I have access to this type of welder and i was wondering if this is a good enough welder for welding some spring hangers and some rear axle mods for my truck? What are the pros and cons of this style of welder?


http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...et.aspx?p=2493

 

Stick welding is cheap, but takes a lot more practice. Generally, the weld area will require more cleanup (after welding) for paint. It's difficult to get good arc control on thinner material (like body panels).

You will need to practice A LOT before welding something critical like a spring hanger.

 

Do you have anybody to teach you welding? You want to really know what you are doing before you weld something like spring hangers

 

you will need alot of practice to have the abilty to get good welds and thats what I use I have years of stick welding backing me up though....if your determined to learn buy a book, read it, and get some 1/2" plate and a BIG box of 6010 rod and practice burning horzontal until your good then move on to vertical until your a master..... A mig machine would be easier to learn on some of the best mig's do all the work for you

 

Yeah, stick welder messy, you're gonna need a good (hand) grinder.

 

Ok. Here’s my .02c

A mig welder will give you cleaner welds (gas assist), a stick welder will allow you more penetration into the metal to make stronger welds. (I’m talking about bang for buck here in similar cost machines) I have both and use them for different applications. The stick isnt really that hard to learn. Make sure you have a good ground, clean clean clean is the mantra of welders (or should be) make sure you clean your metal real well (even new metal must be cleaned as it usually (most always) has some light grease coating to protect it from rust) then kind of strike the tip of the stick like a match. Keep the tip just far enough away from the metal to keep the arc going. (It will stick to the metal at first, dont get frustrated, keep trying...) Dont stay in one spot too long, you'll blow a hole thru it and have to go back and fill it and that sux.

If you go to a decent welding shop to buy some sticks for it, and you ask for one, they will probably give you a cheap guide book that tells you most of what you need to know... Will have gas mixes for your torches...the right sticks and codes for what stick to use for which (gauge and material) metal...kinds of welds (push pull…)etc…

Different size gauge sticks will perform differently. If you get the right stick, and the right gauge rod for your metal and get your voltage right it wont really be that messy.

Being in a learning state, your investing the mig will be much easier to learn on and give you pretty welds with nominal practice. But if you LEARN with a stick and you HAVE a stick, THEN go to a mig, the mig will be like butter. There is nothing wrong with learning on a stick.

Go to your scrap yard, pick up some metal that kind of looks like you can make it into something you need (tire mount, gas can mount...) and get a decent angle grinder and some cutting wheels and play with it and in a weekend you'll have it. Make sure you go to a welding shop where they arent jerks and just talk to them, you'll learn a lot.

Go to a metal supply store and ask them if they have a “mis-cut” pile, or a customer no pick up pile and ask them the cost on the metal in that pile. I have a place just down the road that sells me new metal that people ordered and was either cut wrong, or was cut and not what the customer wanted or never picked up and they sell me new metal at scrap cost as its not worth their messing with, and they thank me for buying it!!!. I have gotten great material for next to nothing then designed projects around what I purchased.

Just get to playing with the stick and in a few hours, with the right guidance from a welding shop and it will be a piece of cake. Invest in an auto darkening helmet and it will make the learning so much easier for a new welder. ($40-50 at most welding places for sure at harbor freight tools)…you can get your grinder also from HF for cheap. Cut off wheels for it too.

A stick welder is a marvelously flexable tool that will allow you to do a BUNCH of stuff that is not only what YOU want for your rig, but better than what you could buy.

I have made trailers, bumpers, deer feeders, winch mounts, skid plates, my god. The list goes on and on. I have fixed motor mounts for friends that will be in your debt forever if you fix stuff for them. I had someone give me a class 3 hitch rack that was partly assembled. I finished assembling it, beefed it up, added ratchet tabs around it and got it how I wanted. Pulled up to deer camp and a friend had his on his rig and was sick about how beefy mine was next to his store bought one...and mine cost me basically nothing. I can stand on one corner of it and it does not flex….

But learn the basics before you go welding on terminal parts of your vehicle. Spring hangers are not the place to start.

Anyway. If you have a stick already, just learn that. Once you get it right, that stick will do about anything you want (but body work). Look on the net too, there are lots of vids you can watch that will help you. You want any pointers PM. Me. I’ll tell you what ever I know to help.

RJ

PS. If you are welding over a previous weld with the stick, make sure you beat off the "fish scale" that forms on the top of your weld before you re-weld over it or it will leave gaps in between layers of your weld and make it weak. You can use a regular junk screwdriver for this, or a small hammer, they sell ones designed for this at the welding store, but I didnt have one for years till someone gave me one. Its a blackish material that I believe i mostly carbon from the weld and you have to make it gone before you can re-weld over the previous weld.

I love working with metal. You can beat it into shape, you mess up, you can cut it off and start over. It is very rewarding and oddly relaxing to me.

GO FOR IT, YOU WILL HAVE A NEW GREAT HOBBY!!!
RJ

PPS. That is a FINE welding machine. I like it A LOT.

 

Oh yah... and if your boots are wet, Dont use bare hands to insert another stick into the stinger. Will curl your hair (from experience).

BRAZZZZZAAAAAPPPPP!

And its not fun. Glad I dont have a pacemaker. HAHAHA

 

Great post! I've been wanting to get into welding as well and have been pretty confused about all the options but thats some good direction!

 

Thanks Poynter...

I am by no means a certified welder, but anyone has any questions I'll give them my best answer. Probably 4crawler or the wabit will be a better source of info, as these guys are the read deal...but if anyone wants any help from me, pm me and I'll be happy to help.

I've made a bunch of stuff and have yet to have a weld fail (that I know of...)

I'm trying to learn to braze aluminum right now and I'm here to tell you...its not...well its a huge massive BIT...pain in the butt. Someone gave me a jon boat with a hole in the bottom of it and I'm gonna fix it one way or the other.

I'm no hippy by far, but I find welding so relaxing. Its almost zen like when you get the weld going right and it comes out nice.

Plus when people see something you did/made you can stand back and say..."Yep. I made that..." and it is usually so much better than you can buy...Cause you made it the way you wanted, and you made it strong enough to take the amount of abuse you know you're going to put on it.

This sight has just been a blessing, and a curse to me as it has given me so many ideas for my truck and other projects, infact a thread this morning has prompted me to fab up a metal bending break tomorrow. I love this site, in fact I believe that I have become addicted to it.

Plus Poynter, you could make a dog box for your pointers...(?) (good guess or no...)

Again, anyone want help with any welding pm me, be happy to do all I can to answer your questions.... You'll be glad you got into it. I am.

RJ