Hot Rods Welding or lack there of

rustyironman · Sep 13, 2016

Modelabc said: ↑

Learning to arc weld is no harder that trying to weld with cored wire. Before I was able to buy a gas MIG I welded the exhaust pipe with a 6013 1/16th rod. No problem and easier than a torch. I really believe that a person, on a strict budget, that is looking to get a welder, should FIRST look around and find a used 'cracker box' stick welder. Spent a lot of years building cars with just an arc welder; this wire feed thing is something few rodders owned until 30 or 40 years ago. I pick them up for very little money [often for less that the leads transformer are worth in copper] and give them to friends, after a couple of lessons, they stop talking about 'settling" for a Harbor Freight core-wire MIG. The smart move, with no money wasted on junk core-wire stuff [throw-away], is to 'get by' with an Arc Welder....then with the money saved, and the time to save, at some point buy a machine that will be worth owning. Ya, a 'good' MIG is really nice, but is limited in a number of ways. An old arc welder with a carbon rod will cut anything. A MIG requires a [very expensive] roll of Stainless Steel wire and a different bottle of gas to work with Stainless Steel [$$$ I know because I bought the bottle and the roll of SS wire]. The little [lowly] cracker box does a nice job with arc rod on stainless. The high-zoot MIG which I have managed to own will not weld cast iron. My arc welder will do just fine fixing broken castings with NiRod. Hard facing? Ya, it can be done with a wire feed [$$$ investment] if you got the money but hard facing rod, at very little cost does just fine. Also, arc rod is CHEAP! I pick it up at yard sales and often get lots from folks for free that have been silly enough, when they 'stepped up' to a MIG, to get rid of the little cracker box. Recently I built a rather large car trailer. The thing was tacked together with the MIG [nice and easy]....then welded off, in almost its entirely, with the arc welder with free arc rod. Saved a bundle in wire and gas. And, the fact is, you can get into and weld places that a MIG cup will no way fit into. Personally, I have trouble seeing how, in general work, a guy can get along happily with just a MIG. Just starting? I advise that a guy try and find out how easy it really is to arc weld...then pick up a used low buck cracker box and then save up for a gas MIG. But never get rid of that little guy.
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Amen Brother. Well said.

willys36 · Sep 13, 2016

blowby said: ↑

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe on my Lincoln you switch polarity when going between gas and flux core. Sounds like maybe your HF machine does not have a polarity option?
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YES!!!!! And don't ask me how I know that!!!!!

Dan Timberlake · Sep 13, 2016

I was amazed to learn that HF Welder is AC.

In the reviews on the HF site some body posted this pic of their work.
http://res.cloudinary.com/powerreviews/image/upload/f_auto,w_432,h_767/prod/habky0ldotumnm8xkiqy.jpg

I'd say there are some fusion issues along the weld toes, but he's off to a decent start.

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Hot Rods Welding or lack there of

rustyironman
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Hot Rods Welding or lack there of

rustyironman Member from Winter-Wonderland: Michigan

willys36 Member from Van Alstyne, Texas Central California HAMB All Things Willys *** HOT ROD - 1979 - RARE TV movie ***Willys Coupe Hydro Tech Big Daddy Ed Roth

Dan Timberlake Member from Massachusetts

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rustyironman
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from Winter-Wonderland: Michigan

willys36
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from Van Alstyne, Texas

Central California HAMB

All Things Willys

* HOT ROD - 1979 - RARE TV movie *Willys Coupe

Hydro Tech

Big Daddy Ed Roth

Dan Timberlake
Member

from Massachusetts