Welders

[oldskool4me]

hi, i'm about ready to start the welding needed on my mk1 fiesta, can anyone recommend any mig welders. ive got a budget of around £600, thanks.

[escort new boy]

Machine Mart do a range of mig welders go to your local store and have a look

[oldskool4me]

yeah thanks mate have been down there just wanted to see if there are any in particular that anyone would reccoment!!

[mossy]

ive got a sealey mig welder, great bit of kit, never had a problem with it, takes large and small bottles..

 

similar to this one, cant remember what power mine is..

 

http://www.pvrdirect.co.uk/productinfo. ... ZQodB0YtEw

[over_head_cam]

I would just say That buy the one with the higest rated duty cycle. A lot of cheapo's will say they are high power, but can only do it for 25% of the time, or less.

 

Italians make some good machines.

 

Get a big bottle (it's a ford, you're going to need it )

[abarth78]

mate why don`t you try and buy yourself a tig?

you can weld anything with it incuding stainless steel...

any way you go inverst in an auto tinting helmet... its very helpful ...

[oldskool4me]

ok thanks for your help will do bit more research and get one then let the work begin!!

[Mick The Mig]

You will need to consider the following expenses, as suggested by arbath78 get a good welding mask, you only get one set of eyes issued and arc-eye is very painful. Also you need to set up an account with BOC to hire your gas bottle (Argolight). A regulator set is another essential. Once you have priced these you will know how much you can spend on the welding set. I recommend one with a continuously variable output, this enable you to fine tune your welding and hopfully prevent you from blowing to many holes in the work.

 

Once you are set up remember to practice, practice, practice. cause it makes perfect eventualy.

[pelvins]

hi chaps and as were on the subject, ive just started a course in welding as i got my mate to do all of mine and any advice is welcome as im going to look at a new mask and decent welding set

[Tuffty]

An auto tinting mask was the best thing i ever bought, have a look on ebay, they can be had for £30 - £40 and make the job so much easyer.

 

And as said above, practice, it took me a good few weekends of playing about with different settings before i managed go get a nice consistant weld.

[Guest cortinamad-gonetoo]

if youve got £600 youll get a great bit of kit with that budget

 

as above get a decent mask the self tinting masks which fit on your head are best id say

you dont want a mask you hold by hand it gets awkward somtimes (i should know)

 

my first welder was £220 and i hammered it it lasted about 3 years it was a sealy gas mig think it was 140 or 160

 

but now i have a gasless mig off ebay for £100 as i needed one quickly to finish a project its ok but with your budget youll get loads better

[deluxemk1]

for six hundred quid I bought a sealy 185 mig which is professional size ,it was on offer with a free speed glass welding mask worth 200 quid.Check the sealy website the its called the supermig 185 I think its a wicked piece of kit.It comes with a torch called a eurotorch which is far better than a conventional one the swivel and the base stops the wire jamming up like on the cheaper migs and its supposed to have a better liner inside for the wire to pass through .Use argoshield gas get it from boc gases it can come in a half industrial size (size y) if they ask you wot size,(thats the size and type of bottle youd want probably) its about 50 quid a fill and lasts ages. I restored a whole car with one bottle.Its an argon co2 mix and it gives a crisper weld co2 is pants for mig welding in comparison.Machine mart is pants mate,its ok if your using em here and there but full time work not so good.The stuff they sell is alright I buy stuff from my local one all the time but welders are for a long time get the better bit of kit like the one i mention good luck with it.

[Nettles]

hi chaps and as were on the subject, ive just started a course in welding as i got my mate to do all of mine and any advice is welcome as im going to look at a new mask and decent welding set

 

Mrs Nettles is buying me a new welding kit for Xmas. Probably going to have a look in Machine Mart in Maidstone at the weekend If your interested.

[Retromotorsport]

Ok.. being 100% honest here, and dont tell everyone ...

 

Go to your local BOC Gas and Gear center.. get yourself an account .. while chatting to the nice man behind the counter ask him what trade in machines he has got ..

 

Buy Murex, BOC, or ESAB welders only ... these can be fixed quickly and cheaply ... they are like fords, Tesco's sell the spares ..

 

He'll probably even have a room out back where you can try the welder, or get some tips from him.. and dont buy everything from them at once, remember you want him to be your " mate" .. so buy the welder, then a few weeks later pop in and get a shroud for the eurotorch, next few weeks some spare tips, another few weeks a pair of gloves, then some Mig Lube etc ..

 

If he has no welders in, leave him your number and a deposit .. My spare Murex 165 cost me £100 with an almost brand new Eurotorch and a Murex reg valve .. the valve alone is £80

 

The Gas you want is Argoshield Light .. from BOC ..

 

Like I said, keep it to yourselves ...

[oldskool4me]

thanks for the advice everyone very usefull i will definately try the places you suggested and will also get a decent mask as, as you say you only get one pair of eyes thanks