welders, come here

[dan.bubb at gmail.com (Dan Bubb)]

I am definitely not the MIG welding god so don't have much input there
other than to say it's probably the easiest form of welding to learn
and it has relatively low heat input so it's appropriate for welding
autobodies where warpage is a big factor.
As far as TIG, it's probably the hardest type of welding to learn and
the most expensive. My setup, which is actually almost bottom of the
line, cost ~$1700. On the other hand I can weld aluminum, stainless or
mild steel and heat input is also low with TIG. I've had some
excellent results welding autobodies with TIG getting minimal
distortion. I'm not sure about any specialized accesories for
aluminum. Different filler rod, different tungsten electrode, same
argon gas and off I go ;^)
I probably weld more aluminum and stainless than mild steel, but it
seems I've spent the last 2 years fabricating parts for turbo
installations and mild steel just generally isn't the material for
that. Plus, I'm a fool for stainless since it'll never rust!
Bear in mind the running cost also. An 80 CF bottle of argon is $70.
Dan

On 11/12/05, Larry Fry <rocco16@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> For all practical purposes, you'll not be welding any aluminum in your shop
> or garage; takes to much in the way of specialized accessories.
>  Also, when Mark says cheap, he means "realatively".  :)  I bought a small
> Miller 110V MIG welder several years ago.  By the time I got it home, the
> bill was way more than I had figured:  The machine was only about
> $599....add a spool of wire, a bottle of steel mix (gas), regulators, new
> shield lens, a coupla spare tips, some anti-spatter, and the total was a
> coupla' bucks over $800.
>
> Just be prepared.
> Larry
> sandiego16v
>