Beginner welding questions--What basic welder will work for my projects Options

[914xr75]

Hi, My daughter's 1973 is in need of a new frunk floor and the passenger floorboard underneath the seat. I am retiring in a few weeks and I want to learn how to weld these myself. I'm thinking I can do these with a stick welder.

Would a basic 110 volt stick unit from Harbor Freight allow me to do these two jobs? I was unable to determine the thickness of the patch panels that Sierra Madre, AA, and Restoration Design sell.

I would also like this stick unit to allow me to do basic around-the-house welds on fences and the like. Any help you can offer me on this would be awesome.......

[Superhawk996]

Stick welding has no place in automotive body work

MIG (with shielding gas) is what you should be looking at.

[mb911]

Oh gosh this topic always sucks me in. Floor pans and sheet metal should NEVER be done with stick unless you are a professional tinner (sheet metals tradesman) . GMAW with 75/25 argon /co2 is an easy button for the less skilled individual. I would suggest a Hobart handler as it’s very simple, bottom of the line name brand and you can get replacement parts for.

I must also admit that I teach welding for a living, restored countless cars, a CAWI currently and a State Weld Test conductor for the state of Wisconsin. You will get no less then 30 responses on this thread but I will stand with what I called out. You will have an easy to learn welder that will weld up to 3/16” thick very well and easy and really be the definition of easy button. Harbor freight welders are the absolute best garage sale welder ever made. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[rjames]

I'll always be a beginner of varying degrees, but GMAW with 75/25 argon /co2 is the way I went when I started, along with a beginner course at the local community college, before I took on replacing the floor pan and bits of the longs.

Found somebody on craigslist selling the whole setup, including a full tank. Practice lots on scrap before doing anything on the car and you'll be golden. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[friethmiller]

Building your own rotisserie is always a good "[re]introduction" into welding. Useable too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[mb911]

Building your own rotisserie is always a good "[re]introduction" into welding. Useable too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Sort of except your life potential depends on good welds when supporting the weight of the car

[930cabman]

Get yourself one of these: https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en/Products/k5261-1

quick, simple easy and Lincoln. Great value from my experience

A 914 floor might not be the place to start, unless you are doing small patches.

[Ishley]

I recommend you watch Fitzees Fabrications on YouTube. He has a wide range of how to videos and several videos on tools and welding techniques.

Old school solid advice and pragmatic ways to solve metal fab etc.

[nivekdodge]

keep an eye out for old guys selling them. stuff made years ago is sometimes better than new. My issue is being able to see.

Ben Did you ever use the SAM/ the heat and speed were computer controlled....

Kevin

[mb911]

keep an eye out for old guys selling them. stuff made years ago is sometimes better than new. My issue is being able to see.

Ben Did you ever use the SAM/ the heat and speed were computer controlled....

Kevin

Kevin Autoset? Or synergic? Yes and works fine

[DennisV]

Would a basic 110 volt stick unit from Harbor Freight allow me to do these two jobs? I was unable to determine the thickness of the patch panels that Sierra Madre, AA, and Restoration Design sell.

I would also like this stick unit to allow me to do basic around-the-house welds on fences and the like. Any help you can offer me on this would be awesome.......

The thickness will probably depend on the panel location and vendor. If you call or email Restoration Design I think they will tell you. The body panels I have bought from them are 19 gauge.

When I decided I was going to do my own metal work, I did a bunch of research. I am a complete novice working out of my home garage. I knew I wanted TIG for body panels and would probably benefit from MIG option for tight spaces. I ended up buying the Lincoln 140MP. It will run off 110v so I avoided hiring an electrician to upgrade a circuit to 220v. You can do stick, MIG, flux-core MIG, and TIG. It is not the cheapest, but Lincoln has a very good reputation for quality and being multi-process I save space by having one machine that can do both MIG and TIG.

A few downsides to this machine:
1. Price ($1500 list): You pay for the name and the flexibility, but get a complete MIG and TIG setup (i.e., TIG torch and pedal, MIG gun included)
2. 110v machine: you probably won't be able to weld anything thicker than 10 gauge. This is probably just fine if you are only working on cars.
3. Imprecise selection of settings: You can't set 40 amps and 140 inch per minute wire feed speed. You select F / 6 based on a chart, and that is just a starting point. I think this is true of most entry-level machines. Also, it doesn't have incremental (clicky) knobs that snap to a position. They rotate smoothly. I think this is a Potentiometer style knob. Meaning it is challenging to change settings and return to them precisely. All that said, for me as a a noob the precision of the knobs may be the least of the welding problems. Just another variable.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

[mb911]

Would a basic 110 volt stick unit from Harbor Freight allow me to do these two jobs? I was unable to determine the thickness of the patch panels that Sierra Madre, AA, and Restoration Design sell.

I would also like this stick unit to allow me to do basic around-the-house welds on fences and the like. Any help you can offer me on this would be awesome.......

The thickness will probably depend on the panel location and vendor. If you call or email Restoration Design I think they will tell you. The body panels I have bought from them are 19 gauge.

