been on a spending spree...

[BlackVert]

mind telling us how much it ran you?

 

[1105]

Mike, thats about all I've done so far too. I have it set on auto balance and just mess with the pulse which I havent found any difference in the welds yet, and change the amperage.

For the welder, all of the accesories (torch, foot pedal, ground cable, cart), 125cubic foot bottle, and some steel and aluminum welding rods it cost me $2,033.57. Their price has gone up 4% last year.

 

[Nagash01WS6]

Zach, bring it out to deland and weld my radiator support on!

I need to go on a spending spree too. I need AFR 205's, a cam, lifters, rockers, Super Victor EFI single plane, spyder elbow, I need Zach's throttlebody he just got, fuel rails, head studs, main cap studs stronger rod bolts and machine work.

And a carb nitrous kit. Then I have to calculate the damn jet sizing for it since it will be running at 40psi rather than 9 psi.

 

[Black95GTS]

MIG - Metal Inert Gas welding (aka GMAW - Gas Metal Arc Welding). A true MIG welder has a sheilding gas tank and a wirefeed. Wirefeed welders that use a flux core wire are not technically MIG. If you have the right attachment for a MIG you can weld aluminum.

TIG - Tungsten Inert Gas welding (aka GTAW - Gas Tungsten Arc Welding). This is similar to gas welding because the torch with the Tungsten electrode is only there to create an arc that is the heat source. You feed a wire filler rod in with the other hand (TIG welding w/o filler rod is often referred to as "sanitary").

MIG is good for production (don't have to keep grabbing more filler rod) and TIG is good more for precision and the ability to weld a wide variety of metals.

The difference in the welder that determines if it can weld steel and aluminum is whether your output can be switched between DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current). Steel is welded with DC and aluminum is welded with AC (and you can adjust the frequence along with the current).

Aluminum is far trickier to weld than steel for two reasons. The first is that aluminum doesn't change color when it heats up to its melting point. When you weld steel you can see it turn that orange-red when it's getting hot and about to melt. Aluminum just looks like aluminum and then it's a puddle. The second trick is that materials have a HAZ (heat affected zone) when they are welded and the material properties changed based on how the heat changed the crystal structure of the metal. Steel keeps most of it's strength when it's welded compared to aluminum that gets "softer" in the HAZ and may require heat treatment and induced age hardening to regain the strength of the pre-welded components.

Sorry for geeking out, but that's what happens when you ask a Mechanical Engineer these kinds of questions.

WPI represent! ::

- Adam

 

[BlackVert]

i'm thinking about getting an inexpensive MIG welder, but i don't have a garage. is it safe to weld in a basement, or should you have good ventilation? also, is there a smell? i suppose i could set it up out on the patio in the back yard if i had to, but then i'd have to worry about rain and disturbing the neighbors ...

my latest spending spree has been the kenne bell and all the supporting stuff (fuel pump, 42# injectors ...), the coil-overs and their supporting stuff (c/c plates, strange struts, ...), shelving for the basement, ... it never ends

now if i could just get some time to install it all...

 

[1105]

Kyle, feel free to pick it up and stick it in the back of the jesse's truck. That little bastard is heavy, just under 260lbs

Chris, the only thing I would worry about when welding indoors would be catching something on fire... I wouldnt worry about the gas so much if you're just doing little things here and there, but with a MIG welder there are lots of sparks that go everywhere so if the basment is all concrete and nothing around for a good distance it should be alright, but I would not suggest doing this. Get one that has wheels on it and roll it out to the patio to weld, then roll it back inside. They are not noisy enough to make the neighbors complain, in fact my neighbors probably couldnt hear the MIG unless they were outside too.

 

[BlackVert]

Chris, the only thing I would worry about when welding indoors would be catching something on fire... I wouldnt worry about the gas so much if you're just doing little things here and there, but with a MIG welder there are lots of sparks that go everywhere so if the basment is all concrete and nothing around for a good distance it should be alright, but I would not suggest doing this. Get one that has wheels on it and roll it out to the patio to weld, then roll it back inside. They are not noisy enough to make the neighbors complain, in fact my neighbors probably couldnt hear the MIG unless they were outside too.

thanks for the advice. if (when) i get one, i'll definately not do any welding in the basement. there are way too many boxes and things in there that could catch on fire.

 

[stprorolla49]

another thing im gonna add here is that TIG is the only type of welding that the NHRA passes on chassis and cage inspections....when you go to tech inspection at your local track (for me its etown) and its your first time there with the roll bar/cage, they will check the weld thicknesses and depths with a meter to make sure it was done by a TIG welder....they can also tell because the tig welding seams tend to be much more precise.....

 

[OinkAodeOink]

Zach, bring it out to deland and weld my radiator support on!

Your crazy brother, you have any idea what that rig weighs? lol
You better have some hellacious muscles.

 

[Nagash01WS6]

Your crazy brother, you have any idea what that rig weighs? lol
You better have some hellacious muscles.

hahah yep... I think im gonna have to take it somewhere to have it done. It was apparantly replaced before... with some really *$#@ty welds. So it wont be as easy as drill a few spot welds and stuff the new one in.

 

[1105]

Yea, its weighs 258lbs. Me and the guy at the shop had to lift it off of the edge to get it down to the fround because they didnt have a ramp to roll it down. Thats why I told kyle he could throw it in the back

On a side note, I finally got my v-band clamps in today so hopefully the hotside pipes will be done soon.

 

[Nagash01WS6]

zach... still have those saleen side skirts?

 

[SMOKEDYA]

i'm thinking about getting an inexpensive MIG welder, but i don't have a garage. is it safe to weld in a basement, or should you have good ventilation? also, is there a smell? i suppose i could set it up out on the patio in the back yard if i had to, but then i'd have to worry about rain and disturbing the neighbors ...

my latest spending spree has been the kenne bell and all the supporting stuff (fuel pump, 42# injectors ...), the coil-overs and their supporting stuff (c/c plates, strange struts, ...), shelving for the basement, ... it never ends

now if i could just get some time to install it all...

i wouldnt cheap out on a machine! you can get a decent lincoln mig from lowes for like $700? and make shure to get one with a bottle (sold sep) and it should be capible of welding 1/4" plate. i've been certified for 10 years and yes it put's off some nasty gasses!!!! dont attempt to weld in your basement!!!!! i weld 35 mig and 1/16 dual sheild where i'm at. once you get over exposer from wleding you'll understand! go get a MSDS sheet from the weld supply store for the wire or just read one from the wire box that comes with it. Then ask : is it safe to weld inside ????????? You guy's wish you knew how to weld is great! Welding is easy money, i'm gonna start doing jobs here on the side for other guy's and we are in the process of building up a 80 coupe, i'll be doing the majority of the welding on the subs battle boxes and cage. TIG is a little trickier to do mig is the easiest, those tig welds look good for a beginer flat is easy but try to get a peice of pipe and weld it, just remember not to weld down hand (down hill) as for they are the weakest weld to do, flat or vertical (up) are the strongest!!!! if i was close to you then that TIG and you and i coud make some cash!!!!!!! TIG is good to use and very strong and makes for a nice weld on roll cages and it dosent put off much heat either, i wouldnt use it to do subs i'd use mig for them. anyways loks good for a first timmer remember practice practice. peace



john