Welding for beginners

[robotwars]

Take my advice... Get a MIG welder.

It's so simple to do, aim the wire and fire... Get loads of scrap and practice and you'll pick it up.
I spent 5 minutes with alex marler showing him, and left him to practice on my welder and he picked it up really easy !! 1 hour later he was welding alsorts.

Honestly take my advice.

John
Robot Wars

[typhoon_driver]

Mig is the easiest to pick up. I will always say though that if you can get a good weld with a stick welder then everything else is easy. I bought a tig as I wanted to do titanium. Love it

[ChrisKazoo]

Wow advice from the owner of Robot Wars and the last Robot Wars champion, can't really go wrong here! MIG it is then, better start saving my pennies...

Thanks guys

[Max]

Mig is the easiest to pick up. I will always say though that if you can get a good weld with a stick welder then everything else is easy. I bought a tig as I wanted to do titanium. Love it

When I was taught to weld my teacher had the same philosophy, took ages learning to stick weld then he showed me mig welding which is much simpler.
Although you do have to mess about with gas and speed which is a pain relative to the simplicity of Ark welding.

[typhoon_driver]

The other issue with MIG is the gas versus gasless issue. I've always been told stay away from the gasless stuff as it's crap but perhaps those with experience could shed some light on the issue?

[blazerbotics]

I would always say MIG, much easier to get good welds. As Gary says avoid the gasless wire, it's very expensive, doesn't do a very nice weld and produces alot of smoke (so much that half the time you cant see what your welding).

As with anything you get what you pay for, I would always go for a better branded 2nd hand one than a unknown new one.

[ChrisKazoo]

Thanks for the advice Alan, what brands do you recommend?

[blazerbotics]

Esab, Murex, Kemppi, Miller, Lincoln, Thermal Arc, Cebora, Migatronic to name a few, I would avoid Clarke/Sealey (especially the smaller ones). Your probably looking £300+ for a 180amp one of the above names 2nd hand. As your only going to use it occasionally, I guess it won't matter all that much, but a good brand wont loose there value.

[Gaseraki]

Thought I would just recycle this thread rather than start a new one

Looking into getting a welder in the 300 pound range. I would rather get well branded one that is rather limited and lasts for a while.

Another limitations is size. Have little space in my flat so mig and gas isnt really ideal so most likely ARC

Got some some experience welding with a cheap Mig SIP but it eventually died and I chucked it.

Would like to weld up to 4mm mild steel at least

Willing to pay more if any one has a strong recomendation but since I usually prefer plastics over metals its really only for the odd jobs which my MIG SIP used to do

Found a rather cheap thermal arc
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/18080...f13=80&ff14=66

Would this sort me?

Thanks in advanced and any trusted retailers would be super sweet.
Cheers guys.

[typhoon_driver]

100A will happily weld up 4mm steel so it's over powered but should last you a lifetime. I started out with a £40 welder from makro that lasted me around 5 years before I sold it to Jamie, believe it's still going strong.