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spot welding with mig

7.5K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  pulser  
#1 ·
I read through the manual for my Clarke 130en and it mentioned something about a spot welding attachment, or using the gun in spot welding.

Usuallyl I though spot welders clamped thin metal between tongs and then sent a large current to fuse the metal at the point of contact. How would you do this with a mig setup?

I've got some things I need to spot weld and was considering buying one of the Harbor Frieght hand held spot welders. But, if I can make this mig do it that would be great.

thanks
 
#3 ·
You can also use a plug welding approach with a regular MIG welder. Drill a series of holes (3/16", 1/4", etc.) along the seam edge of the top sheet, then lay this piece on the partner. Use a MIG welder to build up the "missing" material in the holes. This will fuse it to the bottom sheet and to the sides of the holes you drilled on the top sheet. It's not exactly a spot weld, but it doesn't require any special equipment and it ends up being pretty close. The plug welds can also be ground smooth without worrying about removing too much of the bond between the sheets. Air-driven flangers with a hole punch on the other side are reasonably priced and easily set up the plug welds.
 
#5 ·