Welding- steel box section

**banana_man** · 30th November 2008, 19:37

Does anyone know where I could get some welding done reasonably cheaply? I need some 1mm wall steel box section welded for the frame of a new maelstrom style featherweight lifter. I need quite a few joints done, somewhere in the region of 26 welds. I am based in Gravesend, in kent.
Thanks in advance.

**typhoon_driver** · 30th November 2008, 19:47

Alex it may take you a little longer but I bought a cheap arc welder when I was starting out for 40 quid. Took me a wee bit of practice to get the job done but I did it and can now do pretty decent welds with my crappy welder.

And it still works 2 years on! Time for a mig me thinks

**banana_man** · 30th November 2008, 19:58

Might try that. Thanks Gary

**calumco** · 30th November 2008, 20:53

alex,
i use a cheap arc welder which cost me Â£50 to weld my chassis up and its pretty decent. BUT a word of warning about the 1mm walled box, i used 1 mm walled box 15 by 15mm on my first feather and its gets dinted an bent fairly easily. so for my new feather ive got the same sized box but with 2mm walls instead.

also keep your amps low and electrode size small ish on your arc welder other wise youll end up just blasting through the 1mm walled box- what i mean is instead of welding it youll be melting it away- thats from my experience any way.

calum

**robotnut** · 30th November 2008, 21:10

i have a cheap gasless mig welder that cost me Â£80.00. you just plug it in and away you go pretty much. i had no real idea about welding, just buy one, be safe, and lots of practice.

**banana_man** · 1st December 2008, 15:24

Calum, my next door neighbor welded the same stuff for me for the tail on my other bot and did exactly that! thanks for your help everyone. Looks like I should buy my own.

(Message edited by banana_man on December 01, 200

**ian_humphrey** · 1st December 2008, 16:05

Hi Alex

Im on the Isle of Sheppey and have both mig and arc welding equipment, so if all else fails give us a shout and Im sure we can sort something out.

Ian
Weird Alice