Do we have any welders on the forum?

[crockett]

I need to fabricate some steel and aluminum parts for my minivan camper build. Used to do some stick and MIG welding on a summer job a very long time ago. Anyways, this time around I want a TIG welder.

I'm running out of room in my garage, so going all out with a quality Fronius welder worth 7k doesn't make much sense. For a nice piece like that I would want a dedicated welding section in my garage and the whole nine yards. Ain't gonna happen, so I'm willing to get something cheap(er) for now.

Been looking around online and watching reviews. So far these 2 welders seem to be decent for the money:

 

YESWELDER TIG-250P

https://www.amazon.com/YESWELDER-TIG-250P-Welder-Welding-Machine/dp/B08CBD1L69/

 

PRIMEWELD TIG225X 225

https://www.amazon.com/PRIMEWELD-TIG225X-Stick-Welder-Warranty/dp/B07BXHRBQ8

 

Any input / suggestions on those would be nice.

[holyjohnson]

i only ran Miller and Lincoln welders and rarely welded Aluminum.

if it is anything Structural i`d say bring it to a Welder and let them do it.

but it is a good reason to buy a welder, cant help with the Brands though.

[Fog]

Between those two I'd get the Primeweld, better track record, some small shops use them and like them.

After you get the machine it will just be practice till you get it. Anything you start get extra material and dedicate some of it to practicing the joints you are going to make. Even pro welders do that when setting up on new materials or consumables.

Where are you going to source your gas? Small owner bottle or rent?

[crockett]

6 minutes ago, Fog said:

Between those two I'd get the Primeweld, better track record, some small shops use them and like them.

After you get the machine it will just be practice till you get it. Anything you start get extra material and dedicate some of it to practicing the joints you are going to make. Even pro welders do that when setting up on new materials or consumables.

Where are you going to source your gas? Small owner bottle or rent?

 

Thanks for the input! I like the manual and analog inputs on the Primeweld. I rather make my own experiences and learn the relationship between the settings, compared to presets or programs based on material thickness  etc.

I'll make sure to do a bunch of learning, and testing with every new project and material.

I only pulled up argon bottle prices online to get a rough idea, haven't looked into the details yet. I have a local place where I get CO2 for my aqua scaping tanks, I think they also offer argon. I own all my CO2 tanks and will buy one for Argon.

[crockett]

19 minutes ago, holyjohnson said:

i only ran Miller and Lincoln welders and rarely welded Aluminum.

if it is anything Structural i`d say bring it to a Welder and let them do it.

but it is a good reason to buy a welder, cant help with the Brands though.

A good Miller starts at over 3k, I'll try to get this done for max 1.5k with bottle and all gear.

Naw, I always do things myself, even if I have to learn it all. I need challenges like these. I'm fully aware that TIG welding is a level up compared to MIG.

[MO Fugga]

21 hours ago, crockett said:

A good Miller starts at over 3k, I'll try to get this done for max 1.5k with bottle and all gear.

Naw, I always do things myself, even if I have to learn it all. I need challenges like these. I'm fully aware that TIG welding is a level up compared to MIG.

Hell, if you can write cursive half-ass, you can MIG weld. Went to school for it, hated it. Worked for Tampa Ship, hated it more. **** George Steinbrenner.

[Huaco Kid]

I took oxyacetylene classes in tech school.  Thin pieces of aluminum, for the tests.  Upside under, over your face.  You learn not to drip it.  Mine were pretty.

After,  in the salvage yard,  with an arc,  I could make **** stick together all day..

Pretty doesn't count there.

Just sticking.

[Huaco Kid]

The oxy torch was the most fun I've ever had at work. Give me a torch,  and point at something that needs cut up.....

When my boss sold a quarter-panel,  you got 1/4 of a car.  Roof, trunk, floor and all.

Takes 20 minutes.

[Swampfox762]

"Pretty" Always counts.  It's called Professionalism.  

When I ran ANY type of wire...Primary, secondary outside, or just "In house" ****...I ALWAYS made it "Good Lookin".

I personally never had a reason to learn the "Trade" of Welding, but I sure appreciate the Trade, and the Beauty of those that do the Liquid steel.

[MO Fugga]

1 hour ago, Swampfox762 said:

"Pretty" Always counts.  It's called Professionalism.  

When I ran ANY type of wire...Primary, secondary outside, or just "In house" ****...I ALWAYS made it "Good Lookin".

