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chorusguy

questions about welding

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chorusguy

Hi all.  It is obvious that many members know how to weld and have access to the equipment to do it.  I don't yet. In fact I am pretty ignorant about the process so am looking for some insight.  Here is what I think I might be working on.  Mowing deck repair and would like to replace anti scalp wheel spindles on 48" deck.  I don't have any electrical supply other than 110.  I have read that flux core welds don't accept paint well.  Other than that u know nothing.

 Thanks

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chorusguy

I know nothing I mean

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305

if you are not familiar with welding you should look into a night class on beginning welding ...maybe some local tech school in your area offers a class? i'm not a big fan of flux core , but if done properly it can give ok results.the 110 volts limits what you can do ,  but i think most decks are of thinner material so you may be able to get it done

after you have educated yourself on welding and tried a few machines you will be able to decide what welder is best for you. my advice is buy the biggest one you can afford. and don't by that cheap crap...buy a name brand that has factory backing and you can get parts and service for

one of my mig welders will run on 110 or 220 volts, it is twice the welder on 220.  it is fine on 110 doing up 3/16" material.  my tig is 220 and that is what i use on most critical things

Edited by 305
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Rob R

305's response is ON target....  since you not going to do industrial welding Harbor Freight has some great MIG welders for decent $. I have a HF 220 MIG and it is super.....

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JAinVA
I totally agree that you would do well to attend  a welding class at a local community college.Your choices on equipment is almost endless.There are a number of good MIG units that run on 110v.I personally don't care for flux core wire in a MIG unit and use sheilding gas.I looked at a number of DC welders and was put
off by the price of most name brand units.I finally bought an Everlast 200 for less than $350 and love it.They make a DC unit that runs on 110v for less than $220.
Once you get a chance to run different types of welders by taking some classes you will better be able to make choices based on your likes and needs.You can
do a number of repairs with a good DC stick machine but MIG or TIG are better for thin metalsLuck,JAinVA
                                                                                        
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NA73

the above advice is worth considering. I'll add that flux-core wire seems to add more impurities to the weld and always seems to cause a problem with rust coming through the paint a lot quicker than a weld made with solid wire and shielding gas. Don't forget,  if you have an electric clothes dryer more than likely it runs on 220v. but I know running an extension cord from the dryer plug to the garage or yard isn't always practical.

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Pullstart

for the less than $50 it would take to run 220 from your service panel, it might be a good excuse to upgrade if you have the room to do so!  otherwise I've had a Lincoln 135 plus MIG for about 10 years that never lets me down.

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WHX??

Al the above is good advice but unless you plan on doing more welding in the future. It may be wiser to just take your stuff to a weld shop if you only have a piece here or there. Doesn't take a good deal of $$ to get set up but just sayin... I am lucky as i have a bro that is a welding instructor and has everthing and gives me his leftovers. Take a night class or  and then practice practice and more  practice.

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slammer302

i have a harbor freight mig welder the cheap flux core style and it works just fine for fixing decks and smaller things i do not regret buying it at all im on my third roll of wire with no problems with it and any welder is better then no welder when something is broken and needs welded. I work in a welding shop and use top of the line custom built welders everyday so i will say you get what you pay for when it comes to welders i agree that some welding lessons would be a great idiea 

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stevasaurus

Community College courses are the way to go and excellent advise.  I am just going to say...U-Tube has a ton of videos about welding and "how to"...they are worth looking at to get an idea of what is out there and it is free to look.  :)

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chorusguy

Wow.  Thanks for all the information.  I have been doing some research trying to consider costs ease portability and versatility.  I'm actually thinking about oxygen acetylene welding.  What do you think

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305

many years ago that's how everything got welded!  while it is a very valuable shop tool, all i use my oxygen/acetylene torch for is cutting and heating.  

stick with a mig welder.

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WHX??

Actually oxy/ac  good way to go, brazing is a good way to approach simple metal repairs. Self fluxing brazing rods can be had cheaply at any hdwd store. The strength of some of the 85,000 psi brazing rods is incredible, so much so it's sometimes difficult to grind on.  Certainly plenty of u tubes to get you started. I have a small uniweld setup that is very portable to boot. Can cut up to 1/2" mild steel as well. 

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chex313

for the less than $50 it would take to run 220 from your service panel, it might be a good excuse to upgrade if you have the room to do so!  otherwise I've had a Lincoln 135 plus MIG for about 10 years that never lets me down.

​The cable is going to cost that much...

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GlenPettit

I use the cheap $99 Harbor Freight flux welder on 110, for the occasional welding job here, and have been very happy with it. Bigger & more power is worth if you do more and bigger jobs.
 Flux can be very messy with a lot of splatter, but with a hand grinder to first prep-grind the area to be welded, and then to remove the splatter later, your work can look very good.
I would not trust my welding on 1/4" metal on my trailer on the road, but for everything on our Wheel Horses, I think it would do great.  A class is best, but a few videos and practice welding would get you started fine.  Something that really helps in starting is a 'Lot of Light', like sunlight, to see thru the welding helmet lens when starting (where the tip is).
Also, 'JBWeld' applied to the voids in my welding jobs afterwards, then paint, makes me & my welds look great to others. 
Good luck, and have fun.

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alswagg

We have five differant welders in our shop.   Gas arc mig tig and a DC spool gun.  The old Lincoln arc welder seems to be the welder of choice for heavy thick steel. The mig for light stuff and the DC spool gun for on the road welding.  Arc weldeing uses a flux shield that must be chipped away easy.  And our spool gun uses flux core that must be chipped. No big deal.  Oh the spool gun with 36 volt and .045 wire can weld 7/16 plate steel in a single pass.  

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Ed Kennell

I have burned 1/2 dozen spools of flux core wire thru my  HF 110v mig .  Got it during a sidewalk  sale for $85.   Yes it does leave some splatter, but very easy to clean up with a grinder.

A couple tips I have found .....weld inside with no air currents to keep the cover gas from blowing away.
                                                 buy an adjustable self darkening hood    $50 at HF.
                                                 grind and wire brush all paint off the surfaces before welding. 
                                           
  To get a decent weld with any arc weld type machine, you must start with clean bright metal surfaces and keep any  oxygen off the weld with the cover gas.

So there you got my :twocents-02cents:worth.
 

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Duramax7man7

@Chorusguy

Did you every fully decide on your welder choice?

 

If so do you have any photos of the work you've done so far? 

 

P.S. Sorry for thread resurrection.

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bmsgaffer

I wound up buying a Hobart Handler 140 (110V and flux or gas capable) and for everything I do it has been awesome. 

 

I don't regret spending the extra money, but it is quite a bit extra money over the Harbor Freight. My buddy had some pretty bad luck with the HF version, but it is reassuring to hear people on here that have had good luck. 

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Duramax7man7

V ery cool and thanks for the update. Yes, anything that is 3/8" and less like most everything on these tractors that would need fixing or built for attachment sake, should be good with a 130+ amp if what I'm reading it a consistent collective knowledge. 



 Yes, the duty cycle on the HF 90amp is like 10%... The 120amp they have is still only 20% but that would help. It seems that the standard is around 30-35% for anything 130amp+ and of a quality build... 

 

Edited by Mastiffman

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