27 replies to this topic

[sonikk4]

but mate, dont turn it up to 11 and its fine! No one at home does 200 amps?  i do have a 15 amp socket in the garage already and it is fine! 

 

The problem is if a newbie forgets and does go full burn!!! well it would trip a RCD or blow a fuse not the end of the world.

 

16amp with a Type C MCB is my choice of circuit in my garage (well it will be once i upgrade my consumer unit next year) One for my compressor and the other for the spot welder or any other high amp start up unit. (had this set up in my old house and the workshop)

 

It would be interesting to see how that welder fairs as it goes. 

[Pete649]

Some years ago I enrolled in a welding course at my local college at nights. It was handy getting some pointers off of an experienced welder. It was mainly gas, though, although we did do some electric and mig/tig.

[Sunnymini]

How did you get on with it? I've been offered a Clarke Mig 110e im considering, same boat total beginner

[Ethel]

I've recently upgraded my big old heavy welding brick to an inverter with more knobs than I know what to do with - made a big improvement to my dodgy welding skills.

 

Clarkes aren't bad welders, but I'd want it to be a good price too.

 

https://staticarcwelding.co.uk/

[Avtovaz]

the 200amp one there looks ok, has a euro torch, the one i linked has a 4 meter one, its really handy. The basic old style ones have a built in torch, they are ok, but usually short so you have to move the welder about to where you are welding all the time. 

[Richard e]

I gas welded my mini. It’s pretty forgiving, you get good strong neat welds with a bit of practice, you can move metal around with heat which is very handy and it can cope with less than perfectly clean metal, but will spit if rust present. Risk of heat distortion is the downside, but you can use heat absorbing putty and work slow where there is greater risk. Not good for any mid panel welding, not with my skills anyway. Or you can braze if non structural, which at a lower temperature has less risk of distortion. With flash back arrestors it’s pretty safe: I’ve had no problems - although you get the heebie jeebies to start with lying next to two large cylinders of gas….

Attached Files

•  138AB759-9D71-42C6-B0B2-699504028216.jpeg   47.33K   0 downloads

[mbolt998]

I gas welded my mini. It’s pretty forgiving, you get good strong neat welds with a bit of practice, you can move metal around with heat which is very handy and it can cope with less than perfectly clean metal, but will spit if rust present. Risk of heat distortion is the downside, but you can use heat absorbing putty and work slow where there is greater risk. Not good for any mid panel welding, not with my skills anyway. Or you can braze if non structural, which at a lower temperature has less risk of distortion. With flash back arrestors it’s pretty safe: I’ve had no problems - although you get the heebie jeebies to start with lying next to two large cylinders of gas….

That looks very neat! I'm tigging mine with silicon bronze. The main thing I've learned so far is that using a flap disk to remove underbody sealant doesn't work. It looks quite shiny but the disk gets all gummed up and there is still tar on there which keeps blowing up in your face and catching fire Gotta use the hard grinding wheel. But I'm quite pleased with this bit of sill I made (off the car).

Attached Files

•  weld.jpg   31K   3 downloads

[gazza82]

using a flap disk to remove underbody sealant doesn't work. It looks quite shiny but the disk gets all gummed up and there is still tar on there which keeps blowing up in your face and catching fire

Wipe it down with white-spirit ... it gets rid of the residue. I've just completely scraped 60+ year old underseal of my classic and it was slow progress. I tried a variety of discs but all of them gum up and as the heat the disc generates increases the softened underseal will wreck any disc ..

Some needed warming with a heat gun to soften it but the real underseal-killer was the white-spirit which is fairly cheap.

The recommendation was to use petrol but not at todays prices!

Underseal will not go back on .. stone-chip paint!

[jonlad]

Started out with a clarke 90A with disposable bottles.   It does the job for bodywork.  I upgraded to Hobbyweld bottles and its like a totally different welder, much improved.

 

just realised the age of the thread       still its sound advice for any novice welders, "get good gas"

Edited by jonlad, 26 October 2022 - 02:46 PM.

[sonikk4]

 

using a flap disk to remove underbody sealant doesn't work. It looks quite shiny but the disk gets all gummed up and there is still tar on there which keeps blowing up in your face and catching fire

Wipe it down with white-spirit ... it gets rid of the residue. I've just completely scraped 60+ year old underseal of my classic and it was slow progress. I tried a variety of discs but all of them gum up and as the heat the disc generates increases the softened underseal will wreck any disc ..

Some needed warming with a heat gun to soften it but the real underseal-killer was the white-spirit which is fairly cheap.

The recommendation was to use petrol but not at todays prices!

Underseal will not go back on .. stone-chip paint!

 

 

Brake clean or thinners rather than white spirit.

[stuart bowes]

I just use a wire brush on the angle grinder

 

https://www.screwfix...eel-115mm/539jf

 

only snag is on mine it only fits with the guard taken off which makes it a pretty lethal bit of kit.  thick gloves and a full face mask are pretty much essential, keep the handle screwed in and hold on tight

 

under the car be extra careful to hold it off to one side and make sure no risk of dropping it on yourself

 

it just chomps it's way through literally everything 

Edited by stuart bowes, 26 October 2022 - 07:29 PM.

[mbolt998]

 

 

using a flap disk to remove underbody sealant doesn't work. It looks quite shiny but the disk gets all gummed up and there is still tar on there which keeps blowing up in your face and catching fire

Wipe it down with white-spirit ... it gets rid of the residue. I've just completely scraped 60+ year old underseal of my classic and it was slow progress. I tried a variety of discs but all of them gum up and as the heat the disc generates increases the softened underseal will wreck any disc ..

Some needed warming with a heat gun to soften it but the real underseal-killer was the white-spirit which is fairly cheap.

The recommendation was to use petrol but not at todays prices!

Underseal will not go back on .. stone-chip paint!

 

 

Brake clean or thinners rather than white spirit.

 

I usually use acetone. Dissolves pretty much everything and then evaporates away like petrol would. Brake cleaner probably also good but if it's the wrong kind it will kill you if you weld anywhere near it. Mine shouldn't be but I don't want to take chances.

[Ethel]

Acetone evaporates very quickly, but the smell's nice.

 

Scraping underseal is the one job that's easier in winter.