pratice welding

[turbojolt]

I want to get a cheap MIG welder just to get to grips with welding, but my question Is were do I get scrap metal from to practice?

Could be a stupid question but I can't think of anywhere lol

[16v Nova Kev]

body shops/spray painters have lots of old scrap usually.

[turbojolt]

Might be worth a try there is one not to.far from me

[Iain]

Panels/old bits of car to get used to the car you're going to weld up

Pop in to a metal place and see if they have any offcuts they wouldn't mind you taking. Some nice 2mm or so stuff to get used to it without worrying about burning through to start with maybe?

[swedge]

get some 2mm box section to have a play with 1st

once you get the hang of that, then get some scrap doors or something and cut bits out of them and try and weld them together

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

very good site for learning

[Paul]

Dnt bother with a cheap mig welder like clarke/sealey.

Youre 10 times better off with a good second hand unit if youre on a budget; lincoln, oerlikon, cebora, murex etc.

Get a big gas bottle no disposable ones, works out cheaper. The chinese cheap machines are exactly that, and have no low setting for thin steel.

[turbojolt]

I want to spend less then 100 quid mate

[16v Nova Kev]

no point really you will be half way through something and it might die.

[MK999]

Not worth it to be quite honest, I spent jsut over £200 on a 2nd hand clarke 160tm (the lower end of their industrial aimed units) and its 10x better than the snap on 130 I had before which was <100.

[turbojolt]

What 100 quid on a second hand unit is not enough

[Mieran]

I've just bought a Clark arc welder for under £100, its pretty damn good!

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/145tn-arc-welder

[16v Nova Kev]

its an arc tho

[Mieran]

whats wrong with that?

I haven't used it on thin metal yet though

[Novasport]

I have a rear pillar cut off a new rear quarter panel I took out of the skip at work. I had it to practice welding but sold my welder now.
It's free if you want to collect, either that or its going in the bin.

[turbojolt]

Yer might do.mate if I.can get my hands on a welder

[swedge]

you want something that can drop to roughly 30 amps for doing bodywork like rear arches and sills etc

[turbojolt]

And what about stich welding mate

[MK999]

For stitch welding bodywork you'll want about 30 amps... Stitch welding just means the weld is in "stitches" not a continuous bead.

[turbojolt]

Yer I know that mate just wasn't sure if it was higher because of thicker metal in the engine bay lol

[MK999]

Depends on your style etc, I tend to use a higher amperage than most and move more quickly it seems, I have used my welder at about 80-100ish amps in certain areas iirc.

[Paul]

Stick welders are for thicker stuff.

Completely pointless buying a cheap welder IMO. May aswell buy a good one and learn to do it properly or jus pay somebody to do it. Even if you dont do it for a year you wont forget how to! We had a cebora that was 20 years old or so before i bought my new machine. A decent welder will last for years and years even if used daily!

All IME bear in mind.

[MK999]

I'd agree with Paul on this one though, and I very much doubt it's just us 2 with the same experience. On the old welder front, just type in MIG welder on ebay and see how many look like they're a good 25+ years old.

[Paul]

When youve mastered it, the machine will pay for itself too. Odd jobs here & there, im def in the black with mine since January!

[Novasport]

Just sold my ESAB, that would have been perfect for you.
Portamig are supposed to be the best along with ESAB, Murex, Lincoln etc. Buy the best you can afford.

[simonm]

I have a 140 amp snap on mig for handy light body work was about 300 ish a few years ago but is very good and have a 220 amp in the garage/workshop also snap on and it's brilliant never had a bother with it and I've done some serious amount of welding with both

[Jon_nova1]

whats wrong with that?

