MIG Welder, what to look for?

[BruceM]

My head is a significant target for strong magnetic fields (near field in EMC parlance) - so back before I learned that air tools would solve it, I used to try and use a drill keeping my head as far away as possible...it increased my working time but wasn't very practical.  For electric fields, it seems anywhere goes.  I've tried see through metalized fabrics and even an aluminum foil helmet with holes for eyes...they don't do much...too many openings and slits.

Some of the earliest reports of electrical sensitivity in Sweden were cell phone design engineers.  One of them had a full bee keeper's suit with metalized fabrics and silver thread fabrics.  Hardly conducive to an improved social life, but I understand the desperation. I haven't gone that route as I find the metalized synthetic fabrics stink bad enough to bother me, and can't imagine wearing it for a long time. 

My only interesting finding of late is that the blood thinners for my DVT have markedly improved my latency and decreased the severity of symptoms- which where always pressure headaches followed by cognitive impairment and eventually complex partial seizure or absence seizure.  Perhaps venous blood flow from the brain is being effected.
 
SPECT scans of people with electrical sensitivity look much like a closed head injury...only they didn't have the physical injury...just the identical pattern of areas not getting blood flow.

[glort]

 The main advantage of TIG over MIG, is it's relatively easy to weld different metals (in particular, aluminium);

That was one thing I found handy with gas, You could braze dissimilar metals like Steel and Copper.... which I found good occasion for.  Since I haven't bothered with the gas, I haven't had need.

Funny you say about the acetylene.

My father rang me last night and we were talking. hHe said he went down the back of his property and found a large hole like a Bomb crater. He said it must have happened in the last 3 months or so as there were plants just starting to grow in it.  He said he was sitting in his ATV wondering what the hell could have done this. He said it would have taken someone several hours at least to dig it.

He said then he remembered many years back burying a couple of acetelyne bottles down there. His brother had them and when he passed away he took them but his brother must have had them in the open and they were rusty and the gas place wouldn't take them back and neither would the scrap metal yard so he took them down the back after they got more rusty laying round and buried them.

He said one or both must have gone off. I said but how would the gas Ignite buried in the ground? You'd need a spark to set it off? He said I don't know but when I did my welding ticket about 50 years ago they told us it was weird stuff back then and sometimes wasn't predictable and I have heard stories over the years from people I know weren't stupid where funny things have happened.

He reckons either one or more of the bottles have gone off or a space ship or meteor crashed in the back Paddock. 

One thing I thought of after I spoke to him was a bad storm a while back and a tree down there that got hit by Lightening and got splintered about 15 Ft up. We went down after the storm and saw it as we heard the crack and the flash and was looking into the neighbours paddock and saw another one get hit that caused a small fire.

I don't know where this crater is Dad is talking about or how far from it the tree is but I guess it's not impossible the Lightning could have set it off especially if the acetylene had leaked or the bottle had rusted real thin.

I am very confused with the welder search. So many brands, so many different models, such widely varying price points.

Don't want to buy rubbish but I don't want to over pay for the level of quality I get either.
Might hit the welding shops tomorrow and see who can convince me of what to get.  Still wondering about TIG as well. Having Bottles is not a drawcard however.

One thing I have always loved about the gasless MIG is you can take the thing anywhere and not have to worry about humping a Bottle round.
Welds I have seen done with it are beautiful though and I was half a chance with gas ( for my amateur doings) even when I did use wire Coat hangers for rods.

[guest23837]

I have read mixed reviews on gasless mig welders  I'm curious as to the truth. I was looking at a few gasless welders and some inverter welders. I saw a guy doing what looked like magic with an inverter welder on a rusty exhaust now that's beyond my skill level ! Anyone with gasless or inverter that wants to add their 2/- Id be interested in reading it.

[glort]

I hope this doesn't' come across the wrong way Bruce or sound condacending but as weird as it may sound, I often think of you when I'm playing with electrical stuff and think how incredibly difficult things must be for you with your condition.