When I decided I was going to do my own metal work, I did a bunch of research. I am a complete novice working out of my home garage. I knew I wanted TIG for body panels and would probably benefit from MIG option for tight spaces. I ended up buying the Lincoln 140MP. It will run off 110v so I avoided hiring an electrician to upgrade a circuit to 220v. You can do stick, MIG, flux-core MIG, and TIG. It is not the cheapest, but Lincoln has a very good reputation for quality and being multi-process I save space by having one machine that can do both MIG and TIG.

The biggest downside on this machine, and I think most entry level machines, is you can't select specific values. I can't set 40 amps and 140 inch per minute wire feed speed. I select F / 6 based on a chart, and that is just a starting point. Also, it doesn't have incremental (clicky) knobs that snap to a position. They rotate smoothly. I think this is a Potentiometer style knob. Meaning it is challenging to change settings and return to them precisely. All that said, for a noob the precision of the knobs may be the least of the welding problems. Just another variable. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

Ok you’re right you can’t click 40 amp and 140 IPM because amps are wire speed . Voltage is potential amps and wire speed is actual

I am not sure why this topic always fires me up but it does because the mass amount of misinformation. So let’s keep it simple

Voltage is like a gear selection and allows you to only go so slow or so fast within that range. In order to make it go you hit the gas pedal and in this example that’s the wire speed. This in essence creates an operational window. In order to get a hotter weld outside of the window you have to increase voltage and then wire speed to achieve the amperage you desire.

In the old days you would have an amp meter display it would take 2 welders to properly setup. You would set tap voltage to what is suggested based on material thickness and then the welder would weld and the helper would turn the wire speed up or down to achieve the amps desired = approximately 1 amp per thousandth of an inch.

I hope that helps a little

[DennisV]

Ok you’re right you can’t click 40 amp and 140 IPM because amps are wire speed . Voltage is potential amps and wire speed is actual

I am not sure why this topic always fires me up but it does because the mass amount of misinformation. So let’s keep it simple

I am in no position to argue with regards to welding expertise. I can only say that as a noob, taking variables out would be helpful. The more expensive machines I have seen have digital displays that allow you to select specific repeatable values. Maybe these are only applicable to TIG?

[mb911]

Ok you’re right you can’t click 40 amp and 140 IPM because amps are wire speed . Voltage is potential amps and wire speed is actual

I am not sure why this topic always fires me up but it does because the mass amount of misinformation. So let’s keep it simple

I am in no position to argue with regards to welding expertise. I can only say that as a noob, taking variables out would be helpful. The more expensive machines I have seen have digital displays that allow you to select specific repeatable values. Maybe these are only applicable to TIG?

No all higher end machines have those values shown. I just looked up the interface for the machine you have. It sucks that Lincoln shows the left knob as v/A which is very misleading. I teach for Lincoln a few times a year and when I see the engineers I will surely mention that error.

[914xr75]

@mb911 Ben, is there a new Hobart handler at a decent price that can handle the jobs that I want done. That would be the floorboard and the frunk floor. The least expensive one that could do the job would be what I would want. I would definitely need to keep it at 110 volts.

I see tons of units used, but I don’t know how to test them so I don’t feel comfortable buying a used unit. I’ve looked at past posts about welding and several people have the Millermatic 140 and love it. Once again I believe I would have to buy it used because I don’t think it’s around anymore. I have seen new Millermatic 142s. Apparently I’ll be working with 18 gauge replacement pieces. Thanks, Sean

[mb911]

@mb911 Ben, is there a new Hobart handler at a decent price that can handle the jobs that I want done. That would be the floorboard and the frunk floor. The least expensive one that could do the job would be what I would want. I would definitely need to keep it at 110 volts.

I see tons of units used, but I don’t know how to test them so I don’t feel comfortable buying a used unit. I’ve looked at past posts about welding and several people have the Millermatic 140 and love it. Once again I believe I would have to buy it used because I don’t think it’s around anymore. I have seen new Millermatic 142s. Apparently I’ll be working with 18 gauge replacement pieces. Thanks, Sean

Sean the hobart handler and the Miller units are all made by millers find what you can used. I used a 140 handler and it was great Black Friday is the day to look. Cyberweld is the best place to look

[914xr75]

@mb911 thanks Ben, I found an older gentleman who has a handler 140 with only 10 hours on it. Old school farmer.. I’m gonna pick it up tomorrow. thanks again!!!! Thanks as well for all the others who added to this post, I appreciate it.

[mb911]

@mb911 thanks Ben, I found an older gentleman who has a handler 140 with only 10 hours on it. Old school farmer.. I’m gonna pick it up tomorrow. thanks again!!!! Thanks as well for all the others who added to this post, I appreciate it.

Awesome

[r_towle]

Keep learning…it’s fun to learn new skills

Get a Gas Mig Welder.
Get some 18/20 gauge steel
Learn to write your name with the welder on some blank steel without burning through and with some smooth lines.

Then you go weld on a car, upside down, on your back….

Rich