To TIG or MIG that is the question...

[J_Walker]

I'm stuck, finally selling off a few bikes and ill hopefully have some monies to spend on a welder. but I'm so freaking stuck on what to get, I know most of you will advise for Mig because its generally cheaper. and more for our hobby.

but TIG just speaks to me in the stuff its able to do.. such as heat control and such.

So here's my applications I will like to do.

Motorcycle subframes [1/8th inch steel stuff]
Custom Stainless steel headers and down pipes.
Of course gokart stuffs.
Also heavier stuff like DOM tubing for personal roll cage building in the future. [I plan on getting an Opel GT, but the frames of them are about as strong as a beercan, I plan on bulking them up and installing a roll cage into it.]
And everyday little needs and wants. for most part I want to stick with mild steels. get into stainless for sure.

but as I read more and more stuff on the internet. I'm hearing that MIG may not be best of stainless steel exhaust pipes because they are typically thinner material.

Opinions?

 

[KartFab]

What are you doing up so early?

I learned tig first, then mig... Nowadays I pretty much only mig.Migbuilds up so you gotta grind down (for pretty looking exhaust) unless you bevel and weld hotter. Mig is good for filling gaps and even thin stuff, just use smaller wire for thin. If you are going to have 1 welder, mig is the way to go no ifs ands or buts.

TIG just looks great and you can get it just right with a foot pedal. If you are going to weld stainless, TIG is the way to go. There are plenty of things I could tig or mig, and I just go back to mig because it's so much easier to tack, and welds faster. Tig requires extra clean metal, both hands are used, and a foot pedal so you gotta be somewhat coordinated. Also figment is critical as it's harder to fill a gap with tig. Once you learn it, it's like riding a bike, sticks with you. Pain in the butt though.

Also hot work on stainless produces hexavalent chromium do please wear a half face respirator w/ n or p-100 filter. The respirator seal should be against bare skin. I work in the chemical sampling/exposure assessment field. Lung cancer is no fun. There was a guy that worked in stainless steel fab work and he died as a direct result of welding stainless.

 

[Denny]

Kart is 100% right . One thing he failed to mention though is how much fun it can be to use the foot pedal while trying to get into tight places of the jungle gym of a roll cage.

 

[KartFab]

Which is almost as fun as a thumb control adjusting amperage with the same hand used to hold the torch. you can use your knees for the foot amperage control too, or just mig it in 1/10th of the time.

 

[J_Walker]

so could I get away with using a thin stainless feeding wire for the stainless pipes?


oh and I was up because I had just gotten home from a friends place and we were talking about this. lol

oh and yeah I can't spend all my cash on just the machine its self, I need good gloves, a good mask, and as kart has already mentioned. a good respirator.

I really Just rather get a MIG. but not being able to work stainless would make me kinda sad.

 

[KartFab]

You can mig stainless, it's just not as pretty and uses a different mix of gas (among other things)

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-solutions/Pages/compact-welders.aspx

 

[supermanotorious]

copy me! get the Lincoln 210 MP

 

[J_Walker]

You can mig stainless, it's just not as pretty and uses a different mix of gas (among other things)

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-solutions/Pages/compact-welders.aspx

Cool. so all I have to do is buy some extra accessorys and its do-able. with a little grinding to make it pretty. im okay with this.

copy me! get the Lincoln 210 MP

this looks like a reasonable machine. new it's a bit of out of my budget range. I would really need to save up a few more hundred to afford it, does look like a nice machine.

I'm also afraid of buying off craigslist because I know nothing of welders and what to look for that might cause me paying way to much for a broken machine.

 

[J_Walker]

Little update. got my monies from a bike yesterday. trying to let it not burn a hole in my pocket like molten iron.

 

[B.M.800]

Welding stainless can be tricky, as it warps.
Tig is more controlled.

Either tig or mig, stitch welding will help prevent warping.


Oh, Id vote Tig... Maybe a Stick/Tig setup with aluminum welding capabilities....
I was oogleing over a Engine driven Lincoln. AC/DC Stick, tig, mig + carbon arc.
Oh what fun. Only a modest $5 or $6k. Ooog.

 

[J_Walker]

Welding stainless can be tricky, as it warps.
Tig is more controlled.

Either tig or mig, stitch welding will help prevent warping.


Oh, Id vote Tig... Maybe a Stick/Tig setup with aluminum welding capabilities....
I was oogleing over a Engine driven Lincoln. AC/DC Stick, tig, mig + carbon arc.
Oh what fun. Only a modest $5 or $6k. Ooog.

I would need a bank lone for that modest amount.

 

[J_Walker]

well I decided that I will hold onto my monies for awhile and save up another one grand. unless a used one comes into play sometime, ill be waiting a little longer.

on another note. a bunch of yard sales happened yesterday and someone threw out a 30cc weedwacker. missing an air filter and needs fuel lines, that's it... and it turns over fine. actually its a serviceable weedwacker at that. people are so wasteful. ALL WELL THEIR LOSS!

edit; and the choke plastic lever is busted. but it connects to a brass rod with a notch cut into it, so really easy to fix/jerry rig.