What type of welder should i use for craft work???

[akar0522]

Hi everyone, I am a complete novice when it comes to welding. Recently I have become interested in making "junk art" sculptures from nuts, bolts, screws, chains and other bits and pieces you find at hardware stores. I have been trying to weld the bits together using an arc welder without much luck. I find that the weld stick tends to get stuck on the bits of metal all the time (probably because I can't weld properly ). Also, because I am trying to weld small bits and pieces, I am finding it quite difficult to keep the materials in place while welding. I can't help but feel I am using the wrong type of welder, should i be using a tig welder

[zapster]

a tig would be the way to go in the right hands...
but if your new to the profession..
geezzzz you would not want a fluxcore machine for what your doing..
stick welder?

your best bet would be a gas mig..
a tig is big $$ and what you need in cups..collets..tungestion..a grinder for said tungestion..etc..etc..is a big a waste of $$$ if you "dont have a clue"

learn on the mig..
thats just my opinion...

...zap!

[akar0522]

What's the difference between a mig welder and a arc welder?

[LuzRD]

mig=wire feed

basically instead of using the larger diameter rods (3/32 3/8 etc) that your likely using with your stick machine, the welder feeds a wire (most likely .023" diameter for your requirements) at a constant wire feed speed.

mig also uses an inert gas to shield the weld so you wont have to chip grind or wire brush any slag after welding.

mig is widely considered the easiest welding process to learn, and once a mig machine is setup you should be able to just pull the trigger and have little to no problem.

you would most likely only require a 110v mig for what you are doing (135a class) this class of mig is very limited to thinner gauge material (or material with NO structural/safety related conditions), many will advise a 220v machine for any future projects that require welding of thicker material, however if you know this is all you will ever do for welding a 110v will suit you.

[Tailshaft56]

I would recomend a tig. Miller Maxstar 150 or a TA-185 if you think you want to do Al. someday. For plain steel the maxstar would be my choice. You might want to take a night course in welding at a local votech. You could get by with a Hobart Handler 140 set up for gas shielding but tig is more precise. Heck I could tig 10-32 nuts together. If i only had a mig those nuts would be prepped for JB Weld. LOL

[99blackzr2]

Originally Posted by akar0522

What's the difference between a mig welder and a arc welder?

a mig welder is an arc welder.

[383bigblock]

I would have to agree with Zap on a wire welder especially for crafting. Tigging is an art which takes a lot of time and practice where even novice's can make decent welds right off the bat with a MIG unit. There's virtually no cleanup with a MIG where the Stick welder (or flux cored MIG) will leave a bunch of slag that has to be removed.

If you're not welding serious thicknesses or laying down long beads but most likely just tack welding stuff together so that it holds (crafting) then a small MIG would be the ticket. You an probably get away with one of the 110v units and not have to setup for 220v power.

my .02 cents worth.

Michael

[justweldit41]

Zap prety much says it all im a pipe welder and have several machines at my house 400A HF Hobart Tig & Stick, 250A Hobart Mig and Millermatic 130 Mig. All are great machings tis is clean and quiet and mig is fast with some cleanup depending on the setings and machine. One drawback for tig is you need both hands for welding where mig you only need one. The only other thing i would say is stay with a good name brand, because if you have problems with them others are hard to find repair shops for them like cambell hosfield.

[MAC702]

Originally Posted by 99blackzr2

a mig welder is an arc welder.

You beat me to it.

I also recommend a small MIG machine for your work. A Hobart HH140 would be my personal recommendation. Just make sure to go all the way and get the solid wire and the C-25 shielding gas or you'll have the same spatter problems that you did with the Stick machine.

With MIG, you'll still get the occasional BBs, but they'll be few, far between, and easy to knock off.

[akar0522]

thanks for all the great advice

[wizard]

I tend to agree that a MIG welder is the way to go for the type of work you intend to do, but in your case you already have a welder. Instead of spending money on a new welder think seriously about spending the money on some schooling/training or whatever you want to call it. Given that you have a good quality usable stick welder you should be able to do what you want if the pieces are reasonably substantial. The education will be priceless and if a good program will get you familiar with a lot of machinery to make the best choice for your interest in the future.

The other side of the equation is that you need to be careful about what you are welding. Much of the hardware in stores these days is ZINC plated and that can lead to health problems.

In any event for the most part I agree with the previous posts that a mig welder is a good choice for light duty home use. Given that you are welding with in it limitations.

