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Thread: Welder ?

  1. #1
    In Remembrance / Boolit Grand Master Boaz's Avatar
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    Welder ?

    I honestly haven't kept up with welder technology . I'm thinking about a small welder for the house , I have a cracker box Lincoln I bought new in 1976 at the shop that works like a brand new one , it's copper wound . Thinking about a small welder for the house that would burn 3/32 low hydrogen rods for small work .
    Been told that there are 110 welders that actually work now but seems to me they would be slow as Christmas .

    I hear good things about wire welders but never used one , seems like they would only be good for filling gaps or something like body work ? Thanks
    Last edited by Boaz; 04-13-2018 at 07:29 PM.
    No turning back , No turning back !

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Boaz when I get the new shop up and running I'm going to buy 1 power pack and the mig and tig set ups for it. Gas flux on both. Wire feed is much better than years ago and with gas flux a much better weld than arc with no flux to chip. Tig can do much finer work and again no flux. With this set up aluminum, steel stainless, brass can be welded. I'm going to do the welding booth a little different set up. There will be a exhaust vent in the area. no solid walls but a canvass style curtain in a track similar to those in hospital rooms. When welding I can pull it around and keep it separate and away from other equipment. When not in use I can open it up and have the ***** floor space.

    3/8 low hydregon rod is pretty heavy rod for a arc welder. The newer welders are pretty nice and do good work. Even fairly heavy things can be welded with a little pre heat proper veeing and multiple passes. One plus to the 110 welders is the size and portability of them. Yeas ago I had a miller cricket 110 flux core wire welder that was a good little 110 welder. Used it a lot and on extension cords or wall outlets. It did okay on a portable generator but the lag between load and the governor opening up made striking an arc harder. Neighbor has a pto driven welder and I ask about governor lag He smiled and told me when you put it on a 150 hp diesel tractor at 1000 pto rpm the governor never opens up.

  3. #3
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    If you just want to stick weld look into a Miller Maxstar. You can find some decent ones on ebay for great prices, make sure it hasn't been ridden hard and put away wet. I have a Maxstar 150 and it does 3/32" 7018, 1/8" 6010-6011, and DC TiG pretty good off a 15a 110v circuit. It will not TiG aluminum, for this you need high frequency AC welding current. I do light carbon steel and also stainless with mine, have done a few gun parts for forum members with it.

    We use a Miller Trailblazer 325 on our mobile trailer, and I have a nice old 500 amp diesel Big 50 sitting over at a buddy's shop that I use in welding excavator buckets and heavy equipment repairs.
    Last edited by DougGuy; 04-13-2018 at 06:26 PM.
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    I guess I'm a bit of a welder snob but Miller is the only game in town as far as I'm concerned.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Did you mean 3/32 instead of 3/8? Wire welders are nice and there are some small units out there such as the little Miller. Lincoln also makes one. The 110 units don't have a lot on penetration power, but can be useful for small light items, especially sheet metal. That old copper wound unit of yours is probably a pretty good dependable unit even though it will use a little more power. The kind of stuff I do, those small ones just won't do the job. It all comes down to what you are going to be welding. I have always been of the opinion it is better to go with a little larger unit than you think you will need.

  6. #6
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    I use miller in my shop never had a problem

  7. #7
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    My first wire welder was a 110 unit gas or flux core, though I never used flux core in it. It was rated for 1/4 inch in a single pass, I welded heavier with it, just multiple pass on the thick stuff. I wish I would have kept that little welder, it was just too handy, but after I bought a 300 amp wire welder, I traded it to a friend, and a year or so later gave my cracker box to a friend. The only use I have for a stick welder anymore is the portable in the service truck.

  8. #8
    In Remembrance / Boolit Grand Master Boaz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fast ronnie View Post
    Did you mean 3/32 instead of 3/8? Wire welders are nice and there are some small units out there such as the little Miller. Lincoln also makes one. The 110 units don't have a lot on penetration power, but can be useful for small light items, especially sheet metal. That old copper wound unit of yours is probably a pretty good dependable unit even though it will use a little more power. The kind of stuff I do, those small ones just won't do the job. It all comes down to what you are going to be welding. I have always been of the opinion it is better to go with a little larger unit than you think you will need.
    Dang it 1 You are correct ....3/32 ! I put up the thread in a hurry while I was closing the shop . Thank you !! corrected opening post .
    No turning back , No turning back !

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I was watching this on youtube the other day for some reason. Maybe because my wife was a commercial welder and I was thinking of a small portable for her to fix stuff around the place

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIK-M5ryHYY
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

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  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've used this handy set up for the project car and misc odd jobs for some years now. Even welded in some 1.5"×3" rectangular tubing subframe connectors I fabbed up. No fuss no muss.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Resized_20180413_192028.jpg   Resized_20171022_101258.jpg  
    Last edited by Duster340; 04-13-2018 at 10:38 PM.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Dup post

  12. #12
    Boolit Man

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    Quote Originally Posted by Duster340 View Post
    I've used this handy set up for the project car and misc odd jobs for some years now. Even welded in some 1.5"×3" rectangular tubing subframe connectors I tabbed up. No fuss no muss.
    AMX? Or a ford...?

    Or well, look at yur handle...lol

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by oneofsix View Post
    AMX? Or a ford...?

    Or well, look at yur handle...lol
    Uhh try a Plymouth bud..
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    LMAO..... Ah, a couple other car guys. Nice

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

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    A 72 model

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    The old Duster 340. A sleeper rocket. Friend of mine won $20 off a Firebird 350 with one of those. Man, I'm older than I thought
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

    Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I've used 3/32 rods on my Lincoln but it takes some practice. But a small wire welder would be nice to have. Miller does make a nice machine.

  18. #18
    In Remembrance / Boolit Grand Master Boaz's Avatar
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    Lots of good info ! DougGuy I'll check out the Maxstar , sounds like bout what I'm thinking about . Need to chek out some of the later model welders but heck I'm just a stick welder , did a lot of gas welding back in the 70's on specialty jobs but don't any more 'to slow and expensive' . I like Miller or Lincoln because it's all I ever bought .
    No turning back , No turning back !

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Do a lot of welding on thin material. Weld to fix broken aluminum parts.
    For me a good TIG machine with variable frequency AC for aluminum was required.
    Ended up with a Miller Dynasty 300. Have had several welding machines over the years but the Dynasty is the best and highest quality welding machine I Have owned. Miller discontinued the Dynasty 300 but at 72 the machine should out last me.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    A 72 model
    Yep 72.

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