I personally never had a reason to learn the "Trade" of Welding, but I sure appreciate the Trade, and the Beauty of those that do the Liquid steel.

THAT is craftsmanship! Wow.

[Huaco Kid]

1 hour ago, Huaco Kid said:

Pretty doesn't count there.

Just sticking.

"Will it break?"

"Probably not."

[Huaco Kid]

17 minutes ago, MO Fugga said:

THAT is craftsmanship! Wow.

That's art.

[Huaco Kid]

Sometimes, at work, we'd cut up ****, for no reason whatsoever.

[Huaco Kid]

And the boss would say, "WHO CUT THE CAR IN  HALF???"

"Larry."

"WHY???"

"Don't know."

[Huaco Kid]

And, with the Caterpillar forklift, you could back over a car and not even know it.

"WHO CRUSHED THE CADILLAC????"

"Larry."

(I did it.  but we lie.)

Larry has no defense.

[MO Fugga]

23 minutes ago, Huaco Kid said:

And, with the Caterpillar forklift, you could back over a car and not even know it.

"WHO CRUSHED THE CADILLAC????"

"Larry."

(I did it.  but we lie.)

Larry has no defense.

Poor Larry.

[MO Fugga]

32 minutes ago, Huaco Kid said:

Sometimes, at work, we'd cut up ****, for no reason whatsoever.

Safety meeting.

[Huaco Kid]

At this salvage yard, it wasn't a junkyard.  The boss was adamant.  There was no junk, just money.

I saw a lot of VW Bugs, and Mustangs, and Camaros, and El Camino ,  and all manners,  get crushed (the crusher came every year), because it was the inventory.

He was a business guy,  and sentiment had no part.

 

[Huaco Kid]

13 minutes ago, MO Fugga said:

Poor Larry.

Larry was black.

And my boss was Larry.  He was white.

So....

At dinnertime,  I had to say,  "Black Larry said......."

And "White Larrry said......"

[MO Fugga]

2 minutes ago, Huaco Kid said:

Larry was black.

And my boss was Larry.  He was white.

So....

At dinnertime,  I had to say,  "Black Larry said......."

And "White Larrry said......"

There were 4 Daryl's too? **** hanging out at your water cooler.

[Huaco Kid]

And I was THE biker in Waco.

I could go to (black) Larry's apartment.  In "the ghetto".

He said that the residents were askew of me,  because I'd just ride right in.

I was known as "The White Long-Haired Boy On The Motorcycle"

With the briefcase on the back.

No white guy had ever been there.  But he said I creeped them all off.

And,  after a while,  they all got to know me.  So I was OK.

[MO Fugga]

2 minutes ago, Huaco Kid said:

And I was THE biker in Waco.

I could go to (black) Larry's apartment.  In "the ghetto".

He said that the residents were askew of me,  because I'd just ride right in.

I was known as "The White Long-Haired Boy On The Motorcycle"

With the briefcase on the back.

No white guy had ever been there.  But he said I creeped them all off.

And,  after a while,  they all got to know me.  So I was OK.

They got a lotta nerve not celebrating you on father's day.

[Huaco Kid]

It was a salvage

6 minutes ago, MO Fugga said:

They got a lotta nerve not celebrating you on father's day.

His wife's name was Adzema.

I asked him where that name came from,  expecting some historical, African,  family history.

He said, "'Cause that's her Momma named her."

[Batesmotel]

1 hour ago, Huaco Kid said:

And the boss would say, "WHO CUT THE CAR IN  HALF???"

"Larry."

"WHY???"

"Don't know."

If you haven’t had the need to make a car or two disappear, you haven’t lived. 

[Huaco Kid]

One time, Bob, on his Triumph, just happened to meet me, on my Harley,  at some crossroad,  on campus, and said, "Hey!! Let's go get toasted!'

So I said, "OK".

And, for then, no reason, we were going 100mph, across campus,  and skidding, all cool, sideways, into, but missing his house, at, maybe, 90mph, by then.  That's how we do.

And then, for no reason, two cop-cars skidded in right behind us.

And they said.  "Someone stole some tools, somewhere,  so we have to look in your briefcase, strapped on the back of your bike.

(Waco)

And then, like, five more cop cars skidded all around (Lacy Lakeview, Waco), behind all into the yard.

We were soooo busted.

And my briefcase had the calculus book (I memorized calculus and passed), and the calculator and drafting tools.

So,  all the cops were bummed.  But we had already me them all, so it was ok.