<VV> Re: learning to weld (not Corvair)

[Dave Morris "BigD"]

I was basing it on my experience of learning MIG welding in a controlled 
environment with plenty of ventilation and spatter control.  A couple of 
weekends ago I welded some 1.5 inch thin wall tubing onto a thick carb 
flange.  If I had MIG welded it, I am certain that the weld would have been 
close to burning through the tubing while the carb flange might not have 
even gotten hot enough to take the weld.  It would have looked great and 
not been very strong.  Instead, I used a size 2 Victor tip on my torch to 
carefully apply more heat to the flange than to the tubing and get the weld 
puddle perfect before adding filler.  Maybe someone with a lot of MIG 
experience could have also done it, but I ain't that experienced.

My general impression after learning oxyfuel, MIG, and TIG, and doing most 
of my work in a hangar with only a 110V circuit, is that a novice can 
probably learn to make better looking welds (on steel) that are more likely 
to be of adequate strength, using oxyfuel, and for less money.  The 
complete Victor torch set with 3 different tips, a cutting handle, hose, 
and accessories was under $300.  The bottles rent for $9 a month around 
here.  And I feel more competent with those welds than I would with a $300 
MIG welder.  I'll grant you that it is probably nice to be able to grab 
some piece of metal in one hand, the MIG welder in the other, and make a 
few quick welds that would have taken much longer to set up with a 
torch.  But I also wasted a lot of metal getting the MIG welder set up 
right, and that didn't happen with the torch.

I also believe that everybody will have their own opinions, and after I get 
the hang of this d!@#$%&ged stainless steel on the TIG machine, I might 
become a convert to a $1000 TIG machine, too!

Dave Morris


At 11:43 AM 3/20/2005, you wrote:
>Oh, yea, heating frozen fasteners, I forgot about that. Good point
>However, the origional post was based on the fact he didn't have much use
>for MIG welding. I assume (often gets me in trouble) he's talking wire
>welder.
>I think a wire welder is a no-brainer over gas welding (welding, not cutting
>or heating) or stick welding, ESPECIALLY sheet metal. I'm not much of a
>welder, but wire welding is almost fun.
>Next bridge I build, I'll consider gas or stick, but til then, its my mig
>machine.
>Oh, yes, I DO have a gas setup; for cutting and heating.
>
>Harry Yarnell
>perryman garage and orphanage
>perryman, MD
>hyarnell1 at earthlink.net
>
>  Hi Harry,
> > You are KIDDING, right?
> >
> > I get a tremendous amount of use out of mine:
> > Tacking things together prior to arc welding,
> > brazing,
> > heating and bending parts,
> > torch welding thin metal pieces when the AC arc welder would burn through,
> > as a heat torch removing rusty nuts.
> > etc.
> > etc.
> > and ... oh, yes, cutting things up.
> >
> > Richard Finch says that if you can only get ONE welding system, make it an
> > Oxy-Acetylene torch.
> >
> > I tend to agree.
> >
> > -- Larry
> >
>
>
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