I have a Snap-On MM140SL MIG welder. Its 120v. I don't have a lot of experience with welders, but I have used this one quite a bit on sheetmetal with good results. I need to weld some thicker stuff though and wanted some opinions on the integrity of the welds. Can I safetly weld 1/4" thick steel to steel? I am wondering if it would get suitable penetration to weld my suspension components to my rear axle housing? Actually to the tubes on a 9".
If it's suspension I wouldn't chance it. Tack it altogether then take it to someone who can do the finish welding. Your life depends on it. -stick
I've used a similar outfit before with very good results for a 120v. I think you should be able to do it, but if you are concerned about penetration of the welds get some scrap to try it on first. Bill
It depends on your skills as much as the welder. If you have the skills and knowledge, a decent 120v MIG can do the job. Some of the biggest mistakes when using MIG are not getting the metal clean enough, and bad grounds. Grind all pieces to be welded to remove all rust, and either grind or buff a place for the ground. I've welded the rear frame, neck, and sidecar on my Triumph with a Lincoln WeldPak 100. The neck and rear frame are going on 8 years now, and the sidecar is right at 3 years. No problems with welds on any of them. I spent some time as a welding inspector, so I had an idea what I was looking at. If you're unsure about it, you might be better off using stick, or having it done.
If you can really weld well you may be able to pull it off. But is it worth yours, your familys, and/or someone else life? I would play it safe and tack it up to mock up your frame, ect. Then either get a 220 (you can find miller 220 stick welders real cheap) if you trust your welds, or get it done by a pro.
I just got to this point in my project, and decided not to chance it. I'm not a good enough welder to keep the heat where I want it. I was worried I'd either get poor penetration on the brackets or I'd warp the tube or kill the bearings. I tacked everything in place, then took the axle to a buddy who's flat-out amazing on a TIG. It came out awesome--so much better than I could ever do, and I don't ever have to worry about it failing at the 1/8 mile mark. If you're not sure of your skills, I'd recommend taking it to somebody.
Frank, i have the exact same welder and have welded hold down hooks to our 6000lb racing fire truck and they've held up with no problem. if you're skeptical you need to stack your welds
Thanks for the advice everyone. I went out and practiced for a while. I found a panel on the welder that did indicate it will weld up to 1/4" if set properly. The steel I was welding turned out to be more like 3/16". I welded on some of the thickest steel and layed down a pretty bead then joined some pieces together. I then beat the ever living snot out of it. As I was laying it down, I could clearly see the base metal melting well and the wire filling it up. I am confident the penetration is fine, though I don't plan to chance it when it comes to welding to my axle due to chance of warping my tubes. I'll get those welds TIGed if for nothing else but piece of mind.
I use a Lincoln sp120 and have welded a lot of 1/4" material, I find it best to preheat the part with an oxy./accetelyn torch first off, because it helps get some penetration when you first start.
I've got the very same welder...bought it off the Snap-On tool truck many,many years ago and use it nearly every day....I've welded rear axle brackets,frames,four link brackets ,you name it...I will say though, prep work& fitment is crucial(as it is in any kind of welding)...mine is made by Systematic and uses generic tips,gas shields ,etc...has a few quirks,but a very capable home shop welder... 'nuther $0.02 worth Stan
I have a 85A/120V Dayton wire feed welder, I have used it to repair the rust spots on the cab of my 51F1 it worked good. I used it to weld together a trans mount on an S-10 5 speed I installed it worked ok. The 1/2"X 2" took me 7 hours of building,grinding and filling to get it done, way too much wire and gas. But I did get it welded together with the Dayton unit. I recently picked up a 225V Miller Arc unit to rebuild the cross member I had to cut out, Tired of spinning my gears. Like my dad used to always say "It will hold till it breaks". Rod 51F1
An accomplished welder should easily be able to burn in with that welder and make it hold on heavy guage. Tips: Preheat: This way you dont get the cold start on the metal and have welds that start out COLD Wire Speed: Slow it down Amps: CRANK THEM UP! High amps and slow wire speed equals hot, you'll be able to get more penetration this way. What to watch out for. Running too long of a bead in this setup. The Duty Cycle of a 110 is pretty high (Down Time). You'll get the machine hot and it wont be able to keep up with what you are wanting out of it. Shouldn't be a problem on axle brackets. But remember a 150 amp machine with a 30% Duty Cycle needs to rest 7 minutes for ever 3 minutes it welds.
Been using my little Lincoln Pro-Core 100 here at the house. I don't much care for the flux-core wire, but it penetrates 1/4" steel pretty damn good. I've got the MIG conversion for it, just no bottle yet. I keep the welds short and try not to get the welder too hot. It seems to keep up great around here.
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