. you can back off the pedal as you get your bead going. Alum absorbs the heat and it spreads out throughout the entire piece so as you get closer to finishing the bead you don't need the heat coming from the peddle since it's so hot from running the bead. While stainless is the other way around. You can weld on it and if it's a large enough piece you can grab it away from the weld without it being very hot.

it's not perfect but i'm getting better (at least i think i am)







i'll post some closeups once i clean the welds and give it a polish

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

   Sorry guys I broke down today and made the purchase. Miller 180 with autoset... The shop I bought it from hooked it up and let me take it for a test weld.... Holy smokes, my first time welding and this welder made it rrreal easy. The weld turned out better than average. I need to wire my outlet and weld on a few more scraps to really get it down and then I think I will be ready for some real welding... Miller 180, definately  the way to go...

   Alright, wiring up the welder today. I called Miller and the tech told me to use a single pole 30 amp breaker, 10/2 wire, and the 230 volt outlet. Pretty straight forward. Nothing funner than running wire through a wall into the ceiling and then back down the wall..... SHOOT ME!
 

[sharpxmen]

  Alright, wiring up the welder today. I called Miller and the tech told me to use a single pole 30 amp breaker, 10/2 wire, and the 230 volt outlet. Pretty straight forward. Nothing funner than running wire through a wall into the ceiling and then back down the wall..... SHOOT ME!
 

are you in the continental US? if yes then for 208v you need a double breaker, one for each phase, single ones are for 120v and most of households have 2 phase 120v power, between the phases you get 208v (used for stoves, washer/dryer)

EDiT: unless your welder works at 120v also and that's what you are wiring it for, I could have misunderstood.

[sharpxmen]

are you in the continental US? if yes then for 208v you need a double breaker, one for each phase, single ones are for 120v and most of households have 2 phase 120v power, between the phases you get 208v (used for stoves, washer/dryer)

EDiT: unless your welder works at 120v also and that's what you are wiring it for, I could have misunderstood.

did some reading about this and i don't want to misinform - i seen it mentioned that some residential power is 120/240 with 180 deg between the 2 phases (so not 120/208 which is 120 deg between phases) - you still need a double breaker though on both active (hot) phases.

[FourbangerYJ]

it's not perfect but i'm getting better (at least i think i am)







i'll post some closeups once i clean the welds and give it a polish

  That's better than I can do right now.
What is that going on?

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

did some reading about this and i don't want to misinform - i seen it mentioned that some residential power is 120/240 with 180 deg between the 2 phases (so not 120/208 which is 120 deg between phases) - you still need a double breaker though on both active (hot) phases.

That's not what the Tech at Miller said. I already ran the 10/2 wire.... Anyone else validate this? Jeffy, any thoughts on this one?

[chardrc]

we just wired the new part of our garage for 220V.. you need  2 breakers like sharpxman said. they do make them as a single unit double wide but either way it has to take 2"spaces" in the breaker box... and you should have 4 wires (4th is a ground) but for low amp for short runs you can "ignore" the ground and go with 3 wires (this is not optimal, but it is how we wired up our air compressor but the rest is 4 wire for our stick arch welder.)