what sort of cheap welder can i buy to build frames and fix old ones? thanks

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joshua97

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Hi, i'm looking to weld bike frames (regular cheapies etc) and also weld mounts to a frame so i can mount a 70cc 4 sp semi auto dirt bike engine. i was looking at a 120 amp arc? but that may burn holes thru frame? or a gas less mig? i really don't know and I'm on a budget. i have safety equipment so just need the welder, engine mounts will be roughly 3mm or mane a bit bigger. i have a bit of welding experience at oxy-eset and mig and i have arced a few times on other thicker metal projects? hoping to spend less than $150 if possible, i did have my eyes on a 90 amp arc welder ? for $90 aus haha, please help thanks?
 
Unless you become very competent with lots and lots of practice, it don't matter how an expensive welder you have, your more than likely just wasting your money. Not knowing what your doing isn't going to be productive with a cheap welder. It is like not knowing anything about engines and then buying a boat load of performance parts. Your engine ain't going to run right. It would just be cheaper to pay someone to build an engine and pay them to tune it.

Why take a chance riding down the road at 30mph and your turkey weld decides to let go or you cause a stress fracture to develop because you overheated the tubing - safety is important and a good weld is important to your safety.

Take several welding classes with the $150 before you buy a welder. Or you could pay someone to weld your frame for you with the $150.


It's your money, but think twice before you make a plunge.


Good Luck,

Chris
AKA: BigBlue
 
Thanks BigBlue, i think i shall reconsider that thought :) back to nuts and bolts i think, generally speaking would a 90 amp arc welder be suficcient (if i was to get one just to practice) thanks
 
gasless mig? on thin wall tubing? no. gasless is messy and nasty and horrible but good outdoors on heavy jobs.

arc/mma/stick? definitely not on thin wall, its next to impossible to find rods under 2mm now. they are a good thing to have because if you can learn to lay good beads with a stick welder, you can lay good welds with almost any other method :)

Tig? very easy, ive taught people with no experience to lay nice tig beads. overheads, verticals, horizontals...very easy. with practise.

with this ill include oxy acetylene. its much the same as tig but with burning gas, not an arc. they both have a major disadvantage to the MIG. they dont do one hand tack welds too easily. youll know what this means when youve held a rod in your teeth, one hand on torch, one hand holding small piece of steel, one foot braced against the wall cus theres a 6ft drop under you, and the other holding what your tacking to the wall...

get a REAL gas mig, even a cheapie does the job. fleabay. 120-160 amp is more than enough for the backyard warrior. 0.8mm wire is ideal. smaller is too "blobby", thicker is only much use when youre laying 1inch welds at 350 amps... buying a real brandname like lincoln helps in the long run, but a cheapie will do the job. a variable current control is far superior to mere switched settings, but costs more...

yes, you have to buy gas, but omg! clean welds, no cleaning afterwards, etc. and its not that big an expenditure with the right suppliers, spread out over a year... if you see small bottles for sale, ignore them. they last only a few minutes and at the price of them...you will understand after buying a real bottle of gas.


learning? theres plenty of information available online! you just gotta read, understand, then attempt! practise makes perfect. get some scrap mild steel and start playing! the more you learn, and the more you try, the better you will be!


(and even a qualified 6G(r){all positional pipe, restricted access} welder has to be retested/certified after 3 months of not doing it, or when applying for certain positions)
 
and, as a footnote. oxy acetylene is handy cus you can cut with it. braze with it. heat things up and bend them with it. weld with it. solder with it. and LPG or natural gas works for everything but welding...cheap!

a good braze joint can be nearly as strong as the material being joined. depends upon fit-up
 
Harbor freight comes to mind. Personally I wouldn't buy a stick welder,at least a mig. 90 amp is too light because along the way your going to be welding other stuff once you get the knack of it. I wouldn't buy anything less than 150 amps but that's me. You can go to any metal shop and ask for scraps to practice on or a scrap yard. Might have to pay a little but its better than practicing on a good frame. I haven't welded in 20 years things have changed like cell phones I imagine............good luck.
 
Some guys are virgins and still live with mom.

Huh, What's up with the Flame? Either directed at me or joshua97, I don't think it is appropriate. He asked for an opinion, I gave it to him and other members stated their opinions.

If you don't have anything to contribute then at least don't say something that is negative and doesn't contribute to this forum in a positive and constructive manner.

Have a nice day,

Chris
AKA: BigBlue
 
HS, would a cheap no-gas MIG welder be worthwhile? I too would like to be able to weld frames since I want to convert a regular mountain bike to full suspension.
 
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Huh, What's up with the Flame? Either directed at me or joshua97, I don't think it is appropriate. He asked for an opinion, I gave it to him and other members stated their opinions.
If you don't have anything to contribute then at least don't say something that is negative and doesn't contribute to this forum in a positive and constructive manner.
Have a nice day,
Chris
AKA: BigBlue
I sincerely apologize for the possibility that my comment may have been construed by someone to have been directed at joshua97.
 
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