Re: [alfa] Need advice on welding equipment

["Karl N. Matthias" <karmat@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The thickest metal on my 1968 GTV is about 14 gauge and it's the so-called
inner rockers, which is to say the part which you see from the inside of
the car.  The piece of steel behind your feet at the back seat is also
about that thick (the rear suspension mount to it).  Most panels on the
car are 20 or 22 gauge, which is very thin.  There is 16 gauge here and
there, also, especially in structural places.

You should be fine with any decent quality 110v MIG welder.  I have a 220v
Millermatic 185 which is a pretty hefty welder, but for car work you don't
need anything that big.  Miller or Lincoln or Hobart make good equipment
at most price ranges.  Some people have brand preferences based on how the
dials work, how the spools are fed, etc.  I have used both Lincoln and
Miller equipment and the quality of the welds is the same.  I would get
one that can do 1/4" steel and you'll be fine on any car project.  It's my
opinion that you shouldn't waste your money on a "gasless MIG" flux-core
welder.  They work okay, but the quality of the weld they produce is not
nearly as good as a real MIG with shield gas and you have to get all the
remnants of the flux off before you can paint, which sucks.  If you're
going to go to the trouble to actually work on the car, considering the
relatice cost against that of stamped panels for our cars, spend the extra
couple hundred bucks and get a real MIG.  I have found pretty good deals
on used equipment from www.bargaintraderonline.com which is how I found my
current welder.  If you want my advice, buy whatever panels you can to fix
your car.  It will take you so long to fabricate replacement parts that
it's easily worth the money to buy the stamped ones.

The Henrob/Cobra 2000 torch sold through Eastwood and others is a really
nice piece of equipment.  You can weld anything with gas (aluminum
included).  I have used one to weld aluminum and it works very well.  A
friend uses his to cut with and it does a very nice job of that, too. 
That being said, gas welding takes a LOT more practice than wire-feed
welding.  And getting the Oxygen and Acetylene gas tanks and getting them
filled will not be cheap, either.  Leasing them isn't particularly
inexpensive.  So don't get it if you don't want to spend a lot of time
playing with it first, and certainly not because you think you'll save
money that way.  And cutting with it, especially, takes a LOT of practice.
 Gas makes a lot softer weld than wire-feed, though, which is far superior
for body panels where they need to be hammered or ground flush after
welding.  For middle rockers, and just attaching pre-existing panels to
the car, MIG will save you a lot of time.  All the panels on my car will
be MIGged.

Hope that helps

Karl

> ------------------------------
> Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 13:46:02 -0800 (PST)
> From: Nash Bap <nashbap@domain.elided>
> Subject: [alfa] Need advise on welding equipment
>
> Hello:
>
> I'd like to try my hand at welding stuff such as Alfa sheet metal and
> exhaust and am considering purchasing a wire welder. Needless to say there
> is a lot of stuff on the market and I am quite confused. 110V or 220V?
> Amperage range? What gauge thickness is typical Alfa sheet metal? While
> MIG will probably be cleaner will a flux cored wire be able to do the job?
> Any brand recommendations? Lincoln, Campbell Hausfeld, Harbor Freight?
> Anyone familiar with the Henrob 2000 as sold thru Eastwood?
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Nash Bapasola
>  Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page. www.yahoo.com
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