I love owning a MIG (GMAW) welder

legion · 02-11-2011, 05:42 PM

In 2000, I moved into my first adult apartment with a TV stand as my only piece of furniture. The first thing I bought was a matching couch, love seat, and chair from "Direct Factory Outlet" (where you always get a free onion), the local crappy furniture outlet.

About 8 months ago, a spring in my couch broke. Right in my spot, under my butt groove. Like Sheldon Cooper, I am unable to sit in a different spot on the couch, so I've soldiered on.

Now, we aren't going to replace the couch until we move (we want to but new couches that fit the new house--and this couch is not moving with us), so I'm stuck with it for the time-being. I've tried weaving rope, metal cable, and webbing between the remaining springs to fix the problem, and all have worked temporarily with varying degrees of success (anywhere from 5 seconds to a couple of months).

Today, it occurred to me that I own a MIG welder, and I can simply weld the broken spring back together. So I did. And the couch is back to it's former glory. I bought the welder about 9 months ago. I don't know why this didn't occur to me earlier.

trekkor · 02-11-2011, 08:16 PM

I love my welder, too.

KT

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

I will have to buy one when I move away from home. I am going to be so screwed when I move away from a fully equipped shop. We have mig, arc, and a spool gun for Al. Also have a heavy duty plasma.

trekkor · 02-11-2011, 08:36 PM

Quote:

when I move away from home

So don't

KT

MT930 · 02-11-2011, 08:39 PM

Welding Very Handy !

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

If you haven't noticed, I live in hell(OK)... I fully intend to get out. I have a feeling my parents wont be far behind though. Hopefully I can move all of dads toys from his shop in OK, to my shop in the mountains somewhere...

I hope to build a shop more suited for motorsports, and dad has already stated that he won't do this sign thing forever... Might as well move to a better climate in the process....

A930Rocket · 02-12-2011, 01:14 AM

I just bought one when repairing the Honda my daughter banged up. It was fun, but I have a long way to go.

Should have and needed to buy one years ago.

Rick V · 02-12-2011, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

I just bought one when repairing the Honda my daughter banged up. It was fun, but I have a long way to go.

I bought mine when my son broke the frame on my old D21 Nissan. I can't live without my welder. Back when I was drinking I bought a case of beer, and sat in the driveway welding the empties together. That was some thin stuff but the more I drank the better the welds were. I had to relearn how to weld sober, that was tough.

Rick V · 02-12-2011, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MT930

Welding Very Handy !

Wow you made that for $3.15, nice bargain.

widgeon13 · 02-12-2011, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MT930

Welding Very Handy !

I wouldn't give you a nickle for that.

oldE · 02-12-2011, 03:31 AM

Rick,

Unless he got a discount on the nickles, I get $4.65.
[(7x12)+9]x.05
Agreed, Nice work.

Les

Rick V · 02-12-2011, 03:34 AM

At 5 am, and only one cup of coffee, that is as good as it gets. I missed the ones at the bottom.

rick-l · 02-12-2011, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick V

Wow you made that for $3.15, nice bargain.

I count $4.65 3 * 7 * 4 * 21 + 9

That was probably done with a TIG welder

jyl · jyl's Garage

If you could buy only one, would it be MIG or TIG? For hobby work - not for welding up farm plows or suchlike.

rick-l · 02-12-2011, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyl

If you could buy only one, would it be MIG or TIG? For hobby work - not for welding up farm plows or suchlike.

do you have a buttload of money?

Tim Hancock · 02-12-2011, 11:21 AM

Only buy one for hobby work?...... TIG w/ AC & DC so that I could weld anything.

That said, the average Joe who has never welded before, will find a MIG welder much easier to use.

legion · 02-12-2011, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Only buy one for hobby work?...... TIG w/ AC & DC so that I could weld anything.

That said, the average Joe who has never welded before, will find a MIG welder much easier to use.

I agree.

However, my MIG welder (a Lincoln 140T) cost about $1000 for the welder, cart, argon tank, helmet, apron, shirt, and gloves (I bought decent quality stuff)--and I can plug it into any 120v outlet.

It would have cost me around $4,000 to get up and running with a decent Lincoln or Miller AC/DC TIG welder, including the machine, CO2 tank, getting a dedicated 100 amp service and wiring it out the the garage, and all of the other accessories.

I much enjoy TIG welding, and it is much more versatile than MIG, but it is also MUCH more expensive.

sammyg2 · 02-12-2011, 07:20 PM

Definition of irony:
One of the departments I run at work has about $180k worth of welding equipment but I've only owned three POS MIG welding machines in my life, all 110v, all totally worthless for anything heavier than the thinnest sheetmetal. I have several thousands of dollars worth of tools in my garage but I've never been able to rationalize buying a good welding machine.

I swear one of these days I'm gonna jump off my wallet and buy a real one. Probably when I retire.
One of these days.

john70t · 02-12-2011, 09:48 PM

The ability to shape and join most of the hardest materials in common usage is the greatest advancement for the layman.

Personal note: I had a rotating rocker chair which had bad bearings. Couldn't find a replacement, manufacturer out of business. Bought a dinky-azz lazy susan bearing set from a big box store and fabricated a base and attachment. End result was a chair that matched a couch which matched the walls. Back in business for a few dollars in electricity and a few hours.

Tim Hancock · 02-13-2011, 05:57 AM

I traded an partially built airplane project for my like new Miller Econotig TIG welder which at the time was selling for about $1500 new. I had paid $1500 for the airplane project so it was an even deal in my mind...... Plus it came with a tank of Argon.

Any welder is better than no welder, but my TIG welder has served me well doing high quality welds on steel, stainless and aluminum. Sure one can buy spools of stainless or aluminum wire to attempt to weld those materials with MIG, but the quality of the welds (especially with intricate aluminum work) is marginalized. When weld quality could result in catastrophe on highly stressed thin structures, TIG welding wins every time due to having complete control of
the weld heat/penetration.

I do own a 110 MIG welder, but I have used it only three times that I can remember in the last 10 years or so since I got the TIG. Those three times I could have used my TIG, but the MIG was allowed me to complete the tasks quicker (stitch welding auto sheetmetal patches and welding 50 "non structural" target stands together in production line fashion).

All that said, for larger heavier steel weldments (1/4" and thicker), I would choose a large MIG welder if given a choice. Fortunately for me, I have access to large 3 phase MIG welders at work for the rare occasion that I need to do some heavy welding (eg: building a snow plow frame for tractor)