Hi - I'm just getting started in welding. Specifically I want to build a go kart as a starter project - and once I've developed some skill, I may move on to building a hot rod eventually. I've been advised to start with a Hobart 140 MIG welder - which I believe can weld with our without gas. I've heard that using the gas is the better option, for a cleaner weld.
Does anyone agree or disagree that the Hobart 140 is a good starter unit, and what are your thoughts about adding the gas bottle or skipping that and instead using the flux core wire?
Thanks!!
Welding with shield gas definatly has its advantages but there are some downsides to consider, first off welding with gas means that you need to have cleaner steel (in my book, not a text book) but at the end of the thing you will have far less cleanup to do, no slag to chip and brush and chip and brush just a little bit of silicon maybe to wire wheel, second when welding with gas you have to be more carful not to have breezes or alot of air moving because that blows away the gas and turns your weld into swiss cheese thats the main advantage of running a flux cored wire you can weld outside. gas also means your going to be spending a little more cash on the outset, you'll have to either buy or rent a bottle and pay to have it filled every time you run it dry (which is usually AFTER valley national closes and you only have like 3 stitches left to run) flux core is also more hazordous i bet a buffalo nickle someone will jump my ass here but AWS classifies FCAW (fluxcore) as the process that produces the most harmful fumes followed closely by stick welding so there is that to consider either process is equally effective when done properly but at the end of the day i choose gas welding unless its a project outside or on some really nasty steel
When all else fails, Force prevails!
SchoolDaze
- SchoolDaze
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Personally, I'd go with gas shielded. I hate chipping and brushing. Also, fluxcore tends to penetrate deeper and run hotter. This can be a good thing if you have developed the skill to deal with it.
I would probably start with some simple projects that only require welding on flat surfaces to get a feel for your machine. Trying to weld around a piece of tubing can be tricky. I wouldn't want to hear about you blasting down the street as the front half of your cart starts to come apart at the weld joints.
See if you can borrow, or take your machine to someone who will let you use their tank and see the difference in welding the two types of wire. Then you can pick one, buy a spool or two and practice, practice, practice. Good luck.
I would probably start with some simple projects that only require welding on flat surfaces to get a feel for your machine. Trying to weld around a piece of tubing can be tricky. I wouldn't want to hear about you blasting down the street as the front half of your cart starts to come apart at the weld joints.
See if you can borrow, or take your machine to someone who will let you use their tank and see the difference in welding the two types of wire. Then you can pick one, buy a spool or two and practice, practice, practice. Good luck.
StratoGeezer
- StratoGeezer
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Guys - thanks for the speedy responses. My shop is being set up in the garage - I was planning on taking the welding out into the driveway, simply because I figured the fumes with our without gas may be too toxic, even with the garage door open. (My family has a bunny hutch also in the garage too - guess I'd need to be careful not to smoke out the pets or myself). But from what you're both saying - if I have any sort of breeze outside, or certainly on a windy day - I'll be asking for trouble with the gas shielded system. Hmmm.....
But - the cleanness and lack of chipping and brushing using gas is really an attractive proposition.
So let me ask this - if I do go with a gas shielded MIG inside the garage this winter and weld with the garage door shut - how bad will the fumes be for me and the little critters? I'm sure there still has to be some vapors, although probably nothing close to the levels that fluxcore or stick welding generates. Could I safely weld with the garage door shut? (its pretty darn cold now outside).
Thanks again!
But - the cleanness and lack of chipping and brushing using gas is really an attractive proposition.
So let me ask this - if I do go with a gas shielded MIG inside the garage this winter and weld with the garage door shut - how bad will the fumes be for me and the little critters? I'm sure there still has to be some vapors, although probably nothing close to the levels that fluxcore or stick welding generates. Could I safely weld with the garage door shut? (its pretty darn cold now outside).
Thanks again!
Go look at the post I started, I recently bought a hobart 140 and I like it for what its doing so far. As far as I can tell flux core is more fitted for 110v machines because it will penetrate more. Gas would be a good idea for thin metal (body work) but for a go kart frame flux core should work and might be your only choice if your doing it outside. I also tried welding a round piece of metal on top of a flat piece and its a LOT harder (I've only welded a few times so far though).
