CleanGSR Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Well, I had a situation today. I had a rattle in my exhaust so went by the muffler shop to have it welded and ran into a problem. My car is way too low. Even pulling up on 2x4's it wasn't high enough to get their lift under the car. Luckily the rattle was in the back and accessible without lifting the car. I'd like to pick up a cheap little welder for small repairs like an exhaust leak. I don't know much about welding, but figured I could self teach myself on areas that aren't seen or practice on spare pieces of metal. Would this little electric arc welder do the job for small exhaust patches and such? I don't want to get a big gas tank so electric would be nice, and it wouldn't be getting used very often, so I want something pretty inexpensive. Arc Welder I'd like to stay under $100 bucks. If that's not possible then I'll just scrap the idea, but it would be nice to not have another experience like I had at the muffler shop. The guy was getting pissed because he was losing all the heat in his shop and started getting rude which just pissed me off and put me in a bad mood. Any help is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 stick welding is a real pain in the ass to learn if you want to spend the extra for a mig welder that would be a better bet. wire welding is easier to learn. Edit: Harber Freight has a mig welder for $110 and that would be good for minor things like exhaust work or body work. i wouldn't use it for frame or supports though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleanGSR Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Stick welding? I know the difference between MIG and TIG, but where does Arc Welding (like the one in the link) fall in comparison to TIG and MIG? Like what's the difference between that arc welder and a MIG or TIG? stick welding is a real pain in the ass to learn if you want to spend the extra for a mig welder that would be a better bet. wire welding is easier to learn. Edit: Harber Freight has a mig welder for $110 and that would be good for minor things like exhaust work or body work. i wouldn't use it for frame or supports though. Can you get a MIG welder that doesn't require me to have a big gas tank? Like an electric MIG welder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kegger Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 MIG and TIG are inert gas wire welds. ARC welding uses a stick and is a pain in the ass to use if you haven't been properly taught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 arc welding uses a stick to weld instead of wire. the sticks get stuck alot and break and look like crap. however if you can master an arc welder the stick welds can look real good. You can also pick up a mig welder that doesn't use gas the weldswont look too great but they do lay well and are stll just as strong. i have a mig welder with the option to use gas or not. Mig Welder Non-Gas Assisted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleanGSR Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Sweet. I'll probably pick up that one in the link. Looks like exactly what I need. Are you guys self taught. Is it hard to learn how to MIG weld halfway decent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 i was self taught. i'll give you one peice of advice just take it slow and practice as much as you can. i mean i was to the point of just cutting metel pieces so i can get the practice. i'm not the best but i can hold my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannaBstuntin Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Wow. That sucks the guy was such a jerk. So you can't even get your car on one of those fork-type lifts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 *cough* 2 post lift *cough* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH6TunerDaniel Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 That welder Hatch92 posted is what I used to make my friends downpipe for his DSM. You will be able to tell its a cheap welder, but it is fine for small jobs and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 i wana buy another welder so i can try to make my own ram horn turbo mani. i have a big issue paying $800+ for one when i could possibly make one myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleanGSR Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Wow. That sucks the guy was such a jerk. So you can't even get your car on one of those fork-type lifts? Nope. Even with rolling up on 4 2x4's I was too low to get the arms under the car. The sad part is that I"m thinking about dropping another half inch or so to tuck a hair of tire all around. Right now the fronts are barely tucking. *cough* 2 post lift *cough* Don't know what that is compared to the type they had, but it's a huge pain and would be a bigger pain to drive around everywhere trying to find somewhere that had the right type of lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannaBstuntin Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 All the shops around here have those "two post lifts?" They aren't much more than an inch or two high. Who did your drop and how did they do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleanGSR Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share Posted February 6, 2008 Who did my drop? I did, and I didn't know there was more than one way to do a drop. It's Ground Control Coilovers on Tokico Illumina shocks and extended top hats if that's what you're asking. If you're wondering how I got it down after the drop, I drop it on 2x4's and the jack I have will slide under the front bumper when it's on the 2x4's. I still have to pull up on blocks to get the jack under the car, but that's no biggie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleanGSR Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share Posted February 6, 2008 Just to verify....is the link below pretty much the same as your link? Just wondering since the one you posted is used, and I'd rather get one new for $10 extra. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=44567 Only asking because the item numbers are different, but the look the same except for the dual tips .030 only on the link above and .030 and .035 both on the one you posted. Is that an important factor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben. Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I took my car to an alignment shop after I slammed it. They rofl'd @ me and told me they couldn't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleanGSR Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share Posted February 6, 2008 My alignment shop was no problem. THey have a lift that is completely level with the ground so they can work on any car that can drive there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lceah Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 you will pick it up yourself...I believe...welding needs patience but you'll get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 hung - yeah thats the same welder. i didn't notice the other one was used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrorocketeer Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 funny that neither cranny nor pyro have contributed..... lol anyways.... best advice, is get a good mask. Thats somewhat overlooked. if you can't see your welds, you won't be able to make a clean weld. I was self taught on a mig, never stick welded, and want to get a tig someday in the near future.... flux core welding with a mig is a big PITA I think. once you weld, you have to wire wheel it if you want to weld the same place again, or even around it. Sucks for tack welding your project. And they don't look as nice, they splatter like a biatch. So if you don't mind hitting your weld with a flap disc after a pass, and after your done, then it would be perfectly fine. (stick welding is the same way, because it uses flux to protect the weld) If you could, I'd get a regulator and rent a tank of argon-co2, but the regulator would put you out of your price range, but its a one time expense. Nothing worse than cheaping out on a tool, and not being impressed with the results, so you upgrade. And in the end you just end up spending more. Thats how I always purchase tools, and parts really. As far as brands and what exactly would fit your needs, I honestly couldn't tell you, because I don't know what all is out there, what is better than others, and what to stay away from. Since i'm not in the market for a new welder, I haven't done much research. All in all its pretty easy, and fairly straightforward... I taught my neighbor some basics the other day(doesn't know a lick about any shop work), he picked it up quickly, but just needs to slow down. You can't be in a hurry, but welding needs more practice than patience.... lots more practice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranny Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 gas mig is simply the3 only way to go hung , unfortunatey. anything else is no good for a car really. youl make a mess as pyro stated. like he also says , theres really nothing to mig once you do it a few times , proper heat setting and gas pressure as important as your technique , srt of , lol. tiny U's , back and forth between the gap in the 2 pieces your welding together. MIG=metal inert gas , TIG=tungsten inert gas , ARC or stick welding = FTL!! , lol. unless your building a container ship or a building , lol. sorry i havent been arouNd guys , i found out last week my little fellow has a kidney disease(NEPHROTIC SYNDROME) , and well , ive been in and out of hospital from work and home and very hectic , everyone keep thier fingers crossed for my little guy. thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 sorry i havent been arouNd guys , i found out last week my little fellow has a kidney disease(NEPHROTIC SYNDROME) , and well , ive been in and out of hospital from work and home and very hectic , everyone keep thier fingers crossed for my little guy. thanks guys. that sucks dude. good luck with getting healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lceah Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 aw Cranny...I wish he gets well soon... he will be ok usually, with that, children get well and have no problems after... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch92 Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 it's adults you have to worry about for that kind of stuff kids usually bounce back quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben. Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 lulz. buzzbox ftl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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