Dave

[Tailshaft56]

One thought. If your stick welder has DC output you can rig it out as tig with addition of an air cooled torch ( with gas valve ), a bottle of argon and a regulator. You won't have a remote but that isn't to critical for tacks and short welds.

[Washman]

Originally Posted by Tailshaft56

One thought. If your stick welder has DC output you can rig it out as tig with addition of an air cooled torch ( with gas valve ), a bottle of argon and a regulator. You won't have a remote but that isn't to critical for tacks and short welds.

I agree, we all know that it wouldn't be the greatest possible TIG setup but it would work fine and would probably cost half of a new MIG setup.

For "BoltArt" it would allow more precision for little parts and pieces. He would simply have to endure the learning curve.

Annnnnnd were not talking of about Cryogenic tanks for the Space station here.

Think about it guys..... this man wants to weld little nuts and bolts together.

When is the last time you tried to weld two 1/4-20 nuts together that were just lying on the work bench with a MIG gun.

Try it tomorrow without holding them or claping them and see if they come out they way you intended.

Washman

[Washman]

Oooooo .. and Tailshaft we all know Miami is in FLorida not Oklahoma ..
Ar,ar,ar,ar,ar Sorry couldn't resist

Washman

[Tailshaft56]

No Vice ( as in Miami Vice ) here either. LOL

[smithboy]

Although a small mig would work fine, is there any reason folks aren't mentioning brazing these parts?

I would think on little stuff that are just artsy, brazing would be a good potential alternative to welding.

[MicroZone]

I would probably say TIG would make the job a little less frustrating...or brazing. Although a nice O/A setup will cost just as much as a decent MIG.

I have a spare MILLER EconoTIG for sale. Good shape and right price. I use it mainly for all my tubing on turbo projects.

[MAC702]

Originally Posted by smithboy

Although a small mig would work fine, is there any reason folks aren't mentioning brazing these parts?

I would think on little stuff that are just artsy, brazing would be a good potential alternative to welding.

Well I agree that it would work, but it wouldn't be my first choice over welding. The pieces have to fit much more closely together for brazing and you'd be done welding in half the time it takes to heat the part for brazing. I think welding would be cheaper in the long run versus all the gas for heating the parts for brazing, too.

And, if not painting, welding is a better color-match for steel.

[akar0522]

Originally Posted by Washman

For "BoltArt" it would allow more precision for little parts and pieces. He would simply have to endure the learning curve.

Think about it guys..... this man wants to weld little nuts and bolts together.

When is the last time you tried to weld two 1/4-20 nuts together that were just lying on the work bench with a MIG gun.

Try it tomorrow without holding them or claping them and see if they come out they way you intended.

Washman

I tend to agree with washman. According to some of my research, TIG welders give the most precision. Can anyone tell me what makes TIG welding so much harder to learn than other types of welding?

[zapster]

Originally Posted by akar0522

I tend to agree with washman. According to some of my research, TIG welders give the most precision. Can anyone tell me what makes TIG welding so much harder to learn than other types of welding?

the preperation..
the cleaning...
the "you cant even touch the tungestion to the piece or the filler rod" problem

the ability to manipulate the heat via your foot and the ability to hold a torch steady with one hand and dip the filler with the other while your foot is in control of the whole shooting match while your trying too look behind you and in front of you and at what your doing at the same time...

get the picture?

...zap!

[MAC702]

I chew gum at the same time, too...

[Washman]

Mac you got a few pointers on that?

I keep forgetting to push the little foot pedal and once I even bit my tounge....

Washman

[MAC702]

The hard part is getting all the goo off the helmet when you get so comfortable that you're blowing bubbles...

[Washman]

Originally Posted by MAC702

The hard part is getting all the goo off the helmet when you get so comfortable that you're blowing bubbles...

Who's Bubbles? . .. ... .... ROTFLMAO

Washman

[riley mcmillan]

Anyone who wants to do any serious hobby stuff in metal would do well to aquire an ox acyt outfit. Master the gas welding and you will have a head start on tig. Same skills. There is nothing hard about tig welding. I believe the main reason there are not more tig welders is that the equipment is so expensive.

Several years ago I fabricated various pieces for dresser motorcycles as a side job. One night I gave my wife a 15 minute lesson on tig welding some brackets. She did an excellent job. Got better as she went.