I bemoan my own lethargy and lack of motivation which is caused by Diabetes and other mental issues ( yes I am a certified nut case) but I dopn't have anything like the issues you and so many other people do. Often makes me feel more depressed and Like a fraud because I see people all the time that would be glad to be in my shoes with everything working but they leave me for dead with much great handicaps. 

All I can say is you must have the right stuff inside to do what you do and overcome your health Challenges the way you do.  I know I couldn't do it, can't cope with what I have. I think I really need to go back to the docs and get motivated with my health but then I think  I have done that before and it didn't do anything really.Not keen to go down the same road to no where again. One very well qualified guy once told me that people like me don't come along very often in a career which I have translated to most of these Phycs just aren't trained handle someone as screwed up as I am.  Repeated experience and little progress would support that  theory!   

I think I just need to take up heavy Drinking. Couldn't be any more expensive at least.

You write much about EMF and it's effects and it is very interesting and I certainly wonder if I am not somewhat affected.  tThe second thought with that is there is probably not a lot in MY circumstance I can do about it. Turning off the Wifi in the house is NOT an option with my wife and daughter. They would go into melt down and in fairness, can't have everything my way.  So many other things come down to modern living I guess one would say. Cordless phones, solar inverters all around, TV.s and lord knows what else I haven't recognised despite taking interest in your warnings and information.

I'll bet even my cameras throw off all sorts of radiation and they are pressed up against my melon for hours at a time. Some have wifi built in now and they have all had radio/ emissions certification stamps I have noticed on the things for years.  Every shopping centre I take my tablet into has 20 Wifi channels going, at least, and then there is the car, cooking appliances ( won't even mention the Microwave etc) that are just a part of modern life that are virtually impossible to avoid. Although I am well away from the city in a country town, there are still Mobile Phone antennas everywhere you look.
The metal roof on out house seems to sheild a lot of that as we have to go out on the verandah or into the yard for them to work so that might be one upside.

I have little doubt at all about what you say with the danger of this but the thing is, how much is it affecting me with everything else that's probably not good for anyone and could I remove myself from the life and family it surrounds?  I have strong suspicion my medication may be keeping me in the short term at the detriment of years off my life. Not too worried about that though. rather be relatively healthy for a shorter while than sick for years longer.

I have always laughed at the idea of eating healthy all the time and avoiding the " bad" foods which are what people enjoy the most.
For me I rather die at 70 ( if I make it that far) and have enjoyed myself than live to 80 and be torturing myself thinking "I'd really love some of that but I can't eat it because I want to live a long life and therefore spend more years regretting what I can't have" . 

I think you do extremely well Bruce with what you have to contend with and I'm Damn sure I wouldn't have had the smarts to survive the way you have in relative comfort.

[guest23837]

Years ago you could put a little carbide and water in a paint tin with a pin hole in the lid. give it a shake and then throw lighted matches at it. It made a very impressive bang. I haven't seen carbide in many years.

[glort]

I have read mixed reviews on gasless mig welders  I'm curious as to the truth.

I have read endless put downs of gasless.  I have used it almost exclusively in my MIG and never had trouble with it.
There are 2 things that always turn into endless nit picking when discussed on the net.  Electrical and welding.  Both seems to have a mass of people involved that are pedantic and will argue anyway but the way they think is right is the wrong way and everyone seems to have a different way.

I'm sure that gasless has drawbacks and if you are welding critically stressed structures, pressure Vessels  etc it has shortcomings.
For me though, welding odd bits and pieces and the odd gate, trailer etc, I could not complain.
I remember doing a tank stand for a friend some years ago. He was a bit worried about it being gasless welding. As it was he made a mistake on the measurements and we had to re do it. I remember him cutting the ends off with a 9" grinder and confessing, there is no problem with the penetration and bonding on these welds.  Was a bitch to cut apart.  Stand is holding 10 Ton and still there 10 years later.

The only thing I could say and I'm not sure if it has anything to do with gasless MIG or would be the same with a Shield gas is I have a bit of trouble with real light gauge stuff but I suspect i'm more into TIG territory anyway.  I can just manage to weld to the side of a 44 gallon drum but it's right at the end of my abilities and I suspect the machines. Only other thing is It does seem to spatter a bit but a can of anti spatter or just some grease in small areas or soap in larger ones fixes that problem.

