YIKES! What floor?
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- IAC Addict!
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^^^^^^^^
What Bill said. I bought my Mig welder from Lowes but you have to buy the gas from a welding supply store. The guys at the store are really knowledgeable about welding and I wish I would have bought from them instead.
Three things I learned:
Auto darkening helmets are worth it
Buy the welder with the longest duty cycle you can afford.
Don't weld in shorts or sandals (Don't ask how I know)
What Bill said. I bought my Mig welder from Lowes but you have to buy the gas from a welding supply store. The guys at the store are really knowledgeable about welding and I wish I would have bought from them instead.
Three things I learned:
Auto darkening helmets are worth it
Buy the welder with the longest duty cycle you can afford.
Don't weld in shorts or sandals (Don't ask how I know)
- Quadratrückseite
- IAC's #1 Cubs Fan
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It is very fun, and like others have said, you won't know how you lived without it. My neighbor is constantly borrowing mine! I just have the flux core welder without the gas shielding, and it's been fine for me. Not the cleanest welds, but they penetrate and hold, and once you grind them down you can't see it anyway. Absolutely get the self-dimming mask!!! Buy that when you get the welder. Don't even try to do it without, unless you're welding in full sunlight!Hippie wrote:It's fun, actually.Sylvester wrote:Wish I could get one tomorrow and start playing with it. Note to self, save for welder and learn to use it.
Save a little extra for a self-dimming welding mask, gloves, and miscellaneous. (extra tips, etc.)
I wouldn't cheap out and get an old fashioned flip down mask. (It's too hard to learn when you can't see until you start the arc.)
Got mine for $60 or so at Northern Tool and equipment.
Rob
Sly, I just went out and bought mine, and a book on welding, and just did it. Never had a class in it, and with practice you get better. I recently used it to weld a broken exhaust hanger on my "modern" car, so the uses are not just for our VWs.
vdubyah73 and RussellK - good advice also.
"The bus is the real talisman. It's the thing that runs through all of this history. It's not a thing anybody owns or controls. No matter how peeved you get with people, the bus always makes your heart jump. Everybody was attached to it."
- Ken Kesey
Steve
1978 Country Homes Camper conversion - "Gus"
http://gusthevwbus.com
http://freshandmodern.com/blog
- Ken Kesey
Steve
1978 Country Homes Camper conversion - "Gus"
http://gusthevwbus.com
http://freshandmodern.com/blog
- Sylvester
- Bad Old Puddy Tat.
- Location: Sylvester, Georgia
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Waaahhooo! I just got to ask!RussellK wrote:Don't weld in shorts or sandals (Don't ask how I know)
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
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Long sleeves too.Never mind the slag that can end up between your toes, you can get a burn similar to a sunburn. If had a piece of slag go in my boot even when wearing jeans. learned not to have my feet under the work while welding from that one. Think a white hot nail, pressed against a candle, point first and that is what happens to your skin if a piece of slag lands on you.
Bill
Bill
1/20/2013 end of an error
never owned a gun. have fired a few.
never owned a gun. have fired a few.
- vwlover77
- IAC Addict!
- Location: North Canton, Ohio
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And Thermos bottles, too. You put hot stuff in and it keeps it hot. You put cold stuff in and it keeps it cold. How does it know???
Don
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78 Westy
71 Super Beetle Convertible Autostick
"When we let our compassion go, we let go of whatever claim we have to the divine." - Bruce Springsteen
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78 Westy
71 Super Beetle Convertible Autostick
"When we let our compassion go, we let go of whatever claim we have to the divine." - Bruce Springsteen
- RSorak 71Westy
- IAC Addict!
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I highly recommend .023 wire and gas for welding sheet metal it's a whole lot easier and cleaner. I have a Miller 175 and use gas always.
Take care,
Rick
Stock 1600 w/dual Solex 34's and header. mildly ported heads and EMPI elephant's feet. SVDA W/pertronix. 73 Thing has been sold. BTW I am a pro wrench have been fixing cars for living for over 30 yrs.
Rick
Stock 1600 w/dual Solex 34's and header. mildly ported heads and EMPI elephant's feet. SVDA W/pertronix. 73 Thing has been sold. BTW I am a pro wrench have been fixing cars for living for over 30 yrs.
- Hippie
- IAC Addict!
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None taken. And you raise a good point. I think with practice though, he can do it with either.vdubyah73 wrote: No offense intended Hippie.
Bill
Some projects...click for full size.
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[albumimg]1564[/albumimg]
[albumimg]1563[/albumimg]
[albumimg]1562[/albumimg]
You can do this!
Rob
- Adventurewagen
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Seattle
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Welding is definitely doable for most people. I ended up taking a class at a local community college last year. It was great! Not only did you actually get hands on with an instructor but it was nice to get to weld with all the different machines. We had everything from the small migs you get a sears to industrial size stick and gas welders. We even had some really nice Tig welders and all the materials and flux were included in the class.
I believe I spent $160 total for the course which included buying a really nice welding book that I know have and use for reference. I had planned to buy a welder when I was done and almost bought and acetylene torch because they are so versitile but instead I've been saving projects and will just take the course again and use that equipment for all my welding projects.
Next project is to get a full length middle bench seat and cut the 2/3 bench off and reweld on pivot joints so the whole bench can flip down. I'd like to have the ability to carry a bunch of people but I'd still like to flip the seats down and slide in my 4x8 sheets of drywall or boards when i need them.
I believe I spent $160 total for the course which included buying a really nice welding book that I know have and use for reference. I had planned to buy a welder when I was done and almost bought and acetylene torch because they are so versitile but instead I've been saving projects and will just take the course again and use that equipment for all my welding projects.
Next project is to get a full length middle bench seat and cut the 2/3 bench off and reweld on pivot joints so the whole bench can flip down. I'd like to have the ability to carry a bunch of people but I'd still like to flip the seats down and slide in my 4x8 sheets of drywall or boards when i need them.
63 Gulf Blue Notch
71 Sierra Yellow Adventurewagen
71 Sierra Yellow Adventurewagen
DjEep wrote:Velo? Are you being "over-run"? Do you need to swim through a sea of Mexican anchor-babies to get to your bus in the morning?
- ruckman101
- Lord God King Bwana
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