I haven't used it on thin metal yet though

it runs higher amps, i weld for a living and even i struggle to weld two 1mm sheets together using Arc and theres not a chance you'll be able to weld a new quarter panel in unless you put a brass/copper/aluminium block behind where your welding

[mowgli]

TJ, find out about the local technical colleges. most do evening classes in such stuff as mig welding & panel bashing... you can learn properly over the winter months, a few hours a week.... and some actually give a tax relief against the costs...as you could arguably be doing it for furthering your work qualifications etc....

or just go to eccles & get your car back, and see what crap he has lying around

[turbojolt]

Lol sounds like a plan mowgli, might be worth saving up for one as I wouldn't mind making a gocart at some point as well

[Nobby]

I taught myself how to weld with bits of advice here and there i bought a Miegen ( i think) 130amp for £230 brand new off a tool place and its great for car stuff ie panels stitch welding etc etc wont quite penetrate 5/6mm steel but has a good go! Best thing to do is get an old exhaust and have a play remember though welding is the easy bit getting the surface clean is where the attention is needed ;)

[swedge]

then you get the joys of welding upside down under the car

notice it sparks always find your belly button, ear and in your sock lol

[16v Nova Kev]

^aye or down your boots. in the ear is my personal favorite lol.

[Bubba]

and wear a mask :p

[16v Nova Kev]

na

[Bubba]

haha i learnt my lesson welding my exhaust under the car with no mask...

[swedge]

haha i learnt my lesson welding my exhaust under the car with no mask...

done that before, i patched a sill once without a mask i could barely open my eyes for 3 days lol

i always wear a mask now, using an auto darkening mask makes it a hell of alot easier as well

[swedge]

^aye or down your boots. in the ear is my personal favorite lol.

all you can hear is a sizzle lol

[MK999]

^aye or down your boots. in the ear is my personal favorite lol.

Set a pair of trainers on fire once when I wasnt wearing boots.

[16v Nova Kev]

i set light to a bunch of old rags in work one day. thought my auto mask was playing up switching from light to dark then i smelt the burning lol

[MK999]

Done that as well, went outside for a minute for something came back in and the place was filled with smoke, old dust sheet was smouldering away under the bench lol

[Bubba]

haha i learnt my lesson welding my exhaust under the car with no mask...

apparently i DIDNT learn my lesson :p on a plus side my exhaust is read to put on the bm

[turbojolt]

Use to know.a bloke who refused to.wear a mask.and just squinted saying he just looked thru his eye lashes and that worked lmfao my boss had a right go.at him trying to.teach me his.stupid ideas lol

[turbojolt]

P.s sorry for all the full stops my.phone keeps doing it don't know.why

[swedge]

best thing to buy is an auto darkening mask makes things 1000 times easier

[mowgli]

i learnt never to wear shorts & weld an exhaust... a spark up the scrote smarts... i always wear long trousers or my fireproof boiler suit..

tv shows like american chopper don't help.... they wear those yellow wrap round goggles when tacking & you only see them with the mask when the fab bloke actually does a proper job on them..... its a bad example..

[Andy]

I have a clarke 90amp welder what i paid £70 for 3 years ago,got an account at the local gas dealers at £6 a month.
The welder is absolutely bang on,easily done my stitch welding and hockly plates and have even welded scaff bars with it also.
No point spending hundreds on a big power welder when theyre not needed.
I did a year (terms etc) night college course over 20 weeks and learnt SOOOOO much,it was brilliant and didnt cost a penny due to qualifying for funding.
I get by just fine with my welder,i would highly recommend one.

[GRUNT 16V]

I used a clarke 130 turbo !!!!!!!! it was pants so i went and purchased a esab caddy 200 amp and i highly recomend it its a great machine !!!!!!http://www.hisltd.co.uk/images/EsabCaddyMigC200i-medium.jpg
but a little pricy but worth every penny !

[swedge]

i bought mine for £40 off here about a year and a half ago and its done me well lol

pade for its self a good few times over with odd jobs for folk

[Mike]

I keep it simple with a Clarke 130EN. Fab machine TBH. Even welded RSJ's together & welded end plates on with it, drop tested one from about 10ft high & it didnt snap so meh.

If Im ever doing any bigger stuff or something thats gotta be hella strong, I just use my mates 3 phase.

[tom reid]

Go to Tom's College of Bumshunters for the young welding virgins:wisewood:, you'll get real life experience of weldage on a Nova, just ffs bring some choccy biscuitslol

[MK999]

Go to Tom's College of Bumshunters for the young welding virgins:wisewood:, you'll get real life experience of weldage on a Nova, just ffs bring some choccy biscuitslol

Chocolate fingers acceptable?

[tom reid]

Chocolate fingers acceptable?

Nah, don't do fingers, they tend to smell too much and the 'chocolate' gets under my fingernails, lollollol