Welding question

[peter2407]

As part of my winter upskilling, I thought I would have a go at welding. Looking for advice on what the most versatile/most applicable to mainly boat usage form of welding is best to pursue. In addition any kit recommendations please. Thanks in advance.

 

[jerrytug]

MIG Welding Forum,just like this, but all about welding, not just MIG. Free to register, very helpful.

 

[Bertramdriver]

What I did was go down to our local metal fabrications factory and offered to do odd jobs for free if he would let one of his welders teach me to mig weld. I was there two weeks and in the end was helping with some of the simple fabrication work, playing with a tig welder and regularly welding 304 and 316 stainless. I really enjoyed it and it was worth the couple of hours a day I spent sweeping floors and making collections. It helps if you're retired.

 

[earlybird]

I'd say MIG was the most versatile for casual use, including stainless, and fairly easy.
TIG is also good, but equipment is more expensive.
Stick welding is cheapest, but requires higher skill level, and less versatile. Better on heavier sections.
All IMHO.

 

[30boat]

Mig is definitely the easiest method.Tig is good for smaller gauge and requires a bit of practice.It's also good for heavy work but for that you can use stick that doesn't require gas.Try these people.Their machines are very well priced and the quality is very good.
http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/

 

[pete]

Just booked on for my third welding course at night school,
The first was a basic welding course covering gas welding, mig, stick, and gas brazing and also managed a bit of aluminium with the tig.

Second course was supposed to be further welding techniques but is actually "welding projects" using their equipment but you source the metal. This is really good because you can make your own bits for the boat etc with the help of the instructor if required. In the last eight weeks I have made a heavy duty ladder rack with the Mig to fit over two concrete fence posts, it takes 2 aluminium extension ladders and a cat ladder.

I made a wall ornament of the outline of my boat with the sails up out of 6mm S/S rod on the stainless Tig.

Last night I made an aluminium rail /bracket to stop my dinghy pressing on the Eberspacher in the cockpit locker using the aluminium Mig, and two heavy weight steel brackets to extend my trolley's docking arms with the Mig

The course runs out in a couple of weeks so I have just enrolled for the next one.

I have my own mig using co2, stick and Oxy plant at home but it can be expensive buying the kit and gasses if you want to do a bit of ally or s/steel .

+1 for the Mig welding forum.
Pete

 

[GrahamM376]

Stainless can be DC stick welded successfully and easier to use outdoors where the gas shield from tig & mig can get blown away too easily.

 

[Lakesailor]

I've been making a frame for the car trailer to strengthen the caravan chassis. I've a small MIG welder and an air-cooled stick welder.
Neither are very dependable. The MIG welder needs a lot of maintenance and the stick welder can't really burn the gauge of rods I need to use.
I am very tempted by a DC welder, but really would, in an ideal world, have gas welding gear. Brazing would have been so useful this year.

Some of welds done on this project.

 

[Avocet]

Does the OP have access to three-phase power? If so, three phase sets are, of course, much better. I have a single phase Murex 180 Amp MIG. It can JUST about handle 5mm plate. I agree with the others that MIG is the most versatile (and easiest, I think), but for boat work and fabricating stainless, you get a much neater weld with TIG. For car bodywork, MIG is fine. Well worth getting an old and battered industrial set rather than one of these Machine Mart-type ones. I don't really know why, but the industrial ones seem to give a better weld - and, of course, they're more durable. I can weld at full power on mine for quite a while until the thermal cutout kicks in. Various places sell the gas in rent-free bottles. Much cheaper than the disposable bottles you sometimes get.