MIG or Oxy/Acetylene?

[motaaa]

Why are you guys stuck on using argon in a mig welder? Yes it does burn cleaner if your doing a lot of sheet metal but i would just run straight CO2 or 75/25 at most in that thing its way cheaper.

ive heard CO2 doesnt work as well as 75/25 so you have to turn up the flow to compensate

I'll give it a go for ya.

We all have different goals I guess. When I weld stuff, it stays welded. That's my single goal.

i smell what youre steppin in..
when you weld your own stuff it doesnt really matter how it looks, as long as it will hold up we usually dont care, but once you start doing things for other people you kinda dont want your work to look like ass, so i guess thats my goal

 

[rockwerks]

ive heard CO2 doesnt work as well as 75/25 so you have to turn up the flow to compensate


i smell what youre steppin in..
when you weld your own stuff it doesnt really matter how it looks, as long as it will hold up we usually dont care, but once you start doing things for other people you kinda dont want your work to look like ass, so i guess thats my goal

From my experience CO2 works better than the argon mix for most situations, I do a lot of welding outdoors where you need to turn up the rate anyway to keep wind away from the welds. I have built and welded stuff for others if they are too ugly I get out the grinder clean em up and give them a pretty coat LOL.

 

[EnglishDan]

From my experience CO2 works better than the argon mix for most situations, I do a lot of welding outdoors where you need to turn up the rate anyway to keep wind away from the welds. I have built and welded stuff for others if they are too ugly I get out the grinder clean em up and give them a pretty coat LOL.

Poor poor workmanship - MIG is no good outdoors.

 

[rockwerks]

Poor poor workmanship - MIG is no good outdoors.

and why is that? if the weld is shielded with gas/ flux core Im sure the steel will not know if its outside or inside.

http://www.difflock.com/buyersguide/tools/welding3.shtml

Here read it, you might learn something. one of the best articles written on welding and mig/mag welding

 

[EnglishDan]

Haha - I might learn something!! It is true - you never know it all, and I do not pretend to know it all about welding - even if it is my bread and butter!
I will respond though without reading the article you kindly posted for me...

1. Flux is not MIG, MIG = Metal Inert Gas. CO2, and argon are inert gases. 75/25 is an active gas therefor it is actually MAG, even though everyone calls it MIG (me included). As with flux you're not using a gas, so I wasn't referring to flux when I stated that MIG is no good outside.

2. We have all simply turned our gas and welded outside. Turning the gas up too high can cause a turbulence within the shield. This is the technical term - check it out! Turbulence can cause sub surface imperfections that are not visible to the eye. Just because you cannot see them doesn't mean that they are not there!

I'm impressed that you think the article (which I have not read yet) is one of the best written articles on welding. I wonder how many other articles you have read to be able to come up with that statement. At the end of the day any real welder will agree that outside it should be done with stick (unless stupidly thin, but a weld that counts, that needs to be strong).If MIG was fine outside, we would be using it on the oil rigs and in the shipyards. I invite any time served welders (real welders) like me, to comment.

You should read them too Rockwerks - you might learn something!

 

[EnglishDan]

Haha! I just read the article - very interesting and a very good explanation for the home welder.
Did you read the part on outdoor welding? Practically agreed with what I wrote!
'Gasless' mig as they put it are great, I used a friend's once, to repair an exhaust - this was probably its max! A good home plant though for repairing kitchen foil etc. Haha!

 

[adsm08]

I just arc everything.

 

[EnglishDan]

Because you can! Nothing wrong with that!

 

[rockwerks]

Haha! I just read the article - very interesting and a very good explanation for the home welder.
Did you read the part on outdoor welding? Practically agreed with what I wrote!
'Gasless' mig as they put it are great, I used a friend's once, to repair an exhaust - this was probably its max! A good home plant though for repairing kitchen foil etc. Haha!

No one with a brain will weld outside in a wind. and with the CO2, yes it can be more erratic but you can get very good welds outdoors.

I don't pretend to an expert but do know what works and does not for ME. I have welded up brackets for an 01 XJ with a HP60 front and long arms outdoors with CO2.

We had the the welds ultrasonic tested and all passed. It has been 4 years now since I built it and it has around 5000 trail miles and many more road miles without any issues

 

[adsm08]

Because you can! Nothing wrong with that!

more like because I can't do anything else. Arc is the only one I've ever been trained on.

 

[EnglishDan]

Very good rockwerks, you must admit though; having your welds UT'd is very different from your first statement 'grind and slap a pretty coat on when doing work for others'.
Well done.

 

[rockwerks]

Very good rockwerks, you must admit though; having your welds UT'd is very different from your first statement 'grind and slap a pretty coat on when doing work for others'.
Well done.

Actually I do that for myself usually. These where tested at my BRO in Laws place in AZ. I was pleasantly surprised. I still believe that if you feel your weld is marginal always grind it down and make a pass or 2 more

 

[EnglishDan]

When you said 'slap a pretty coat on', I thought you was meaning paint, not two more runs!

 

[Will]

I weld for others all the time. I just don't accept money for it. And nothing breaks.

Welders are like artists. They are jealous of their skill and ability and believe that nobody else should attempt it. I respect that. But I also believe that, though not an artist, I can paint "Shitter" on an outhouse door with enough skill that people will know where to go to relieve themselves. Even drunk people.

Another thing about good amatuers like me, we don't produce poor welds. We don't have boogers and splatters. We know our limits because when we reach them, we try it another way.