Another thing I have found is the good name brand wire has been far less to my liking ( crap IMHO) than a lot of the cheap stuff I have got.
There was a welding place close to me at the old house and they guy brought in his own wire.  Guaranteed it,  said I'll give you the brand stuff if you are not happy with it for the same price.  Stuff was great. Used it for years.  Having moved I went to another place and they have their own branded wire. Tried that and it's very good as well and even cheaper than the other stuff.  I have had to get wire on occasion at the hardware that sells the BOC brand wire and it's crap.  I just can't weld near as well with it for whatever reason.  Just seems more finicky or something and harder to get a decent weld with.
Definitely last resort but I try, like many things now, to always keep good stock of everything I use regularly to avoid the problem of running out.   

I have no complaints about gasless and wouldn't consider a machine that can't do it.

[glort]

Years ago you could put a little carbide and water in a paint tin with a pin hole in the lid. give it a shake and then throw lighted matches at it. It made a very impressive bang. I haven't seen carbide in many years.

I'd like to get hold of some carbide myself.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abql2ExwG54

[AdeV]

Years ago you could put a little carbide and water in a paint tin with a pin hole in the lid. give it a shake and then throw lighted matches at it. It made a very impressive bang. I haven't seen carbide in many years.

I'd like to get hold of some carbide myself.

Here in Europe, at least, it seems you can buy it on eBay!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Calcium-carbide-lumps-CaC2-500-g/263817124663

[glort]

I looked it up again on the local ebay. All references were to items on the UK site.
Price seemed OK. Unfortunately seem fleabay UK has adopted the US site Policy of absoloutly ridiculous and insulting postage charges.

[glort]

Was reminded and justified in my " fear of overpaying for nothing exceptional today.

Last march I bought the Mrs a designer Kettle and toaster.  They were SMEG in a retro styling matching pair.
I thought the price was stupid at $199 EACH but you know, the $9 ones would be carp and and and the noise wasn't worth the hassle.

Been finding water on the bench for a bit ( and I have been getting in trouble for not wiping the bench down but today the kettle started puddling water.
14 Months old, supposedly a primo price and a primo brand and the thing is clearly crap.  Emptied it out and turned it over and I see a sticker on the bottom that says " Designed in Italy"  I thought BFD, where's the bastard made? Under the sticker embossed in the kettle is " Made in PRC"

So much for the Old " get what you pay for adage" .
Once again I have proven that is no longer a valid ideal.  Could have bought a load of kettles for between $20-50 and I would have expected them all to last 12 Months and could have taken them back if they didn't.

I wrote an email to SMEG saying I was dissapointed in that a product they say right on their website is a preimum quality has fallen over so quick and that now the toaster will have to be replaced because the kettle is no longer made and the toaster won't match with whatever I replace the kettle with.
Hopefully they will come good with a replacement or replacementS but still bloody poor in my book.

I think the kettle is a garbage design anyway. the window to see the water level is right under the handle so you can' see it straight on and you can't see the water mark from sideways with the the stepped window and the fact it's very narrow.  You have to open the thing to see how much water is in it as it's hard to tell just by the weight.

This is the concern with a welder.  Don't mind paying $1000 if I get $1000 quality but how can you tell if you are getting that or another cheap arse Chinese thing you could have paid $299 for in a no name brand. I also don't mind cheap chinese stuff . I have had an EXCELLENT run from what I have bought and some of it has been thrashed to the point if it fell over long ago i would have bought another saying I got my moneys worth from the first lot.
Thing is, If i'm buying Chinese gear I want to be paying Chinese NOT premium prices. That's the tradeoff for the risk you take.

Service and backup is important as well but the reason I stopped buying Dewalt tools was because you pay through the nose for stuff made in China that does not last any better and the warranty/ service/ standby from the company is crap.

Be interesting to see the warranties on the things as well.
I think the relevant questions that need to be asked go well beyond amps and duty cycle and all the rest of the numbers and probably applies to most other things as well.

