winemakers are a crafty and versatile group so i wanted to seek some advice.
i want to purchase a welding kit for home shop use, repairs, and different little fabrication projects but my knowledge is extremely limited. When i started to look into this for a “homeowner friendly” type of kit i realized there’s a lot i don’t know.
I am a carpenter by trade. But back when i served my apprenticeship we did have a few welding classes with the oxy/acetylene torch & stick welding. a lot of guys struggled but i picked it up nicely. That’s the extent of my experience. 17 yrs ago.
so if anyone’s familiar with the differences between flux and stick welding, would love to hear your thoughts/recommendations. i don’t care about cutters. i’ll just use saws & grinders for that. But i would like to be able to weld multiple types of metal, stainless steel included.
Lots of good points brought up, I was the welder in the maintenance shop at a port for over 20 years welding, doing repairs and fabrication of custom equipment attachments. Stick and MIG welding and dabbling in TIG although, since I know that just because I can run a TIG bead does not make me a TIG welder, I do not call myself a TIG welder.
Welding is the process where two or more pieces of metal are joined by the melting and mixing of the base metal usually with the addition of a filler metal. In welder ng there is actual fusion of the pieces being joined.
Soldering and brazing while similar to each other differ from welding in that there is no material fusion. Two or more pieces are heated to a particular heat range and another metal is melted over and around the joint(s) forming a mechanical connection.
One can indeed make nice welds in stainless using the MIG process provided one uses the correct base stainless metal, the correct filler metal, and very important the correct inert gas.
I personally have made many many welds in stainless over the years using a Tri-mix gas, 90%helium 7.5%argon and 2.5% CO2. It is not a cheap gas mix but saves A LOT of clean up work and yields a very nice and strong weld.
I have not and would not attempt a “sanitary” weld with the MIG process, that is the TIG process’ forte. But unless you want to make food grade equipment the MIG process can make fine welds in stainless steels. I have joined 304, 308, 316 as well as the L series of these stainless alloys using the aforementioned tri mix gas.
If you really want to get a welder, and I’m not trying to disabuse you of that idea because it is nice to have one, I would “cry once” and get a good welder.
Personally I’m a Miller man when it comes to welders, I’ve never ever been disappointed with any Miller equipment. Lincoln makes good welders too, they are Millers main competition.
I’d recommend you look at the Miller-Matic line. I have an old 175 and I’ve done some large jobs with it. It can be wired for 120v or 240v, it has been superceded by newer models, the 211 looks pretty nice and roughly comparable!
As has been mentioned, you will need a helmet, don’t go cheap on a helmet! Even if you go cheap on a welder get a high quality auto darkening one, they’re amazing. Also very important are good welding clothes, if your getting pin prick burns while trying to learn to weld it will be more difficult and remember a welder operator should be as comfortable as the process and position allow. You want to focus on the weld as much as possible. I wear FR clothing when I weld and when I carbon arc gouge its full leather over that but I don’t think you’ll need leather.
Now all this stuff I’ve recommended is going to run you probably $2k, plus or minus, probably plus. I see you are not far from me so I’d tell you to go to Keen gas and see what they have, they often have good used equipment that you can get for a decent price though I’m not sure how the various Covid related supply issues have affected that.
If you do decide to buy from Keen, come to Delaware, you’ll save on the sales tax.
Again, I can’t say enough good things about Miller welders.
)
