I'd always recommend gas over no gas, but to me, the real advantage of learning to DIY weld is that things are rarely what you think with rusty busses... once you've cut one bit of rust out you invariably find something hidden behind that needs welding. If you DIY, you can take your time and do it properly (assuming you're any good of course) whereas a garage will either just weld a patch over 'cos they've agreed a price with you, or you'll end up paying much more than you bargained 'cos it's taken them longer than planned. If you can afford to, get a professional to do it for you, but if you have a mate who's happy to show you how and you have the patience to learn properly, you'll save a fortune by DIY.
Self taught too, never used a gasless mig, but i don't think i'd want to. I use Argo-shield from BOC. Easiest way to learn- Get a decent MIG welder Get lots of scrap metal Read up on http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php Have a play with the welder There is a good point made on the mig welding forum about the sound of a good weld sounding like frying bacon, and its true, once you get that sound you've normally got a good weld DO IT and goodluck its actually rather satisfying and a handy skill and tool to have
One point to remember when welding is that a pretty weld maybe as good as a dollop of seagull crap. Get some tuition and get a feel for developing a good penetrating weld. Play with loads of scrap before committing to the real thing, but most of all have fun.
All good points here. One thing to add is that one 0f the main overall secrets to successful welding is CLEAN STEEL! Whether this is done by grinding, shot blasting or acid cleaning, it doesn't matter. What matters is, that the parts that are being welded, do not contaminate your weld with oil, paint or rust etc. which all foul up the pool of molten metal leaving hideous results. Also make sure your mig wire is not too rusty or dirty, as this will build up in the torch liner and cause problems. Time spent cleaning is never wasted. Granted, often it is impossible to remove all contaminants, but always try to do the best you can. I have found that with chassis members etc they can often be properly cleaned by using a shot blaster, which gets into the areas impossible to get with grinders etc. Teach yourself on clean metal and see the difference. The modern 'inverter migs' are expensive but outstanding as they weld thinner steels superbly and are very portable. Experiment with the wire feed control. If the weld is 'stuttering' - speed it up a little until it gives a nice even 'crackle.' Maybe get the wife to slowly turn the wire speed up or down to while you weld until it smooths out. Make sure you have enough gas flow to protect (sheild) the weld. If is is too breezy, increase the flow a little. The main thing is, give it a go! And if you can get a welder to give a 'demonstration without obligation' then so much the better!
I bought 100en clarke - it's ok - I got for less than a 100 offa eBay. It does a job but is nothing like the kit I used on my nightschool course I think that I would follow the advice on here now tho and go for a cebora 400amps jobby, if you don't get on with it I am sure that you can sell it for pretty much what you paid for it...
if my life was different and not so rushed all the time I would love to weld ...............I am thing of going self employed next year ...............maybe this is my line .......nice idea though
no need, if you have a steady hand and a needle anything dug in and I am your man ,specialized in grinder wire brush shards and grinding disc stuff... Rust is simple...
Restoring is 1% welding and 99% other stuff. A lot of the other stuff is hideously noisy so get expensive ear protectors. The yellow cheap ones builders wear are not suitable. Wear them when you hammer as this is as bad as grinding. I hope your neighbours are cool. 90A/100A are a waste of time and will make you think you can't weld. It should sound smoother than bacon sizzling - more of a hiss when it's going well.
I have done welding ages ago for apprenticeship and at technical college, if I had the space and was away from other houses I would get set up but there are the 2 issues. Knowing how much I spent last year on the back end being rebuilt (new corners, batt trays, valances and chassis rails) and new drivers side full wheel arch makes it very tempting to have a go but the job I had done was good(not perfect) and he painted it up well so I will have to keep paying I am afraid. I admire some of the Restos shown on here by guys and gals who have just had a go and I think that I could do that. I will stick to the more mechanical work and leave the welding and bodywork to others!
Mig welding with a decent plant is easy once you have it setup nice. It get progressively harder as you spend less money on the equipment. Once you are down to the gasless DIY equipment you really start needing some skill to get the same results. Welding thin rusty metal is IMO about as hard as it gets.
i got a gasless one and it has one use holding the door open now i have got a clark 160 off fleebay should of done that first did a lot of looking and the most powerful is not always the best
When you burnout your angle grinder - I am my 3rd. Take it apart and knockout the mounting spindle, then you can use it in you drill. For small sections, it lets you put discs in you drill, which is quite a bit quieter than the angle grinder.
I taught myself to weld once i realised how much work my bus needed Plenty of top advice given already Buy the best welder you can (not gasless) i use argonshild light helped my welding no end Buy an auto darkening helmet makes life a hell of a lot easier And practice, practice and once you get the hang of it and new bit's of steel, learn all over again once you start on the bus
i wouldn`t recomend an auto darkening helmet unless its an expensive decent one , most people set them to low and if you block the sensors they go clear
you need A/C high frequency for Aluminium welding plus pure Argon gas , Aluminium welding is a whole different ball game ...
I've welded as part of my jobs for years, Mig, Tig, Arc, Gas, all to test standard, development fabrication, a world record setter and general purpose repair, and i can confidently say that car/bus body work is just a ball ache! Absolutley detest it! The best weld comes from the best prep, simple as that. By a quality Mig and your half way there, for Buses you can probably get away with a good quality 180 Amp set up. What nobody has mentioned is the risk of fire when your weldng, just bear it in mind that oil, rags, fuel, underseal, paint all burn really well - especially when your looking the other way!
