So, for a beginner, would gas rather than gassless be the easier option (as well as cleaner)? I somehow assumed that gasless would be more pick-up-and-start and therefore easier?
well stick welding is not as easy as mig welding.... i brought a mig and got a pub co2 gas bottle for it.. Now as for a piece of advice Dont ..Do not rush off to ebay and buy a cobal welder that look good for the money, I can Assure you they are Poo. and you would be better off giving me the money to spend in my local. clarke mini mig. may be an option. me i brought a sealy mighty pro for £550 got a free solar helmet with it and some wire, a gas bottle cost me 21 quid from my local stockist.
Right... now I'm confused. What is the difference between MIG welding and stick/arc welding? Do they both use gas?
Only mig uses gas, stick uses a flux coated electrode. Mig is Metal Inert Gas and uses a wire fed through a welding gun or torch that when the trigger is pulled the power is turned on and the gas or flux creates a shield for the arc, the current melts the parent metal and the metal being welded to it and the wire is the filler and the electrode. Stick welding (I think it's called Manual Metal Arc) uses an electrode (the stick) which is flux coated to create the shield. The metal inside is the filler and the coating is the shield. To start stick welding is kind of like striking a match. Feel free to jump in if I'm a little off.
