Doesn't anybody use arc welding any more?

[Enoch]

Ok, didn't realise this had already been done to death I was just curious as in all the build reports and stuff that I have read everybody seemed to be using mig. I have never used mig but would call myself reasonably good with arc welding. I guess I will stick to what I am fairly good at rather than learning a new skill. If it all goes pear shaped I will deny it ever happened
Best to all,
Enoch

[Talonmotorsport]

Originally Posted by Bonzo

He wouldn't be using .6mm wire..........But then, he ain't welding 1.6mm tube is he !!??

Honestly Tallon you can be a complet knob at times

Well pardon me for having a sense of humour. Sorry I forgot this forum was for serious discussion only.

[les g]

Personally.....
i find the best type of " GLOBULAR TRANSFER " happens when my missus has been drinkind rum cocktails..................

oh and that was naughty Ronnie
pointy hat and in the corner for you for the rest of the day.....

Talon was that the episode where the guy said " all my life dreamed of getting on the chassis welding side in this factory " gosh what great aspirations..........

cheers les g

[Land Locked]

I've been practicing my stick welding recently. I now produce fairly good welds on 1.6mm wall material with a 3.15mm rod on 140A, which I could never do in the past. The only thing to be careful of is blowing holes which happens with GREAT ease if the bits being welded together have anything more than a 1mm gap. It does however seem a bit barbarian to be using such a high setting and thick rod on such thin material.

Normally I would have used a 2mm rod on around 90A. That was fine for gates n such, but it did really lack penetration.

That said I am hoping to get my DC inverter early in the new year.

[Bonzo]

I must apologise if some of the folk reading this thread are confused or perhaps think that my comments were out of order !!

To clear up any confusion, i'll give you a brief history of the reason as to why I have reacted as i have.

Quite some time ago ( About the same time as the great forum meltdown ) a new forum member invited comments on the subject of welding.

I posted in this thread, thinking that this member would appreciate some constuctive commet from a welder with over 30 years experience in all forms of welding.

As this user was using a hobby MIG of low'ish power. I made the sugestion that he tried using .6mm wire.

The advice to use .6mm wire did not go down too well with some of the forum members. It contradicted the .8mm recommendation in the book !!

Now, I don't mind being told that I am wrong .............but what I can't stand, is being told that I am wrong without the technical reason as to why !!

What hurt me the most is that not one single forum member came to my defence or offered any technical reason as to why I was wrong ??

I vowed from that day on, never to offer advice or comment on any topic concerned with welding.

This brings me back to the subject of my reaction to comment made in this thread.

Quoted bellow is the part of the post that caused me personal offence.

Not particularly bothered about the comment, just the way it was noted !! .

I saw this as a sly personal dig & aimed squarely in my direction ( Not the for the first time either )

Originally Posted by Talonmotorsport

bet that fella's not using 0.6
wire

If any of you chaps feel that my comments were out of order, then please accept my appologies.

I for one, would hate to see this forum decend to the same level as so many tend too

EDIT

Just checked the thread, one person did come to my defence.................. Sorry about that Paul, how could I forget that, must be geting a bit senile ??

[Enoch]

Bonzo, I was wondering what that was all about
Thanks for your input, I'm a bit of a novice where welding is concerned and just wanted to do a sanity check with people that have probably fogotten more than I have ever known on the subject. I'm an electronic engineer by trade and only taught myself to weld a couple of months back.
Now, let's all play nicely, breathe deeply and slowly and don't forget to bury the bodies of the people that failed to bring you chocolate
Enoch.

[Talonmotorsport]

Bonzo CHILL mate it's not worth it.

[RAYLEE29]

Hey Ronnie ill get your back, if said welder produces a better weld with 0.6 then use it.
my opinon for what its worth is that the majority of chassis are put together with mig theres a reason for that
its easier quicker and produces good results
if you want to tig or mma then do it but dont moan to me about how long it took
I also believe that a migged chassis distort less than a tigged one
I think either westfied or caterham mig their chassis thats good enough recommendation for me
eagerly awaiting all kinds of flak
Ray

[squbti]

Hi Bonzo, i have to say you make some very good points there. We are all here to ask for or to give advice & it should be appreciated & taken for what its worth but should not be personal or taken to heart .Between the lot of us on this forum there is truly a great wealth of knowlge & experience & it would truly be a shame to stop participating & giving advice because of some coments or disagreements. So hang in there mate.
cheers
samy

[Bonzo]

Thanks for the kind words chaps

The point I was trying to put across in the earlier thread was this :

When using a small hobby mig, the use of .6mm wire may be beneficial in producing a neater weld bead at lower amperage on thin gauge steel such as the chassis tubes.

My own commercial set will produce a neat full penetration weld on quite a low setting with the use of .6mm wire

Yes for shure. The book does indeed recommend the use of .8mm wire.
Perhaps this recommendation was made with direct reference to having the use of a larger, commercial mig welding plant.

Perhaps the arguement could have been taken one stage further. !!??

Why not use 1.0mm or even 1.2 wire ?
After all, the last place I worked made heavy use of sheet metal and was used in the manufacture of industrial compressors.
Some of the compressor canopy's were quite intricate with complex bends & welded joints ( Mainly butt welds )
The most common gauge metals were 1.2mm & 1.6mm thick although some of the components used .8mm & 1.0mm gauge !!

My point is ??
All of the welding booths were kitted out with hulking great Three phase BOC Murex Transmig's.
The factory didn't even stock .8mm wire !!?? Only 1.0mm & above , more often than not the welding plant in the booth would have a roll of 1.2mm wire loaded.
Being a lazy git, this would be what was used. Happy to do so & still produce quality work.


Right thats that off my chest


Back to the original topic of this thread

With the advent of the home hobby MIG welder, the good old stick welder is more or less consigned to the ark.

MIG welding has a fair few advantages over the MMA process.

More versatile on the multi positional welds needed, good gap filling properties, no slag removal, less heat distortion, less chance of weld undercut, Quicker, the list could go on and on really.

In my personal view, MIG welding by far the easiest form of welding to learn, I have yet to find a student that I could not teach to a competent standard in a relatively short period of time.

Having said all of that.

If I were on an incredibly tight budget, had the use of a decent stick welder & didn't want to blow most of my money on an item that is most likely going to be used for the one job only !!??

Yes I would use a stick welder in the blink of an eye ( Probably go for 2mm wall tube though )