Loan out your welder?

SimonWright · **Posted:** Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:22 pm

Is anyone willing to loan us a portable welder for us to use on seam welding our new rally build? We've taken welding classes at TechShop so we're not complete newbs. Not sure if I want to spring for a quality welder for this fairly small task but don't think I should get a crappy cheap one either.

Advice welcomed.

Thanks.

Simon

jeremy gast · **Posted:** Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:30 pm

i have a small hf welder stashed in the garage, your more than welcome to borrow. I have not gas or anything for it.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:49 pm

jeremy gast wrote:

i have a small hf welder stashed in the garage, your more than welcome to borrow. I have not gas or anything for it.

Seam-welding with flux-core will be a challenge. You will have to stop after each pulse to remove the slag before restarting. I wouldn't recommened that.

BretLuter · **Posted:** Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:53 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

jeremy gast wrote:

i have a small hf welder stashed in the garage, your more than welcome to borrow. I have not gas or anything for it.

Seam-welding with flux-core will be a challenge. You will have to stop after each pulse to remove the slag before restarting. I wouldn't recommened that.

^truth right here.

You don't have to spend $1000 to get a decent Mig welder that will do a good job. Definitely get one that is either ready to use gas, or has a reasonably priced "gas conversion" kit to enable you to use gas.

I did a bunch of welding using flux core wire, and it was OK to stick a couple of pieces of metal together, but the welds looked like ass, and I never felt I was getting a good clean weld. Once I switched to true MiG welding, it was a world of difference.

I haven't priced welders recently, but I would think you could find a good setup for ~$3-400 max, and believe me, you'll use the heck out of it building that race car. Do it.

BretLuter · **Posted:** Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:15 pm

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/3278615139.html

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:29 pm

BretLuter wrote:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/3278615139.html

I'd check to see if that Lincoln Pro 135 is capable of using gas, but if so that's a damn fine deal. If it's a flux-core only machine, keep looking.

I have a Lincoln Pro 140 and new it's about $550, but it comes ready to use with gas since it includes the regulator. I bought it used from Ryan, who bought it used from another guy. It's never missed a beat.

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:12 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

BretLuter wrote:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/3278615139.html

I'd check to see if that Lincoln Pro 135 is capable of using gas, but if so that's a damn fine deal. If it's a flux-core only machine, keep looking.

It does say MIG on it, the "G" stands for gas. It also says "set up for gas" in the ad.

For now, Simon is using a comparable Hobart for the cost of consumables.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Sun Oct 07, 2012 7:39 pm

Scott Johnson wrote:

It does say MIG on it, the "G" stands for gas. It also says "set up for gas" in the ad.

I missed the "set up for gas" in the ad. :oops:

I know what the "G" stands for, I took two semesters at the local community college to learn how to weld. Lots of people advertise a flux-core-only machine as MIG. Most consider
"MIG" a generic term for a wire-feed type welder.

Scott Johnson wrote:

For now, Simon is using a comparable Hobart for the cost of consumables.

Hobart also makes a good unit. I advise you to buy a welder from one of the "big three". Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart.

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:50 am

I took my dad's advice and bought a 240V Mig so I would have a built-in excuse for not loaning it out. "Oh, I'd love to, but its 240V. You don't have a 240V welder outlet? Bummer." :lol:

That said, I've had many folks stop by the garage with their "welding projects". So it's not a perfect solution.

Good luck!

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:53 am

Cash Davidson wrote:

I took my dad's advice and bought a 240V Mig so I would have a built-in excuse for not loaning it out. "Oh, I'd love to, but its 240V. You don't have a 240V welder outlet? Bummer." :lol:

That said, I've had many folks stop by the garage with their "welding projects". So it's not a perfect solution.

Good luck!

The solution is to buy two welders.

A 240V model and a cheap Horrible Freight 120V model to loan out.

RickyBeam · **Posted:** Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:33 am

Cash Davidson wrote:

"Oh, I'd love to, but its 240V. You don't have a 240V welder outlet? Bummer." :lol:

Heh. Why, Yes I do. The compressor is plugged into it. And it's not remotely a legal plug. (of all the things the inspector bitched about, the 120 socket with 240 on it, not screwed down... that was ok.)

Greg McMahon · **Joined:** Tue Jun 12, 2012 12:40 pm **Posts:** 19

I have a lincoln HD140 (and 60CF of gas) - I live in the Hickory area. How long would you need it for? This is something I would like to do to my "rally" MR2 (<- want to build for real Rally, currently RallyCross) so I'd be down for a welding session or two

EDIT: It's not a generator powered one, you'd need 120V.

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