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Thoughts on DIY welding/bodywork

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I like my little Lincoln 120V MIG welder. I also like how a flap sander on a right angle grinder quickly makes the ugly welds vanish. Sure beats using a hard grinding disk.
 
Hey TexasSprite,
I've only used hard grinding disks. How is the flap sander better?
Fred
 
Well I guess I bought the wrong one. I have a 120V century mig with gas and can't make the thing work to save my a$$! I've welded all my life, stick mainly, but I've done mig work and tig work. I've even done certified inspected but I can't make this thing work. Did my midget with oxy/acetelene and lots of short runs. If I were to spend the money I would spend it on a TIG setup though I may get brave and try one of the MIG set ups you folks recommend.

Kurt.
 
nomad said:
Well I guess I bought the wrong one. I have a 120V century mig with gas and can't make the thing work to save my a$$! I've welded all my life, stick mainly, but I've done mig work and tig work. I've even done certified inspected but I can't make this thing work. Did my midget with oxy/acetelene and lots of short runs. If I were to spend the money I would spend it on a TIG setup though I may get brave and try one of the MIG set ups you folks recommend.

Kurt.
Click to expand...
I have a Century welder I got at Sams warehouse for 79 bucks years ago and it has given me good service with the flux core but its always been on thin metal and its gets into the duty cycle on thicker stuff.
 
TexasSprite said:
I like the control a flap sander gives. Here is a thread that might be of interest. Not about MIG welding or welders, but related as all of us amateur welders have to deal with making the weld disappear.

https://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cg...0135&page=2

Look part way down until you get to "grinding tutorial"
Click to expand...
If its thick stuff it just takes longer to get it ground down than the flapper. Its just the difference between sanding and grinding. Flappers work better on stainless too. The grinding disks for stainless just seem to get things really hot and make me nervous.
At my work they have a good tig setup with the pedal that will do about anything. Man you can do some pretty work with that and not need much filler. You would have to be in a business to use it to justify the cost though.
Most a 3 phase and I can rig that up but the good ones really cost.
 
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