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SleepyEngineer

Hello Everyone,

I'm wanting to get involved in fabricating the Life Track and CEB Press, but I'm starting from ground zero. Right now I'm trying to acquire the proper equipment and I haven't found any discussion on Welding; I tried and failed to search for this topic on the wiki and the forums and the only mention was this page on the wiki. http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/How_to_Build_the_4_Machines_in_a_Basic_Workshop

It calls for a 200 amp mig welder, I've used Mig in the past but was a much bigger fan of the stick welder simply because of the larger thickness of material you can weld with it. Does anyone currently in the fabrication process, perhaps at factor-e-farm, have any insight as the to advantages vs disadvantages between mig and stick welding?

Of course the mig offers smooth continuous welding, but costs much more and to my knowledge is constrained to smaller thicknesses. The Stick is riddled with several pauses to add a new stick, but is much less expensive around $250 for a 225 amp welder; and allows for the welding of incredibly thick material.

I just want everyone to weigh in on it before I drop a grand on a mig.

Thanks

Metz

For the value, I would get a invertor DC stick welder. We have a 200 amp machine that is the same one they sell at harbor freight. It also works with TIG as we added a TIG torch to it for versatility.

It works great although you need to use the smaller 2.5mm electrodes. We weld stainless and mild steel with it all the time. It runs quiet without the annoying buzzing from the transformer ac welder and is much more efficient.

Only downside is that you really should run it at 100 amps or less. It will run all day like that but still remember your duty cycles. Above 100 amps it will burn out really fast.

The TIG attachment does not have high frequency start so you are limited to 1.5mm thick material. Any thinner and you will burn thru.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/metzrobotic/

charliehill

we are a company located in China. as the biggest private company for submerged arc welding fluxes, our annual capacity has reached 25000tons.
we provide submerged arc welding flux for low alloy steel, low carbon steel, high strength steel, high alloy steel, stainless steel, roll surfacing, strip cladding.

ZafotheNinja

25,000 tons of welding flux? Dang, but really that is nowhere near what the OP asked. I guess it is not too bad advertising on dead forums, but really at least try to answer the question.

As for me, I have never tried welding but I would go with whatever your more comfortable with. (That is if you still are looking for an opinion, but being from 2012 that is really unlikely)

Howdy, Stranger!

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