I have welded with both non gas wire MIGs and with oxy. I am also a novice,
but feel I got cleaner welds with less warpage using gas then from a non gas
welder. Most non gas welders only go down to 55 or so amps. To effectively
weld (RE: not burn holes) an MG's relatively thin sheet metal, you need
something around 30 or 35 amps. Also, these same welders only go up to 90
or 100 amps, so welding thicker, heavier metal. They may not have hookups
for gas if you want to go down that route later. How do I know? I am on my
second welder in less then 4 months. Thank goodness Harbor Freight is so
understanding! My first welder was a Chicago Electric 100 (55-100 Amps) w/o
gas hookups. I am now using a Hobart Handler 135 (30 - 135 Amps) w/ built
in hookups for oxy and an 125 cuft cylinder. Both use standard 20 Amp 110
volt connections. The first setup cost $150. The new setup cost a little
over $600 for the welder, cylinder and cart. It is totally worth it in my
opinion. Just remember you get what you pay for in this area.
Matthew
67B
-----Original Message-----
From: MGBnutt@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 12:27 AM
Subject: Re: What type welders please?
Dennis,
Good question, as I am looking to learn to weld also. (There's a few rusty
spots on the "B" that will need to be fixed.) A quick search of the web
suggests a 115 volt wire welder or MIG welder is the way to go. MIG allows
a neater
weld with less splatter, but an inexpensive wire welder would seem to be
sufficient for use on the MGB's mild steel. I don't know about
oxyacetylene, but
my (ex-rally car driver) SAAB mechanic says a wire welder is so simple "a
monkey could use it".
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