welding 101

[etlsport]

hey guys i figured there was a good amount of metal working knowlege out there so i thought id ask here.. i was kicking around the idea of getting a mig welder.. (not on a whim.. im an 'experienced' welder) so i can do my own exhaust and other various metal-bonding projects on and off my vx.. are there any drawbacks to mig welding and cars? (ie should i wait and learn to tig weld)

[ZEUS]

MIG is all I haved used, but I have used it on many parts of my Jeeps with great results. The welds are not as pretty as a TIG could make but they are plenty strong. To my understanding, if you want to weld thinner material (sheet metal) a TIG would be better; less warping; no slag. But I have used a MIG to box a frame, fab custom motor mounts and cross members, build a new rear section of body (see my gallery), make tubular and flat bumpers, fab exhaust, repair cracks, build a storage box in place of stock fuel tank, new shock mounts, build an aquarium stand to match my entertainment center... lots o' stuff. I have used it to weld sheet metal to 3/16" thick tube as well - but the sheet does warp when doing that.

There are some combo welders/plasma cutters out there that rock so keep an eye out for those if you plan on lots of fab work. Plasma cutter.... mmmm... must have one day...

Here is the MIG I have: http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipmentdatasheet.asp?p=7083

[Chopper]

I have a Miller at the shop and at the house. You don't need a stick welder unless you're doing heavy frame or construction applications. A "wire" welder will serve your every automotive need. Do not be tempted to buy a cheap flea market, Harbour Freight,Wall Mart type machine. This is one area where you really do get what you pay for. There are a ton of 300 dollar Chinese crap pieces out there that make splashy, lousy, joins and frustrate the bejesus outta you with wire feed jams and such. Save up or look used, but get a good machine. It will make you a better welder, and you'll produce better, cleaner work... but you said you were a welder didn't you. You know all this already. Any help I can give... don't be shy. Wayne

[etlsport]

thanks for the info, thats what i thought but wasnt sure about the constant changes in heat of the exhaust and engine

by 'experienced' i mean i took a class on welding 2 years ago and probably welded once every other month since then... so im far from a great welder, but figure once i get the welder ill be able to build up my skills before trusting my welding skills go to 100mph lol..

my workshop is probably about 70% craftsman tools so i was thinking about a craftsman welder (id also LOVE to get a plasma cutter too.. but goin to school leaves my funds a little low) but i have used exclusively miller welders so far.. and have yet to encounter a problem so i dunno, that seems like a good option too

[Chopper]

Just read your post Zeus. Don't know about the combo units,but our stand alone cutter is f'in awesome! If you ain't a fabber before you get one, you will be 20 minutes after you get the hang of it. Metal art for the front yard.. air bags for the lawn tractor, aquarium stands for the fish you don't have, custom jack stands! What a toy! 'course I like things that go BANG! and make fire, alot.