im an electric/electronic nerd too.. and i just got a lincoln 120 flux core... your standard beginner welder, but even people who weld everyday told me its good enough for most stuff you will encounter doing what WE do. some say a 220v for structre or really thick stuff... but anyways im going to start learning and practicing.
ive been collecting scraps from work and im gonna play with the settings and try and connect some pipe and other simple tasks..

before i try tacking some body patches..

anyone know any good total new websites for flux core 120v welding?

 

well they are both a/c welders... and both are 115v, the mig is a flux core machine, so gas is not needed... unless I need to weld aluminum...errr I think The stick welder I was using before was also a 115v a/c unit, and the guy who let me use brought the rods, 6011...dunno if they were ac, or dc, I would assume ac.... I bought those new easy strike rods...I think they a version of 7018, and wow...let me tell you... its like striking a match, but they go very quickly, and the box says they are for ac or dc, and to use 30-50 amps... weird considering the 6011's I was using were the same size, and I have to use 70+ amps for them. I am gonna practice more next week, and do up the bumper right... I can take my time now that I have a sticker.

 

I may be wrong on this but I was in the industrial supply a while back and I could swear I saw sticks that were labelled as being for aluminium welding.

 

Yeah....I meant for the mig... I have yet to see a stick welder that requires gas. Before I got this mig I didnt even know they made flux core wire...it seems to work fine, although my machine is a 80 amp, so I doubt I could weld anything to thick, it only has adjustments for the wire speed, and a high/low switch for heat. I messed around trying to weld to stell rims together, and had to use the high setting.... it only took about 3 min to go all the way around the 15" rin, whereas the stick took me 3 min to get a 4" bead, and then had to change sticks... but that could all be settings...I'm still learning.

 

Yeah, they make aluminum rod for stick welding