(see Figure 4-5) are designed to weld a range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, to name just a few. However, if you want your mig welder to work on a variety of metals, you have to buy a few attachments. A mig welding machine without any additional attachments can weld steel, but if you want to weld aluminum, for example, you need a spool gun. Want to weld stainless steel? You need to change your shielding gas cylinder. Your local welding supply store can tell you all about what you need to change on your mig welder if you want to take advantage of the machine’s versatility and work on many different metals.
FIGURE 4-5: A mig welding machine.
Tig welding machines
Tig welding machines are the most versatile of all the welding machines. With a tig machine (see Figure 4-6), you can weld all ferrous and nonferrous metals. Most tig machines allow you to change polarity (the direction in which the electricity flows), and that allows you to weld a wider range of materials.
FIGURE 4-6: A tig welding machine.
Tig welding machines and stick welding machines are somewhat interchangeable with a little modification. Stick welding machines can be used for tig welding if you buy and add on a number of attachments, and vice versa. If you’re planning on working on both tig welding and stick welding projects, I suggest buying a tig welding machine and also purchasing the attachments – a stick welding electrode holder with a lead and plug on the end that matches the machine – that allow you to use it for stick welding. It’s easier to make a stick welding machine from a tig machine than the other way around.
If you want to read more about the ins and outs of tig welding machines, check out Chapters 7 and 8.
As with most types of equipment, you can add a few bells and whistles to your machine in the form of accessories. These items can make your machine easier to use, so you may consider whether one or more of the following are right for your setup:
❯❯ Cable holder: A hook mounted to the side of the machine that you can use to hold your lead and ground cables, cable holders help keep your work area more organized (and safer).
❯❯ Cup holders: I know it’s hard to believe, but you can now get cup holders that mount to your welding machine. Just make sure your drink has a lid.
❯❯ Storage: You can get small drawers for some welding machines now that can helpfully store the various small parts that you need when welding.
❯❯ Welding machine carriage: These carts have wheels that make moving your welding machine easier. They’re almost always made of steel, and you can buy one for about $200. That seems like a lot, but some welding machines weigh more than 100 pounds, and spending $200 for a cart is much cheaper than spending twice or three times that amount at the chiropractor’s office!
In addition to the basic tools, welding table, welding machine, and welding machine accessories I discuss in the preceding sections, this section lists several other tools and pieces of gear you may want to buy and have on hand when you’re getting ready for a welding project or setting up your shop. You can find all these items at welding supply stores or hardware/home improvement stores.
❯❯ Air compressor: If you’re going to be using any pneumatic tools, you need a good air compressor. Cost: $160.
❯❯ Anvil: An anvil is a good tool to have around when you need to hammer or straighten out a large piece of metal. (It’s also useful, of course, if you’re a coyote and you’re trying to kill a roadrunner.) Keep in mind that you can also use a large, solid, secured piece of metal (a railroad rail, for example) in your shop in place of an anvil. Just don’t go pulling up train tracks to save money. Cost: $150.
❯❯ Creeper: A creeper (shown in Figure 4-7) is a small platform with wheels that you can lie down on and use to roll around. Creepers are helpful when you need to get up under something. Cost: $30.
FIGURE 4-7: A creeper.
❯❯ Drill press: I think having a good, small drill press on hand in the welding shop is extremely handy. Be sure you have plenty of good bits that fit the press. Cost: $100 to $1,000.
❯❯ Grinder: Grinders are useful for grinding down rough surfaces. If you get a grinder, make sure to also pick up some ferrous and nonferrous grinding discs that fit the machine. Cost: $85 to $125.
❯❯ Hacksaw: Hacksaws are extremely useful for cutting metal. Cost: $8 (includes a package of blades).
❯❯ Portable welding curtain: These items (see Figure 4-8) are usually made of vinyl, and they can help to shield bystanders from the dangerous rays created while welding. Cost: $10.
❯❯ Vise: Consider mounting a small vise to your welding table. It can be very helpful when you’re trying to work on small projects that are tough to manipulate while welding. Cost: $25.
❯❯ Wall clock: It may sound simple, but having a clock mounted on the wall is a much easier way to keep track of the time while welding than having to take off your gloves and push up your sleeves to check your watch. Welding is fun, and time flies when you’re having fun, so why not have an easy way to keep track of it? Cost: $3.
FIGURE 4-8: A standard portable welding curtain.
Welding on a Budget: Stick and Tig Welding
IN THIS PART …
Understand and practice stick welding, the most common type of welding done in the world today.
Find out all about tig welding, a lesser known but still very widely practiced welding technique.