NS Dev
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| posted on 24/11/07 at 11:44 AM |
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PS wilkinj means £80 a year rent for the argon bottle, not £8!!!!
The argon will end up costing you about £15 to £20 a month, however you do it.
CO2 will set you back £25 a year at most using pub bottle from a frendly gas distributor.
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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Mansfield
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| posted on 24/11/07 at 06:09 PM |
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Cheap gas is out there, I get mine from an independant place.
I get my argon at £4.50+VAT per month and £14+VAT per refill. Contract is month by month so no tie ins.
If you haven't welded before buy a MIG (Clarke 150amp), if you have and you dont like MIG try a TIG.
After todays sorry tungsten shortening efforts, perhaps I should think about a nice new MIG myself.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 24/11/07 at 07:04 PM |
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On your budget just go for a decent MIG -- Clarke MIGs are a good budget buy DON'T bother even looking at SIP (aks Cosmo).
The low end hobby TIG inverters advertised usually don't come with a TIG torch or regulator you only get a stick electrode holder for normal
arc welding.
£200 pounds won't buy much in hobby tIg welders but it will buy a very decent MIG welder with cash to spare.
The main difference between the two is control TIG gives you much more control over the weld pool --- but MIG is also a very good welding process
for chassis building quick easy.
[Edited on 24/11/07 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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Mansfield
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| posted on 24/11/07 at 08:25 PM |
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Britishtrident sums it up perfectly, as do most of the replies to your question.
MIG may not have the glamour of TIG but all of us trust our lives to MIG welding every single day and we seem to be OK.
TIG is a git when you have a hangover or an unsteady hand, it is also more expensive and slower.
EDIT - do not buy less than a Clarke 150amp, I love the way my Clarke 100 amp welds thin stuff (1.5mm butt weld) but not anything thicker than that.
An extra £50 would have bought me a 150 amps, I regret not spending that.
[Edited on 24/11/07 by Mansfield]
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Beardy_John
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 08:21 AM |
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Thanks guys for all your comments. It has really confirmed what I sort of knew already. Going to 907's tonight to try his TIG to see if I can
get on with it  If not a Clarke 151TE will be on my Xmas list from Santa 
(p.s. Mansfied, nice avatar  )
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Mansfield
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 07:18 PM |
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I would love to see some pictures of your trials John. Could you post some up when you have had a go?
The avatar is a Gemma Atkinson tribute, when she gets kicked out I will return to a more PC picture.
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907
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 07:31 PM |
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This guy's a natural.
I'm Gobsmacked. The pics below speak for themselves.
1. First EVER go with a Tig. A simple run on a sheet foxes most people.
2. Five minutes later. Butt joint in 3mm plate.
3. Ten minutes later... First ever fillet joint.
Well done John
Paul G
 
