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  #1  
Old November 23rd 2002, 23:22
super vw super vw is offline
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Question welders... what to get?

Im in the market for a welder (my first), my question is what kind of welder do i need?
Im going to weld in some floor pans, make custom seat mounts and do some body work/repair.

so what to look for?

Thanks!
Jon
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  #2  
Old November 23rd 2002, 23:33
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vujade vujade is offline
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I dont have much experience myself, but I was just asking this same question to a friend of mine that is also into VW's. He told me that OxyAcetylene welders are what you want, especially for doing body work. He said Mig welders are more for tack welding things together.


Anyone else have first hand experience with welding?

I am also interested in buying one myself.
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  #3  
Old November 24th 2002, 06:01
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Andy White Andy White is offline
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Hi guys,

You don't want Oxy Acetylene for welding body panels as you will end up with all kinds of distortion and your bodywork will need plenty of filler! I had my first beetle welded up by a guy who didn't know what he was doing and that is exactly what he did. I ended up buying myself a Mig to fix the repairs I'd already paid him to do!

A Mig uses CO2 to keep the welding area cool. The way to approach doing bodywork is to cut your repair panel carefully to the exact size (no gaps). Make sure the area is spotless and free of rust and paint and slowly and carefully spot-weld the panel in place. I'd recommend that you really take your time at this stage to reduce the amount of distortion (max of 6 spot-welds at a time) with a minute break to let things cool down in between. It also helps to have a wire brush at hand to clean up as you work. If you are tidy you'll end up with a repair that looks like it was seem welded without the distortion.

As for welders... Steer clear of anything less than a 140 Mig. You'll need the extra power for welding thicker steel (upto .25 inches thick). I picked mine up second-hand and unused for £100. It's a Cebora 140 and has lasted me for 8 years! I'd highly recommend it to anyone.

Hope this helps,

Andy
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  #4  
Old November 24th 2002, 12:32
havik180 havik180 is offline
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M.I.G/flux-corewelders are the only (feesable) way to go ! A relatively inexpensive one is small , yet powerful enough to to tackle most body project and even a lot of fabrication too.Flux-core is MIG minus the gas , it uses an innershielded wire to keep immpurities out of the welds whereas MIG uses a shielding Gas (CO2,Argon, or a mixture of the two ,25%/75%)

I would recommend going with a MIG set-up because you can use .023-.025 wire which is thinner and better for sheet metal. Flux-core is generally .030-.035 wire which will more than likely push through sheetmetal. Lincoln is a good company and their flux-core welders can easily be converted to MIG. You can get them from your local weld supply like Praxair or through a company like Eastwood, or even Home Depot. Weld-pak 100 $350 (flux-core) or MIG-pak 10 (same size and power as 100 but comes setup for MIG). Hope this overly long answer helps more than it confuses!!!

Rich
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  #5  
Old November 24th 2002, 18:16
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Hi

I have a Snapon 160 mig and it is much more than any diy'er really needs but then again I do also restore Landrovers aswell

You probably only need about a 100 amp but i always use too much power ( I like over kill ).

Your local welding supplier should be able to give some good advice but don't always take this as gospel.

Also try Snapon and Mactools. People tend to stay away from them because they are expensive but I find them Quite reasonable and the quality is excetional!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck

Andy
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  #6  
Old November 25th 2002, 12:55
kdanie kdanie is offline
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Mig is the only way to go. I just repaired my pan with a flux core wire feed (Lincoln migpac-10), what a pain, the flux core wire is too heavy. Get the migpak10 or 15 with gas and you will be able to do anything on a VW. I have used mine to build a trans mount for my 902, seat brackets for my 911 seats, repair my pan, narrow my beam axle, fab some caliper brackets and tack my header together before the final tig welding. Check with the Eastwood company or your local farm supply type store. I paid about $275 for my welder at COSTCO several years ago. Eastwood sells the same thing for just under $500 set up for gas.
Inside the side cover of these welders is a chart that gives recomended settings for different thicknesses of metal, makes it a no brainer.
Gas welding will definately warp sheetmetal badly.
ken
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  #7  
Old November 25th 2002, 15:37
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I use a Matco MIG welder 110volt unit. I run 80% argon bottle.

