110 volt cutting and welding

[bertsmobile1]

It's not that a 110v isn't good/strong enough, it's just limited to thinner material. It would be a good a good unit to learn on, if your garage isn't wired for 240v then it's hard to justify the investment.

Welding is a high energy application.
It gobbles up AMPS
so a 110V unit will gobble up a bit more than 2 times the amps of a 240V welder which gobbles up more amps than a 3 phase welder.
The thicker the material, the more power needed so the more amps required but you are limited as to how many amps you can pull through a domestic power outlet.
The wires get hot which increases their resistance which eats up yet more amps.
Thus the lower capacity of 110V units.

Also remember the earth connection to the metal must be good and clean as well.

Another reason why I like gas welding.
Filthy metal covered with paint / rust/ grease/ grass, etc no problems they just burn off.

 

[motoman]

Great to hear from you welders. I started many years ago with oxy/acetylene because that was supposed to develop the skill needed for heliarc, but I never could justify the $$ for a water cooled Miller. For those wanting to learn gas, but discouraged...some junior colleges still offer classes, but you must practice a lot. Start with mild steel as in many car exhaust systems. One other surprising thing was to find how good some Chinese gas sets are. Unless you can afford Victor (still the standard?) try a $120 Chinese set ( you must add the tanks). Besides cutting, the rigs are good for silver solder, bronze repair of cast iron, braze welding dissimilar materials and heat/bending. I have also played with some small heat treating projects which can be interesting. Wire welders and stick look interesting, but I just have not tried them.

 

[cpurvis]

I'd suggest that the first thing a rookie welder should buy would be a book about the fundamentals of welding.

Such as the one by Richard Finch: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we...13-richard-finch/1111638585?ean=9781557885135

There are others equally good, I'm sure and maybe lower priced, too.

 

[Darryl G]

I don't have a plasma cutter; I just use my angle grinder or "skill saw" for cutting but I did buy a 120V flux core Northern Industrial welder a few years back and it has proved to be quite handy for small repairs and projects. The welds aren't pretty due to all the spatter but it's easy enough to clean them up. I've used it to put chain hooks on my front loader, put new expanded steel on my trailer gate, fix a broken bracket on my ZTR and to repair my York rake. It's way easier to to use than welding rods for an amateur like me. The auto-darkening hood I got further improves the experience I had welding in shop class in high school many years ago.

 

[motoman]

Yes, I have the Finch books. Very good.

 

[cashman]

I still have my dad's old Lincoln 220 amp buzzbox that he bought back in the 1950's. Still works great. Welded everything from 16 ga. to 1" with it. I took a welding class back in the 1960's that focused mainly on oxy-acet welding and cutting. I've got a set of Linde two stage regulators with a Linde convertible torch outfit and a Puroc burning torch. Brazing is probably my favorite type of welding to do.

 

[motoman]

Have an old Harris "aircraft" torch which is smaller and lighter. Fooey! They stopped making parts for it and cannot get tips with proper thread. This little guy is ideal for light sheet metal welding. For a while H Frt had a little gas torch which always seemed overpriced. A while back it disappeared from
their lineup. I have never had a two stage regulator, and so I must constantly readjust (mainly) the gas side.

The junior college courses typically charge around $200 which is for supplies. But if you are interested , small price to pay, and will repay you a thousand times over across the years. Yea!

 

[cpurvis]

Here you go: http://www.smithequipment.com/files/pdf/spec_sheets/Little_Torch.pdf

Smith isn't too expensive and I think you can buy just the pieces you want instead of the whole kit.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Well as mentioned earlier , I have a Dillon ( now called DHC 2000 ) and in 33 years of almost daily use have replaced 3 tips at $ 25 a piece.
Mind you I have bought a few new tips to expand its working range, but wrapping foil to railway line will do me fine.
Especially considering what I save on gas.

 

[motoman]

I do not want to encourage boot legged 220V , but FYI an electric dryer is wired typically 220, but with a different plug so that if you hang your clothes to dry you can fairly simply change over to a suitable welding plug if you can convince others that welding inside the house is great (fire?). Never run an extension on 220, and observe proper safety grounding. An electrician can check your service box and usually find spare room to install 220v.

cpurvis, thanks for the great Smith brochure . I forgot to mention them. That stuff looks great.

Linde , a major weld source used to offer FREE bound volumes of welding primers with projects in the back. Geared to rural and farm repair, but other also.

Welding....practice, practice, practice, practice...the teachers like their students to start out too hot and slowly back off.

HEY last nite the pres was bragging about a welder!!!

A forum, hobbymachist.com has a very good weld and beginners' section without trolls and such