Welding set recommendation?

[PaulRainbow]

Have welder you will never go hungry, but you will alawys be dirty and burned!

I first learned to use a stick welder, back when you were in short trousers i imagine

Then i went to work in a garage and learned to gas weld and braze. It was common practice to braze new panels on in those days. Spent many days welding floor pans, sills, chassis sections and the like into Cortinas, MK1 Escorts and the like. Getting burned by molten underseal and the explosions of rust was great fun.

I remember well when MIG first started to be used, it was a million times better than gas, although most of your work clothes would still have burn holes in them, as would much of your outer layers of skin and flesh

I can also TIG weld, welding stainless bits of boat is the most burn free welding i've done. I've got a small inverter welder in the van, about as big as a shoe box, and it'll weld about 6mm stainless. I remember when a decent TIG set would fill half the van !

 

[GrahamM376]

I first learned to use a stick welder, back when you were in short trousers i imagine

Then i went to work in a garage and learned to gas weld and braze. It was common practice to braze new panels on in those days. Spent many days welding floor pans, sills, chassis sections and the like into Cortinas, MK1 Escorts and the like.

Maybe you were in short trousers when I started my motor trade apprenticeship, Cortinas, Escorts and the like hadn't been invented After welding in new panels on Jags and some others, we used to lead the joints before a very thin smear of filler.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Maybe you were in short trousers when I started my motor trade apprenticeship, Cortinas, Escorts and the like hadn't been invented After welding in new panels on Jags and some others, we used to lead the joints before a very thin smear of filler.

I was wondering as i typed my post how many people involved in the motor trade today would be able to braze. How ever many it is, it will be infinitely more than those that can do lead body work. I've only ever known one person that could do it well, sadly long gone now.

 

[solent clown]

I was wondering as i typed my post how many people involved in the motor trade today would be able to braze. How ever many it is, it will be infinitely more than those that can do lead body work. I've only ever known one person that could do it well, sadly long gone now.

I can still do both. braze well, lead badly! Last thing I brazed was a Cresta PA resto where the pillars met the shell. We don't do restos any more (except volunteers cluttering up the shop with their own junk) and I do not miss it. Shiny new metal is so much better

 

[GrahamM376]

I was wondering as i typed my post how many people involved in the motor trade today would be able to braze. How ever many it is, it will be infinitely more than those that can do lead body work. I've only ever known one person that could do it well, sadly long gone now.

I wouldn't be able to do it now, I'm so out of practice I need to do a test piece before welding anything. Started working life as an apprentice panel beater but then changed to mechanic. Gave it up professionally 50 years ago, too poorly paid then.

 

[Skylark]

A small group of us clubbed together to buy an oxyacetylene set when we were apprentices. We rented an unused domestic garage (don't even think about the lack of insurance). We fabricated and brazed kart frames, Cutlass, Class 4 iirc. They were fitted with the then ubiquitous Villiers 9E, overbored to 210 cc. Amal carb and fabricated exhaust.

They were blisteringly fast and it didn't take me long to deduce that I didn't have the skill to handle one. Perhaps now I understand why sailing at 5kts has such appeal

As I wrote in my OP, that was more than 40 years ago. I'm quite looking forward to "striking an arc" after such a long break. It's nice to be retired, I only hope I don't make a dogs' dinner of it and have to go cap in hand to a small garage for help :ambivalence:

 

[PaulRainbow]

We fabricated and brazed kart frames, Cutlass, Class 4 iirc. They were fitted with the then ubiquitous Villiers 9E, overbored to 210 cc. Amal carb and fabricated exhaust.

