Subject: Time:2:41 PM
OFFICE MEMO MIG Welders Date:11/19/93
I have a 110 volt MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welder and CO2 bottle from Harbor
Freight (the brand is Chicago Electric but it's made in Italy) that works fine
for body and frame work up to 1/8" thick steel. I can weld up to 1/4" steel if
I preheat the area with a torch. Probably can't do anything much thinner than
0.030" 22 gauge. It has 4 heat settings and variable wire feed speed and can
also weld aluminum and stainless (if I had the right wire and an Argon bottle).
Total investment about $350 US.
The downside of these "entry level" welders is short duty cycle, which means
if I weld almost continuously for 20-30 minutes it will trip off for a 15
minute cooldown period. I might install a cooling fan to see if I can improve
on that.
If you get one, use a heavy duty extension cord; I melted a light duty one,
("Dang, shoulda knowed better!").
Of course if you're Mr. Megabucks go for the TIG welder and Argon. That's with
a tungsten tip and a foot control and you hold a piece of filler wire in your
other hand. The welders in our lab do beautiful work in steel, aluminum,
copper, and stainless.
And if you're a goverment lab and need to weld titanium, there's electron beam
welding. The entire part gets put into an inert gas chamber. Ours is about the
size of a Spridget trunk (sorry, boot).
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