Come on then convince me I can weld and tell me which welder I need.

Mig with heavier gauge wire and the heat whacked up will do chassis steel with ease. Arc is overkill these days unless you're doing steel erection type stuff .... Girders and the like. Look for a good used cebora or similar with a decent duty cycle rather than a cheap new mig. You'll get far more for your money that way

 

i learnt to arc and gas weld at night college, other than a bit of arc on my old landy i've never done it since, i'm convinced mig welding looks a piece of ******* if you get the setting and speed right, i do however hope not to have to do any for a good few years.

 

i was always told gassless mig was a pain in the arse malc, but i'm not talking from any experience here.

 

Clarke 160 will do everything you need and is quite simple to setup, get and account with BOC and some argon mix, ( you may wish to change to pub gas later but for learning it really helps)

Get a few spare tips and keep your tip shield clean. not the cheapest setup going but it will give you a headstart in learning

 

Mig is great Okay so the first few attempts may well result in blow holes and/or rabbits droppings but with a bit of practice you'll soon get the hang of it. A self darkening mask makes life a lot easier too. Don't forget felt gauntlets either they're very cheap and will prevent spatter burns and the possibility of skin cancer later on...seen too many "experts" doing it bare handed...idiots.
So whatcha waiting for? Welding can be addictive

 

you've looked on you tube right? always a show off on there ready to tell people how to do anything.

 

If you do learn to weld you can then teach me as I have to do some on my sons beetle, I was taught to brase and oxey accetiline weld but these are old hat, and I never kept up with technology,
Steve,

 

I'm all eyes ready to watch,
Steve,

 

Mig welding forum is brilliant for tips. This should show enough to get you started -http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/mig.htm

 

Get an auto darkening mask malc it makes a hell of a difference when you can see what your doing properly

 

Just remember cleanliness is next to godliness as far as Mig is concerned....paint, rust or general crud and you will be rewarded with a crappy weld. I notice you refer to grinding so use it to get the best mating surface possible, either that or an abrasive flap wheel in a pistol drill to remove paint.

 

I did night school course but nothing prepares you for welding rusty thin metal
Also the funny angles you have to weld at makes any experience at college irrelevant ie under the van over head etc.
I think you have to be prepared to make mistakes - redo until it is satisfactory.. If you blow a hole it's probably because the metal had some rust or was too thin so cut a repair for that too - Also remember everything looks better with a bit of dressing and paint.
One useful tip I heard was to never weld into somewhere you can't grind out of
I would also say be brave turn it up and do it i short bursts, clean metal is essential
Another is that I wish I had bought a bigger better mig machine - so splash the cash if you can - so much easier with a good machine
Personally there are few who can weld this rusty stuff well most pro's will do full panels due to cost and faff of small repairs
Don't let the naysayers put you off - you can do it!

 

Exactly .... takes the delay out of hand, brain, eye co-ordination and allows two hands on the job. Never could get the hang of "nodding" down the mask in time.