Non Boaty: Arc Welders

[Ruffles]

Apologies for the non-boaty post. I need to alter some railings around our house. I spotted this arc welder. Is it likely to be any good? It appears to be the same as a Clarke jobby.

I've not done any welding before. Nearest thing I've done is brazing at school back in the bronze age.

Note that the railings thing is really just a justification to SWMBO.

 

[Alfie168]

Its very basic, but will certainly do the job, and for the price you can't beat it just bear in mind that arc welders are no good on any kind of thin metal, they just burn holes in it, and that the heat they generate can cause distortion in metals. Its years since i've done any but I did take a basic arc welding course at Harrogate college in about 1986 so I could modify a kit car chassis. Believe it or not i'm also a qualified lead welder (using oxy acetylene), but I wouldn't let myself within a mile of any I'm so out of practice....which is the key to success in any welding........Practice, and lots of it.

I'd recommend a college evening class if you can find one, its very frustrating at first, but satisfying when you get it right and you learn something worthwhile.

Good luck

Tim

 

[ribrage]

Mig (metal Inert Gas) welding is way easier, and apparently you can teach a monkey to mig weld (or so my instructor told me) why not hire one and try it first ? Or are you collecting "toys"

 

[earlybird]

The several tools I've purchased from Aldi have all been good value, fit for purpose bearing in mind the low cost. I'd expect this welder to be a useful DIY tool.
A couple of points:- Stick welding requires a reasonable amount of skill, especially for joints other than flat on the bench, practice is essential.
In my experience, the dark glass shield provided with DIY welders is so dark that it makes seeing what the arc is doing virtually impossible. Get a lighter glass, there is a numbered system of grading.
As a last resort, I believe Aldi operate a "no questions asked" returns policy.
Add, Forgot to mention, for any sort of welding, you really need an angle-grinder as well, for joint prepping and, dare I say, making the weld bead a bit smoother.

 

[Lakesailor]

Most cheap arc welders suffer from a change in the current as they heat up (the arc becomes more fierce). The more you weld, the more they heat up. Fan cooled ones are usually built that way to overcome even more marginal abilites. This means that you are having to modify your technique all the time. I used to have an oil-cooled arc welder which was great, but like a fool I sold it years ago.
Top tip is to keep your flux-coated welding rods in the house in a warm and dry atmosphere. If they get damp they are bloody useless.
I have a cheap arc welder and a cheap MIG welder. The MIG welder is far easier to use (just like drawing with a pencil a mate said) and better for lighter materials

 

[Gavinvfr]

Cheapy arc welders that use 240v have a low OCV (Open Circuit Voltage)
which means it is harder to strike an arc, also they cannot handle the larger dia electrodes.
For 1 off jobs hire a MIG , remember with solid wire you push the weld not drag the torch

 

[Ruffles]

Well at that price I reckon you can't go wrong. I can always use it as a door stop.

Actually we have a go-cart race in the village every year. The ability to weld should increase the design scope considerably.

 

[andy01842]

don`t work in strong winds, it blows the gas shield away!

 

[TQA]

It will do the job on railings nicely. Be really careful about NEVER seeing the arc even for a second or two. Otherwise you will wake up in the middle of the night with someone hammering hot needles through your eyes. Arc eye is not funny.

I have taught lots of people to arc weld. Nearly all could produce a weld which would join two pieces of metal at least 1/8 thick together with good strength although neatness would be rare, in a couple of hours. This is working at or near horizontal, working vertically is much more difficult and overhead is for real experts. Just go for it and practice. Get the angle right, wear leather gloves and at least two layers of THICK old clothes or a leather duster.

 

[PaulJS]

This looks identical to a CPC farnell one.

I just bought the same, or a very similar model from CPC Farnell, although I paid a bit more (!) for a welding job on my dinghy trailer. It worked fine and the face shield glass isn't too dark although the chipping hammer/wire brush tool is fairly pathetic...
Do a few practice welds on some similar thickness steel first and be careful not to catch too many flashes.
Also, as another poster said an angle grinder is almost essential for cutting and preparing the weld material.
Strongly recommend wearing safety glasses even under the face shield, not as comfortable but saves you forgetting to put them on when chipping off the slag...!
Good luck.