Stitch welding.....all or nothing?

Good to know. Thanks.

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Michael LeCompte

Charlie, not only Hon Duhs. Check out he build up on the Nissan 350z. This stuff applies to all cars of unibody construction.

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/features/0611sccp_opera_performance_nissan_350z/index1.html

A whole lot of double skinning goin' on. If you've never seen this guy's builds before it's worth spending some time and reading the articles and taking a look at all the pictures. This guys S2000 runs faster lap times than other s2000s with twice as much power and he didn't touch the motor.

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Michael LeCompte

Something tells me that those guys like to use their dimple die set a lot.

so anyone have any recommendations on MIG welder for a welding newb?

I'm no machinist by any means, but I think knowing to weld (and having a small welder) would be pretty valuable going forward.

Looks like I'm going to have access to a garage going forward, so this project seems very doable.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

Jon Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> so anyone have any recommendations on MIG welder
> for a welding newb?
>
> I'm no machinist by any means, but I think knowing
> to weld (and having a small welder) would be
> pretty valuable going forward.
>
> Looks like I'm going to have access to a garage
> going forward, so this project seems very doable.
>


Do you have access to 220V or just 110V? AKA is there a dryer plug in the garage?

My personal opinion is to stay away from anything but a Miller or a Lincoln because they are easy to find consumables for and there are multiple repair shops that can fix them if broken. If you have 220V you're probably going to do best with a Lincoln Power MIG 180 or 215 alternately a Millermatic 180 or 212 package. It all depends on your budget. I think all 110V MIG welders inherently suck so I can't offer any opinions there.

Just for reference I own two Lincoln MIG welders, a Lincoln engine welder and a Miller TIG. If you want I can set you up with the salesman from my local dealer in San Leandro.

Tim






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2008 03:27PM by Tim Taylor.

We've all ended up with the $800 Miller 220V mig welder. I think there are five or six of them between our group.
You can pick up a 50 foot, 10 guage 220 extension cord from Harbor Freight for about $30 under the guise of being a RV extension cable. Chop one end and put on the right plug for the welder, and plug the other into your dryer outlet. That's what one friend has done.

110V and non-gas welders are a waste of time. A small 110 may be useful to have in the service truck, but other than that, they suck.

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Grant Hughes

thx guys, I will have access to either power source. I was hoping to spend less than $800....I've heard of miller though.. In fact, I just found this brand (Hobart) that I guess is made by Miller.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200306073_200306073?storeId=6970&langId=-1&cm_ven=Performics&cm_cat=Performics&cm_pla=Performics&cm_ite=Performics

I hear you on the 110v vs 220, but like I said, I'm not a machinist and this welder probably won't see anything thicker than 1/4" so 220 **might** be overkill.

Thoughts on the product/brand linked above? has some good reviews....$450.


I just looked at the Miller and lincon 180 packages....nice welders. Probably too nice for what I'll use it for....decisions, decisions, decisions.


Tim, thanks for the offer, if I go with either, it'll probably be Miller (bit cheaper) and I'd go through your guy. Anybody have a used welder they want to unload????


EDIT:.....OH, here's the 220v version of the above Hobart welder. $650. might be a done deal.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200328799_200328799

---

Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2008 04:40PM by Jon Burke.

I've got a spare Invertec STT...you will weld like a god on thin sheet metal but it's worth $8K used. It even has a tack welding timer to keep you from going nuts and making the stitch welds to long. Just keep checking Craigslist welders come up all the time.

Tim

Realistically Jon, if you have a known good 110 outlet, and a HEFTY (like homemade like mine made of say 10g or better wire) extension cord, and you can do anything you will actually encounter on a rally car with a good Hobart, or Miller or whatever and 030 or even 035 WIRE and they'll do perfectly fine.
I use 030 on bodyshells and it works for cages as well although with 035 you can turb the juice down more.

You are not welding dumptruck bodies for a living, and you aren't building bridges.

Your Sub-a-rat is thinner than average steel in the body shell, and your reinforcing parts like cage spreader plate only need to be MAX .125, 110 will do fine with the correct wire.

As for you question all or nothing, sure you can skimp, but maybe Ford said it best: stitch welding strengthens and minimises crash damage.

And when you've done an area you really seriously can feel the difference.

So why not aim to eventually go whole hog (maybe on the NEXT car).

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

thx John....I think you're right. and I'd like to go 'as whole hog as possible', i'm just being realistic about getting under the car, removing the tranny/drive shaft and rear suspension to do the undercarriage.

but yes....trunk, wheel wells/quarter panels, **entire interior** including A and B pillars, and engine bay.

I guess my secondary question was 'can I do this myself', and given the good info above, it looks like it will be a fun project (for about 10 minutes, until the 'fun' of welding wears down, and then my diligence/devotion will really get tested, haha)

---

Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

My cousin has the Hobart 220v 180(ish I dont remember the exact rating... maybe 185?) and is very happy with it.

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

I have a little Lincoln SP-125 plus 110v MIG. Works pretty good, my friend who actually finished a welding class and has installed a few cages says it's a great little machine.

I can usually get it to stick metal together, but my welding lessons consist of turn it up until you burn a hole in it, then turn it down a notch". I found trying to zap some extra supports on my Craigslist special utility trailer was difficult, as my MIG "didn't go to 11". Trying to get enough penetration into the (who knows what kind of) metal on this old thing resulted in me maxing out the duty cycle, forcing me to wait for the machine to cool off some, and also popping the breaker repeatedly in the garage. Eventually I got it done, and the new tabs haven't fallen off in 20 miles of road use!

Maybe I should pick up a stick welder for the next trailer project, but for little fabrication projects, I like the little Lincoln.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

here you go:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/tls/656447592.html

Miller - Millermatic Challenger (220 v) 172 Welder 415 456 - 2747 leave message.We haven't had a chance to use it much. We like our 110 v welder.

what welder to use depends on how your work area is wired. As for companies which make welders I personaly like the lincoln. Miller, and hobart are also solid choices.

Stay away from the cheap harbor freight, sears welders.

Here is what I welded today, some diff reinforcement brackets for my dad's tr6 project we're doing.



Its 1/8" steel and I used a Miller 130XP 110v. It worked alright, had to put a good chamfer on things to get full penetration.