just a bit of info on 110volt migs
Had a buddy buy a new MIG 110 volt (Im not going to say what brand because this effects all brands) well he gets it home and sets it up and the damn thing won,t weld worth crap, he calls me over, I try it and hes right, but before I go blaming the welder I notice the lights got dim as we struck an arc so I suggest he brings it over to my shop and we test weld there, its a a TOTALLY differant experiance......my shops wired with 20 amp 110 volt circuits and 10 ga wire, his shop has one 15 amp socket wired with 14 ga wire and all his overhead lights are on the same leg.....and to make things even worse hes using a 50 ft 14 ga extension cord so he can weld out in front of the garage in case of fire,......if your having problems with a mig welder it might be the feed circuit not the welder
read this thread
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=9745&p=36661#p36661
read thru these and the sub links it will save you a bunch of money and time/effort and mistakes, most 110 volt welders are great for exhaust systems and sheet metal repairs but NOT when the weld failing may result in the car going out of control or the frame or suspension failing, a decent 220 volt 180-210 amp welder is vastly superior to a 140 amp 110 volt welder, if your working on frames and suspension components
BTW it USUALLY HELPS TOO REVERSE THE POLARITY OF THE LEADS IF YOU ARE USING 110 volt FLUX CORE WIRE!!!!!
QUOTE"
Taken directly from a Joe Kalassa , a welding instructor from Lincoln Eletric
"QUOTE"] Some teams fail to achieve proper fusion, which basically happens, for instance, when you take a little 110-volt welding machine and work on heavy things like shock mounts," Kolasa says. "Some people feel they can do anything they want with one of the smaller machines that is intended for thin materials. If you were to use that machine when it comes to something like a shock mount, you might as well skip welding it and just stick some bubble gum there instead because it won't work. It's a misunderstanding of the welding process that comes from a lack of education. [/quote]
ASK QUESTIONS HERE (they have always given me good advice)
http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/forumdisplay.php?f=3
http://www.hobartbrothers.com/aboutus/downloads/
http://store.weldingdepot.com
http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/
ALUMINUM is USUALLY, and probably best welded with a TIG welder , BUT there are MIG welders with aluminum spool guns that do a decent job, just be aware that ALUMINUM requires a good deal more amps due to its faster heat transfer rates
no 110 volt welder I know of does a good job on aluminum
http://millerwelds.com/education/TIGhandbook/
http://millerwelds.com/resources/improving-your-skills/mig/
http://millerwelds.com/resources/improving-your-skills/tig/
these guys (below) can give you great advice on which welder to use
http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/forumdisplay.php?f=3
Had a buddy buy a new MIG 110 volt (Im not going to say what brand because this effects all brands) well he gets it home and sets it up and the damn thing won,t weld worth crap, he calls me over, I try it and hes right, but before I go blaming the welder I notice the lights got dim as we struck an arc so I suggest he brings it over to my shop and we test weld there, its a a TOTALLY differant experiance......my shops wired with 20 amp 110 volt circuits and 10 ga wire, his shop has one 15 amp socket wired with 14 ga wire and all his overhead lights are on the same leg.....and to make things even worse hes using a 50 ft 14 ga extension cord so he can weld out in front of the garage in case of fire,......if your having problems with a mig welder it might be the feed circuit not the welder
read this thread
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=9745&p=36661#p36661
read thru these and the sub links it will save you a bunch of money and time/effort and mistakes, most 110 volt welders are great for exhaust systems and sheet metal repairs but NOT when the weld failing may result in the car going out of control or the frame or suspension failing, a decent 220 volt 180-210 amp welder is vastly superior to a 140 amp 110 volt welder, if your working on frames and suspension components
BTW it USUALLY HELPS TOO REVERSE THE POLARITY OF THE LEADS IF YOU ARE USING 110 volt FLUX CORE WIRE!!!!!
QUOTE"
Taken directly from a Joe Kalassa , a welding instructor from Lincoln Eletric
"QUOTE"] Some teams fail to achieve proper fusion, which basically happens, for instance, when you take a little 110-volt welding machine and work on heavy things like shock mounts," Kolasa says. "Some people feel they can do anything they want with one of the smaller machines that is intended for thin materials. If you were to use that machine when it comes to something like a shock mount, you might as well skip welding it and just stick some bubble gum there instead because it won't work. It's a misunderstanding of the welding process that comes from a lack of education. [/quote]
ASK QUESTIONS HERE (they have always given me good advice)
http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/forumdisplay.php?f=3
http://www.hobartbrothers.com/aboutus/downloads/
http://store.weldingdepot.com
http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/
turtlevette;1081951 said:what kind of unit do you need to weld aluminum?
ALUMINUM is USUALLY, and probably best welded with a TIG welder , BUT there are MIG welders with aluminum spool guns that do a decent job, just be aware that ALUMINUM requires a good deal more amps due to its faster heat transfer rates
no 110 volt welder I know of does a good job on aluminum
http://millerwelds.com/education/TIGhandbook/
http://millerwelds.com/resources/improving-your-skills/mig/
http://millerwelds.com/resources/improving-your-skills/tig/
these guys (below) can give you great advice on which welder to use
http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/forumdisplay.php?f=3