I'll be asking where they are made that is for sure.

[cobbadog]

With my MIG I initially set it up to run gasless. I agree with glort that penetration is not an issue as it does bite in. My issue was probably me. I simply could not get a flatter weld, it taught me how to grind off excess weld. Again I say the issue was possibly me and being a learner as I had never used a MIG before ever. Watched a lot of YouTube videos which were helpful but in the end I went to Bunnings and went with their idea of running gas and not having rental. So I switched the polarity over and connected the gas and away I have gone with pretty fair results just what I was expecting a clean weld and a flatter fillet.
My unit is a Lumig made where else but China but it is a little beauty. It can also be used as an arc welder and is an inverter for that purpose but never tried it. I have a separate arc welder which is an inverter and it has impressed me so much that I sold the other 2 welders with big heavy coils inside for others to learn on. Inverters are very easy to use as well and are easy to strike the arc to get you going.
I too have been using the unbranded coils of wire both gas and gasless and they seem to perform well. One day when I have run out of things to do I will once again reverse the polarity and put the gasless wire in and have another go at it. I am not writing it off in case it is as expected, operator error, plus it would be a big bonus to use gasless when welding the rust up on the "A" pillar of our Lorry as wind will play havoc with the gas.

[mikenash]

i also don't mind cheap chinese stuff . I have had an EXCELLENT run from what I have bought and some of it has been thrashed to the point if it fell over long ago i would have bought another saying I got my moneys worth from the first lot.
Thing is, If i'm buying Chinese gear I want to be paying Chinese NOT premium prices. That's the tradeoff for the risk you take.

Service and backup is important as well but the reason I stopped buying Dewalt tools was because you pay through the nose for stuff made in China that does not last any better and the warranty/ service/ standby from the company is crap.

Be interesting to see the warranties on the things as well.
I think the relevant questions that need to be asked go well beyond amps and duty cycle and all the rest of the numbers and probably applies to most other things as well.



"Ozito"  is the word you are looking for

We have Ozito tools at work.  Not flash but big & solid & they work & work

We paid $130 eight or nine years ago for an Ozito hammer drill from Bunnings.  It has drilled many hundreds - more likely thousands - of deep 20 or 24mm holes in concrete for tru-bolts or chemset.  I drilled forty or fifty or sixty 20mm holes with it one afternoon.  I was knackered but it was still fresh

When it finally died late last year we just went to Bunings and paid $140 for another one

I have one of their routers and an electric planer - both cheap and good.  The $70 planer did all the work involved in true-ing up all the subfloor structure when I put a floor in a 70M2 shed last year - if I had thrown it away after that it would still have been a good deal

I'll be asking where they are made that is for sure.
[/quote]

[ajaffa1]

Hi Guys, when I was on the tools in the UK, I would only buy Makita tools. The reason for this was that their spares department was second to none, same day dispatch with guaranteed delivery the following day. I don`t know if they sell any welding equipment but it might be worth a look.

Bob

[BruceM]

I spent quite a bit of time researching direct battery powered DC welding.  Clean DC the way i like it; I'm a charter member of the Church of Edison. 

Seems 2 good batteries plus a big DC choke does an acceptable job up to 1/4 steel at around 120 amps.  The choke, around 300 uH or better is essential as a current limiter/regulator and keeping the arc going.

A guy on a welding forum in 2007 did a lot of experimenting and documented his work pretty well.  Alas, he didn't have an electronics background and didn't realize that he was saturating his ferrite and other cores at his welding current of 90-125 amps, and his test values were  using with an LCR meter that only gives the unloaded inductance.  His choke weighed 40 lbs, largely from copper windings.

I may give it a shot, but it does mean unwinding and gapping a 1000w or bigger toroidal transformer core for the choke.  I'll have to crack some books to estimate the number of turns to avoid saturation at 140 amps. 

[glort]

I have quite a few knockerd Solar inverters up the back with what look like big chokes.  bigger than my fist, 3 apiece.  I would have 9-12 of them.

How does one measure their value on a meter and what would one be aiming for?