would this welder...

[sayre315]

weld 1/4'' mild steel?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=54878

[AutoMX]

yes, i've welded my trailers with that welder. you do need to test all your welds though, no "oh that was quick" approach with 1/4" with this thing.

question is what needs 1/4" steel?? i know people who build buggies and kit cars and no one uses anything over .125 wall thickness tubing for the frames and components, except for motor mounts and such.

[ryf]

I have welded 1/4" with that welder, the thing to do is grind deep V's into the joint surface like __/\__ and fill it in.

I WOULD NOT just surface weld a 1/4" plate with most MIG welders without this prep, it will be a weak link for sure. please remember that welder has a 10% duty cycle, that means short welds, 4-6" long single pass so you can.. filling in that 1/4" your probably talking 2-3" max at a time, and you need to stop and let the coil cool down.

this is true for almost any welder under $500, the times may vary but the idea is the same. if you want to weld more in less time, weld short welds (like one quarter of a small pipe, then switch to the other side of the frame, not the pipe), this will also help your frame not twist. the shorter the welds the less heat the coil can create before it starts to cool, so things like tacking can be done almost as fast as you can work. this is a "diminishing returns" concept though as you can still over work the box if you get careless.

if you want better duty cycle cheapish for things that thick, look at an 200+ amp ARC/stick welder, these are pretty much the way it was done at home until 5-10 years ago. I find these things in garage sales and flea markets for 100-150 all the time.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=98103-1703-K1170&lpage=none

good luck. hope this helps

[sayre315]

yes, i've welded my trailers with that welder. you do need to test all your welds though, no "oh that was quick" approach with 1/4" with this thing.

question is what needs 1/4" steel?? i know people who build buggies and kit cars and no one uses anything over .125 wall thickness tubing for the frames and components, except for motor mounts and such.

but i am you using it for a motor mount and the brackets that the axles will go through on my mini choppa

[Kenny_McCormic]

Just crank up you amp and feed as high as possible without burning through whatever thinner thing your welding to and weld both sides, thats how my broken motor mount is welded and its holding fine.