Re: [alfa] Welders

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

Al,

There's nothing wrong with using an inexpensive welder if it works!  
You're using gas so that and your skill have the greatest effect on the 
welds you produce, not the rig.  As for welding aluminum, the 
Henrob/Cobra 2000 torch is probably the easiest way to get into 
aluminum welding inexpensively and still be able to produce gorgeous 
welds.  When they are done, you can hardly tell the difference from a 
TIG weld.  You can weld anything with gas.  TIG is probably the 
ultimate process, but it's a LOT more expensive as you know.  Just 
putting that out there if you haven't considered it.  I took a class 
from Ron Fournier up in Detroit this year and played with a Henrob up 
there on aluminum and it was awesome.  Did take some practice, though.  
They said they pretty much always gas weld aluminum sheet metal.

Karl




> Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 15:50:48 +0000
> From: "Allen Mitchell" <allenom@domain.elided>
> Subject: [alfa] Welders
>
> Now, I am sure that all manner of expert welders with years of 
> experience
> are going to tell me I am an idiot, but here goes:
>
> I have a Campbell and Hausfeld welder I got off e-bay 3 years ago.  I 
> use it
> pretty regularly, on both sheet metal and brackets, tubing,  etc.  It 
> is a
> 110V one, and I have had pretty good luck welding just about 
> everything on
> my car.  I use C25 (Argon/CO2), and would never go back to flux core 
> MIG
> except under duress-smoky, dirty, ugly welds.  It was not expensive, 
> and has
> been very reliable.
> Welding is great because it opens whole new avenues for problem 
> solving, and
> fabricating.  I would like to weld aluminum (and I know that with a 
> bottle
> of argon and aluminum wire I could with my mig gun), but TIG seems 
> like the
> most elegant way to do that-and finding an affordable TIG setup has 
> been
> difficult.  The Miller Econotig looks like the best deal so far.
> - -Al
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