They were blisteringly fast and it didn't take me long to deduce that I didn't have the skill to handle one. Perhaps now I understand why sailing at 5kts has such appeal

I did some kart chassis building back in the 90's, 250 National, super fast !! 100mph + with your bum an inch off the floor

 

[Brent Swain]

I have put together over 3 dozen steel boats ,mostly 36 footers,over the last 40 years, mostly using a cheap AC 225 amp buzzbox stick welders . In one shop, doing structural steel, we had one welding at 225 amps, full time ,three shifts.
The rated duty cycle was 20%.
Never felt the need for anything fancier, altho I have used fancier welders (with no obvious advantages)
On my boat, I use an engine driven 100 amp alternator from the auto wreckers, for welding, $25, the smoothest DC welder I have ever used.
Welders who have used some very expensive welders , agree.

 

[solent clown]

You have any pics of your alternator set up? 12 v or 24?

 

[DownWest]

On the mig-welding forum, there is/was a US poster who had a web site on how-too. Vertical drive mower engine of around 12/15 hp driving one or more 100+amp alternators with a choke coil and some other bits. I will see if I can find the linc.

 

[solent clown]

On the mig-welding forum, there is/was a US poster who had a web site on how-too. Vertical drive mower engine of around 12/15 hp driving one or more 100+amp alternators with a choke coil and some other bits. I will see if I can find the linc.

I have seen a few, as part of old job we experimented with many methods of improvised welding too. I was interested to hear from Brent as he has been using his for a long time, so might have something to add about reliability and durability, and to share what components he uses. Might be a better set up in a support vehicle than the little gas sets or the 24v battery sets

 

[DownWest]

Quite a good site : http://diy-welder.com/weldernator.shtml Brent should be in bed at the mo Think his alt runs off the main engine?

 

[solent clown]

We start building a vehicle next week for an expedition in Morocco, it is a support vehicle for motorcycles. Based around land rover discovery running gear, I might see if we could incorporate something into that.
As for the OP, it might be worth asking on here if there is anyone near him with a welding set. If he was down here he could try all our stuff before he made a decision what to buy.

 

[Brent Swain]

You have any pics of your alternator set up? 12 v or 24?

I feed the field of the 12 volt alternator from my starting battery. Direct feed would burn the field windings, so I run it thru a 12 volt 50 watt halogen bulb , to reduce the amperage. I also run it thru a toggle switch, so I can turn the field off when not welding. It takes at least a 9 inch pulley on my 2500 RPM engine to get it going fast enough. I once had a commercially made one which used a ten inch pulley on a 3800 RPM engine. I use the RPMs to adjust the output. I have used diodes in big pieces of aluminium plate as heat sinks. I put my negative diodes in an aluminium cockpit box for a negative ground. I put the positive ones on the end of a big piece of aluminium plate, so I could put the bottom of it in a bucket of water ,if it got hot. It has not even got warm yet.
I used to believe that open circuiting an alternator would instantly fry the internal diodes, which come with the alternator .I have since found out that, it takes about 3 months to fry the diodes. A guy I met in Mexico in 89, told me that putting a 120 volt 50 watt light bulb on the output , eliminates the open circuit ,and makes the internal diodes which come with an alternator, last a long time. My current ones have lasted several years of welding, with the bulb on the output. I still have the external ones in the plates, for when that happens. A standard 3 prong house plug makes a good hookup for them.
When you weld, the power goes the path of least resistance, and the bulb goes out, having no noticeable effect on output.
I didn't have room in my engine box for the big alternator , so I mounted it outside, with a removable panel for the belt to run thru.
With it, I have built everything from wood stoves, to anchor winches, to self steering, in my cockpit, while at anchor.
Eventually, after several years, the field windings get weaker, and output declines, but that is a lot of welding for the cost of an auto wrecker alternator.
Of road drivers often rig an alternator for for welding .
This welder runs all my 120 volt power tools. By varying the RPMs, I can control things far better .It makes all my tools into variable speed, including my angle grinder.
A friend, cruising Mexico at the moment, said he hears people talking about generators ,and related problems.
He tells them:
"Bolt a small engine and an alternator to a piece of plywood .It will charge your batteries, run all your tools and weld. If something craps out, you are out $35 for an alternator, or the price of the motor."
100 amps output for your tools is a lot more than most small generators .