Rescued attachment Johns-1st-welds.jpg
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blakep82
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 07:47 PM |
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jesus christ! thats brilliant!
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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NS Dev
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 08:18 PM |
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that fillet looks nice!!
Get a tig!
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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Mansfield
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 09:22 PM |
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Yes, get a tig, get a tig, you are born for it!
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Beardy_John
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 09:43 PM |
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Thanks to all
Big thanks for 907 letting me have a go this evening. I have amazed myself at how easy I found it!! Massive confidence boost to get on
and get cracking.
Thanks to all for the nice comments and helpful posts.
Will now be hunting round ebay for a suitable "stater" TIG set
(p.s. anyone got a spare to sell???)
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blakep82
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 10:19 PM |
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reckon you've been having us on! your a pro really
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
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Mansfield
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 10:38 PM |
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Maybe 907 has two logins.
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907
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| posted on 26/11/07 at 10:59 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mansfield
Maybe 907 has two logins.
I'm a worried man
John and I met up this afternoon at my works to save him the pain of having to find my house.
Within days he could be sniffing round my guvnors and I'll be out on my ear.
Oo err
Paul G
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Mansfield
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| posted on 27/11/07 at 08:13 AM |
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Next time John comes over tell him he needs to weld in stilettos for grounding reasons.
That should put your boss off.
If it doesn't - YOU need a new job.
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Normsthename
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| posted on 27/11/07 at 11:44 AM |
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quote:
I have amazed myself at how easy I found it!! Massive confidence boost to get on and get cracking.
Good first welds
Don't forget that the welder you were using was correctly setup by someone experienced.
That is lot of the technique!
When you buy a new shiny TIG welder you will have to set it up from scratch!
Not trying to put you off, but I know a well setup welder is 60% of the skill!
I would definitely go with the TIG welder.
Two years ago I bought a TIG welder (£1500) for my business and I had never welded except a little stick and MIG
After a lot of practice, holes and pigeon sh*t I now consider myself a TIG welder
Only problem with the cheap TIG plants are the scratch start etc.
Pay the extra and get a HF start and also AC/DC so you can weld anything
Andy
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wilkingj
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| posted on 27/11/07 at 01:03 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Normsthename
Don't forget that the welder you were using was correctly setup by someone experienced.
That is lot of the technique!
When you buy a new shiny TIG welder you will have to set it up from scratch!
Not trying to put you off, but I know a well setup welder is 60% of the skill!
Two years ago I bought a TIG welder (£1500) for my business and I had never welded except a little stick and MIG
After a lot of practice, holes and pigeon sh*t I now consider myself a TIG welder
Only problem with the cheap TIG plants are the scratch start etc.
Pay the extra and get a HF start and also AC/DC so you can weld anything
Andy
Yes... You are correct. However....
A few tips from 907, and the Link to the Miller site for setting up the setting for different types of welds and thicknesses has helped me a LOT.
Have a look at the welds on my heater.
Linky
This is with a cheap £197 Rehman Tig off Ebay, this was my first attempt at a propper TIG Weld.
Ok its not perfect, but 907's try out (he let me have a try out as well) was a huge confidence booster to me as well.
OK his kit is the dogs Danglys, and he knows exactly how to set it up.
I admit I dont, and I am not experienced.
However, using the miller Site, and 907's Tips, I managed to do the welding in the above thread, ie building my oil heater.
It can be done. having the info and the pointers helps a lot. I had none of that, and my MIG skills are still not as good as my TIG Welds.
Again... I can impress on how much these two other bits of info helped me.
The Video got via Bit Torrent... worth the slow download of the 500Mb file. It IS WORTH IT.
http://www.mybittorrent.com/info/633189/
and the miller site set up info.
At least it points you in the right direction.
http://www.millerwelds.com/education/calculators/tig_amperage_calculator.php
Without the above two items, and 907's tips and encouragement, I would still be fumbling in the dark (well ultra violet light from the
torch)
at £200 its as cheap as a good MIG.
It s better.
The only realy downside is having to rent the gas bottles. Disposable bottles are really a waste of time.
I got a DC set as I couldnt really stretch to an AC / DC set. (they are twice the price of DC sets.
You need to ask yourself Just how much Ally will I weld? Can it be made from Stainless instead, which a DC set will weld easily.
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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Beardy_John
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| posted on 27/11/07 at 02:27 PM |
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Thanks wilkingj, good advice, and if my proper computer ever comes back to life soon I will find the vid on bittirrent.
Now the hunt is on for the TIG and gas bottles
But in the mean time, on with the decorating. (sigh.....i hate polyfilla)
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Normsthename
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| posted on 27/11/07 at 02:50 PM |
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quote:
The Video got via Bit Torrent... worth the slow download of the 500Mb file. It IS WORTH IT.
Thanks for the link, I will download it and have a look.
Even though I can TIG weld it is always useful to learn new Tips
Andy
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Beardy_John
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 09:12 PM |
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Rehman 160A on the way!!
Well, took the plunge and a Rehamn 160 amp TIG is on its way from "ze Germans" !!!
Went to my local BOC trade counter today and got various bottle sizes and prices, just wondering who else is around Suffolk that I could get my Argon
from???
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907
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 09:39 PM |
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Well done John.
Btw, I smile now every time I see your avatar.
Atb
Paul G
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Mansfield
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 10:09 PM |
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TIG on brother.
When it arrives cut the European plug off and fit a normal 13 amp one. Wiring colours are as this country.
Look forward to seeing your results, although the last ones left me feeling a bit inadequate.
David
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wilkingj
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 11:15 PM |
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BOC are probably the most expensive.
Look up Air Products and Air Liquide as suppliers (well their agents!)
or better still any independants tou can find.
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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Beardy_John
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| posted on 19/1/08 at 05:11 PM |
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Welding Progress (at last!!)
Hi all. Know its been a long time since I started this post, but progress has been slow However, the practice is going well and have made my
first object, a flat table for welding approx 600mm sq so should be big enough for wishbones etc, etc. Pictures posted in archive, and a few of
the better ones below. Comments welcome
 
Description
10mm plate to 1" box
 
Description
Trials on 1" box
Still getting the odd blobby weld but getting much better
TIG settings
Argon - 14 l/min
1.6m tungsten (red)
Amps - around 110 for plate to 1" & 90 for 1" to 1"
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 19/1/08 at 05:40 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Normsthename
Don't forget that the welder you were using was correctly setup by someone experienced.
That is lot of the technique!
When you buy a new shiny TIG welder you will have to set it up from scratch!
Not trying to put you off, but I know a well setup welder is 60% of the skill!
This is also true for MIG, to a certain extent. Knowing how to set up the MIG, and how it behaves and sounds when welding is a major part of
learning.
I went on a couple of day course, which helped me a HUGE amount.
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