From: T i m on
On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:59:50 +1000, Rob <mesamine(a)gmail.com> wrote:

>On 30/07/2010 6:10 AM, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
>> T i m brought next idea :
>>> It's mainly 3-5mm section steel (angle / box / plate)
>>> so I guess either would be ok (MIG probably 'easier')?
>>
>> I would be using a stick welder on that. I only use MIG, where the stick
>> would be just too aggressive and burn through the steel.
>>
>
>Gee I haven't used a stick welder for years now, the Mig is so much
>cleaner to weld with. Continuous wire feed, no stopping (provided you
>have a good duty cycle) no chipping slag,

It's nice when it fall off by itself though. ;-)

> no more inclusions in the
>welds, less heat-less distortion, the flash is more shielded better on
>the eyes.
>
>Will never go back to using a stick.
>
>Just buy a decent MIG and use the correct gas for the material. I have a
>180amp welder using Argoshield Universal and 0.8 wire.
>
I must admit that along with all the 1.5mm box I welded up for the
tri-fold doors on the workshop I made a 120 x 120 x 10mm angle frame
(heavy so I could lift stuff from it) and also used my MIG to weld
that together at the corners.

Cheers, T i m

From: steve robinson on
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

> In article <xn0gx7vfa1mbaxq000(a)news.eternal-september.org>,
> steve robinson <steve(a)colevalleyinteriors.co.uk> wrote:
> > The problem with no gas mig welding is the weld cuts deeper so it
> > struggles on some of the tissue paper we now call car bodies and
> > blows through
>
> I can do that perfectly well with a gas one. ;-)

Try argon and co2 mix instead of just co2
From: Rob on
On 31/07/2010 12:08 AM, T i m wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:59:50 +1000, Rob<mesamine(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 30/07/2010 6:10 AM, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
>>> T i m brought next idea :
>>>> It's mainly 3-5mm section steel (angle / box / plate)
>>>> so I guess either would be ok (MIG probably 'easier')?
>>>
>>> I would be using a stick welder on that. I only use MIG, where the stick
>>> would be just too aggressive and burn through the steel.
>>>
>>
>> Gee I haven't used a stick welder for years now, the Mig is so much
>> cleaner to weld with. Continuous wire feed, no stopping (provided you
>> have a good duty cycle) no chipping slag,
>
> It's nice when it fall off by itself though. ;-)
>
>> no more inclusions in the
>> welds, less heat-less distortion, the flash is more shielded better on
>> the eyes.
>>
>> Will never go back to using a stick.
>>
>> Just buy a decent MIG and use the correct gas for the material. I have a
>> 180amp welder using Argoshield Universal and 0.8 wire.
>>
> I must admit that along with all the 1.5mm box I welded up for the
> tri-fold doors on the workshop I made a 120 x 120 x 10mm angle frame
> (heavy so I could lift stuff from it) and also used my MIG to weld
> that together at the corners.
>
> Cheers, T i m
>

I also have a very old stick welder, which was inherited, bought back
about 1948, will run about 4 or 5 mm rods or something like 4 gauge, 3
phase. was used for fabrication at one time. This has not been used
since I bought my MIG.


From: T i m on
On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:15:10 +1000, Rob <mesamine(a)gmail.com> wrote:


>I also have a very old stick welder, which was inherited, bought back
>about 1948, will run about 4 or 5 mm rods or something like 4 gauge, 3
>phase. was used for fabrication at one time. This has not been used
>since I bought my MIG.
>

Out of interest I wonder if stick still prevails in any major way
anywhere? Many ships, bridges, tanks and skyscrapers were built using
it over a fair period of time.

And of course whilst it may not be so easy for a n00b as any wire fed
alternative it was capable of some very good weld in all sorts of
locations, even when being done by a bloke and not a machine. ;-)

A good mate (died at 52 [1]) was a 'coded' (did they call it?) welder
and his work was a thing to behold. OK, given the perfect conditions
even I could put down something reasonable but to do so predictably in
all the awkward overhead or vertical conditions took something better.

Cheers, T i m

[1] From diagnosis to death was about a month. Some sort of blood /
bone cancer. A lovely and highly skilled many who is still missed by
many (and not just by those who need some neat welding done). ;-)
From: Rob on
On 31/07/2010 4:31 PM, T i m wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:15:10 +1000, Rob<mesamine(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> I also have a very old stick welder, which was inherited, bought back
>> about 1948, will run about 4 or 5 mm rods or something like 4 gauge, 3
>> phase. was used for fabrication at one time. This has not been used
>> since I bought my MIG.
>>
>
> Out of interest I wonder if stick still prevails in any major way
> anywhere? Many ships, bridges, tanks and skyscrapers were built using
> it over a fair period of time.
>
> And of course whilst it may not be so easy for a n00b as any wire fed
> alternative it was capable of some very good weld in all sorts of
> locations, even when being done by a bloke and not a machine. ;-)
>
> A good mate (died at 52 [1]) was a 'coded' (did they call it?) welder
> and his work was a thing to behold. OK, given the perfect conditions
> even I could put down something reasonable but to do so predictably in
> all the awkward overhead or vertical conditions took something better.
>
> Cheers, T i m
>
> [1] From diagnosis to death was about a month. Some sort of blood /
> bone cancer. A lovely and highly skilled many who is still missed by
> many (and not just by those who need some neat welding done). ;-)

Haven't seen any around in fabrication firms for some time - its usually
mig welders with a remote wire feed. Quicker, continuous no changing
rods, no chipping slag.

When I was doing NDT (ultrasonic and radiography) testing, on welds in
heavy fabrication and gas pipelines, found slag inclusions which
rejected welds, this had to be ground out then re welded. Sometimes when
they are rewelded cracks then developed in the welds from the heat
generated by the weld. This does not accur as much with MIG welds.