I got the unit used from a welding supply dealer for a great price. They get trade-ins all the time from small shops who upgrade. They do not really want the old units so just poke around and you could save a few dollars.

If you go new, Miller. Nothing more to say.

What I would not do is get the cheap Lincoln WeldPak 100 and add the MIG part later. Why? Because the inner coil does not put out a large output of usable amps per the power it consumes, basically it is not very efficient. If you like Lincoln just get the 110 to begin with. Really all said and done they come out close on price and you have a nicer "motor" in it.

Also I am a big fan of hot and fast welding. When it sounds like you are "frying bacon" you got it right. Also use baby circles to keep your puddle going forward. Remember that the metal needs to be hot so it can fuse together. I really think a lot of people who tack weld it in are not getting a good seam. Just keep the welder moving as if you sit it will burn through.

And remember that grinding is easy, so let her rip

Once you can weld (even poorly) it is more addictive than crack.

Plan on an extra $150-200 for gloves, helmet, wire and other miscelaneous stuff.

Go to fabrication shops and pick up scrap metal to practice with, free. Just leave the galvanized stuff alone!
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  #8  
Old November 25th 2002, 18:07
super vw super vw is offline
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http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42337
would this be a decent one? a friend of mine says "get the most expensive one you can aford" it has a 20% duty cycle so thats not all to bad (more the better right?)

kdanie, do you/could you get pics of your 911 seat mounts? i have some 944 seats i want to put in my 74 super and im looking for ideas on what to make

Thanks guys!
Jon
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  #9  
Old November 25th 2002, 18:13
kdanie kdanie is offline
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Jon,
I will try and get some pictures if I can get the digital camera away from my daughter!
ken
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  #10  
Old November 25th 2002, 20:08
super vw super vw is offline
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Thanks!
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  #11  
Old December 2nd 2002, 11:22
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I have a little 220 Lincoln Mig welder its like right around 65 pounds in weight. When looking for a welder the main thing you want to look for is the "Duty Cycle" that tells you how much your welder is really working for you. The Harbor Freght ones are good but look at the duty cycle. Also 110 units are nice but for thin metal. I got my 220 unit cause I didn't want to be limited to what i could weld. Do some research first before you buy anything. Try www.lincolnelectric.com. I was lucky I paid $180. for my welder from a friend. There are good deals out there but real pay attention to the duty cycle. Remeber you get what you pay for. Feel free to e-mail me. I have a big welding background.
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  #12  
Old December 2nd 2002, 13:07
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Just to add to the metal size issue. The little MIG I have can easily do 1/8" metal, but never tried anything bigger.

I *think* some of the 110V welders can do up to 3/8" but I am sure it is slow going.

If you need to do big metal definately step up to the 220V.

Lowes has the Lincoln 135 model 110V for like $415 which is a great deal. But you still need to add mask, gloves, and gas tank.

Good Luck,
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  #13  
Old December 2nd 2002, 19:48
super vw super vw is offline
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I found a Hobart handler 135 MIG thats all ready for gas with regulator, all it needs is a tank... at $440 i think its a good deal for what im useing it for, that is Body metal, and light fabrication.
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  #14  
Old December 2nd 2002, 20:52
Shawn T Shawn T is offline
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Another advantage to a larger machine is you can use .035 aluminum wire with straight CO2 and do (some) aluminum welding. Would I repair a case this way? No, but I do build boxes and brackets successfully. The stinger technique is quite different, you push instead of pull but it does work.
I have a Century 170amp/220v that I use up to 1/4" and a Miller thunderbolt AC/DC 220 stick welder with lowhy (7018) for anything thicker. It works great.
Have fun,
Shawn T
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  #15  
Old December 10th 2002, 20:23
Ephry73 Ephry73 is offline
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Ok, since we're on the subject, what about for aluminium pieces? and say 14ga. metal? the wires must be changed, correct, so what different tolerances should one consider?




Ephry

P.s. Aluminium, like for heads and manifolds, and such....:silly:
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