StratoGeezer
- StratoGeezer
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Great - thanks much. Looks like you're just ahead of me in terms of getting started. Thanks for providing the photo examples. I'm thinking the Hobart 140 is for me - and I may spring for the gas bottle as well, based on what these other guys are saying about how clean the weld will be when using gas vs flux core.
How easy or hard has it been for you generally to learn to weld on your own? This is something I wish I'd have learned years ago in shop class....but never got the chance.
How easy or hard has it been for you generally to learn to weld on your own? This is something I wish I'd have learned years ago in shop class....but never got the chance.
Yea I hear you on that, The first few pulls of the trigger was a kinda a surprise for me even though I watched quite a few videos online. After doing it my biggest issues is I couldn't tell what a bad weld looked like, and if it was a bad weld why was it a bad weld. Before you start I'd try to find a picture of a weld that has for example the wire feed is WAY too low. From what I can tell the chart is actually pretty good for settings (I turned the wire feed down a little bit for those welds).StratoGeezer wrote:Great - thanks much. Looks like you're just ahead of me in terms of getting started. Thanks for providing the photo examples. I'm thinking the Hobart 140 is for me - and I may spring for the gas bottle as well, based on what these other guys are saying about how clean the weld will be when using gas vs flux core.
How easy or hard has it been for you generally to learn to weld on your own? This is something I wish I'd have learned years ago in shop class....but never got the chance.
rickbreezy
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The gases will from a mig gun will not kill you, your pets, or your family. Thats ridiculous. Yes, the mig gun will use gas to protect the weld(carbon dioxide i think), but you'll never even notice unless you stick the nozzle up your nose. The biggest problem will be the smoke created as a by product of welding, which all welding processes produce in abundence. This is just irritating though, and a cracked window with a fan blowing air out will do well for ventilation. Dont get me wrong, it will iritate your eyes a bit, and you might even get a smokey spot or two on your clothes or face, but that 110 or 230 box wont even run long enough to do that barely(they have a temperture-based duty cycle and will cut off periodicly).
The best thing you can do is to clean all of your metels as well as possible before welding, this will alliviate most fumes.
For a shop, mig is the best choice, the only downfall is that if you ever have to weld outside on a windy day, your fucked.
The best thing you can do is to clean all of your metels as well as possible before welding, this will alliviate most fumes.
For a shop, mig is the best choice, the only downfall is that if you ever have to weld outside on a windy day, your fucked.
good point rick, i didnt consider that the 110 machine would have low duty cycle and that he wont be at it balls to the wall like a full blown fab shop. strat, he called it, crack a window and blow a fan out of it and you will be good
When all else fails, Force prevails!
I agree with this, I welded really dirty metal and my garage was filled with flumes to the point of being light headed. Next day I decided I'd clean it and barely any smoke.rickbreezy wrote:The best thing you can do is to clean all of your metels as well as possible before welding, this will alliviate most fumes.
StratoGeezer
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Okay - so now I'm convinced that I should invest in the gas bottle after everyone's comments. Thanks to all.
Here's a really good video demo of the Hobart 140 MIG Welder in 2 parts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb-MO1dEesE
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy75q-QSIjI
It's interesting that they suggest that you can use a paintball CO2 bottle, that can be refilled on the weekends (they say) at a sporting goods store.
Here's a really good video demo of the Hobart 140 MIG Welder in 2 parts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb-MO1dEesE
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy75q-QSIjI
It's interesting that they suggest that you can use a paintball CO2 bottle, that can be refilled on the weekends (they say) at a sporting goods store.
shouldnt need anything different, unless you would need some type of bushing between the output port on the bottle and the inlet of your regulator i'm kind of thinking that a paintball gun bottle has a smaller neck and so on and the thread may be different but if you can bush it together and keep it from leaking its all good i would think
When all else fails, Force prevails!
Coolhand_Mac
- Coolhand_Mac
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I'm new here, but take my advice dude, do not fill up your paintball canister at some sporting goods store and hook it up to the reg on your welder. A welding supply shop won't fill it, and if they do, they should not if they know you are welding with it. First, It won't fit, and if you have to go shopping for reducers to make something fit, stop. Rent the right tank, get the right mix. Trust me....