I am opening this thread to get the best advise on cheap and high dollar TIG welders like Miller. I see cheap welders on EBay that have Plasma cutters included with the welder. Has anyone tried these welders and without emptying your bank account what can we buy to weld these thin metal oil pans and build intakes. I think TIG is the only way to go since you can control the heat applied to the metal and than fill the gaps. Plus you can weld anything with the right rod.
I can't speak to the tig welders, but I bought an Eastwood 175 mig and an Eastwood plasma cutter (package deal) and they both have been awesome. Used them to cut/replace quarters, rockers, fender patches, and lots of little odds and ends and they've been flawless. The plasma cutter has been a huge time saver.
I am not an expert and can't answer technical questions for you but I do own a Miller Tig. You need to ask yourself 3 questions first. 1) do you have 110v and 220v or only 110v in the location you are welding? 2) how thick you looking to weld? 220v you can Tig thick material 3) what metal are you welding? I assume you want to weld aluminum. You will then need an AC/DC Tig to weld aluminum with. Look around Miller or Lincoln website to see what machines they. Eastwood is a hit and miss I have noticed but they have great customer service with there machines. Shawn bought the above and has shown it to be really good. I know of some people sending there machines back because not working correct and get shipped a new one and works perfectly. If you use it very little this might be the way to go. I would also look on Craigslist to see if there is one in your area for sale. Oh and my Tig is the Miller Diverson 180 with 110 and 220 plug so I can use on both voltage. I have finger control and the foot pedal for it. And Shawn I am still jealous of that plasma (come on tax refund)
I put .023 wire in the 210 Miller and it works good for thin metal but a lot of grinding. If I had a TIG I could adjust the heat with the pedal and add the metal with the rod and fill it more level and fill holes.
You need to catch the next weld while the previous is red , I mig daily and smooth mine with a DA sander and 80 grit, no need for a tig on what your doing just more practice, and if you plan on learning to tig panel gaps are critical they'll be no "filling" of holes
Hi Ron, I wouldnt recommend using a mig for your oil pan. I am speaking from experience when I built my oil pan, the only welds that cracked were the mig welds. The reason for this, is the feeder wire is high tensile which makes the weld brittle and hard, hence a lot of grinding. I tig welded 98% of the oil pan and only migged where I couldnt get my tig torch in. Tig welds are soooooo much better to work with. A Tig welder is so worth the initial investment. Cheers
Hope it's okay I chime in, even though I'm not from the states.. We primarily use Kemppi in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, because of the way the machines run and the multi adjustable handle .. Regarding TIG, MIG or MAG question, I would go the TIG way everyday.. I have certificate in all types of welding, and MIG ( Inactive gas for stainless and alu ) and MAG ( Active gas for iron and steel ) are normally used for thicker materials.. TIG = Less grinding, stronger weld in "thin" materials and no cleaning .. 8-12L of gas pr minute..
Mine is actually the lighter duty one, but its been flawless. The thickest metal I've cut was probably only 1/8 or 3/16 just goofing around with, but it worked fine. Haven't even plugged it into the 220 yet and really cranked it up (it'll run on either 110 or 220). But cutting my quarters out for replacement and such, it is the ticket! Beats the heck outta a cutoff wheel speed wise.
I got the pan welded up last night. Going to wait till tonight to grind on it. I stuck a flash light under it this morning and I have a lot of holes to fill. I turned up the speed a little more than the initial setting and it worked better without too much blow through. It seems if I do quick circles it flows better but if I go too far it starts to burn. If I turn up the gas higher than 35 would that keep it any cooler?
I'm a hobby welder (ONLY MIG). I hear horror stories about Longevity. They get discussed on the welding web often.http://weldingweb.com/
As a guy who sells tools, most guys look at total amperage for welders. you must look at the bottom of the amp scale. The cheap units will not produce a low enough amperage that will allow for welding thin gauge metal. don't assume its 0-140 amp, it might be 50-140 amp....
Well most of its sealed but I put washer solvent in it and it seeps through the front close to each courner on the flat so more grinding and welding. I was thinking maybe wellding it a little on the inside. It is rough in there so I think I will grind that down a little so nothing comes loose like slag. Is there a coating I can use on the inside to seal it that won't come loose after time in the oil? I just read about Glyptal 1201 for internal engine coatings. Anybody try that?
Hi Ron, I got mine sandblasted then dipped in a mollases bath for 1 day then cleaned out thoroughly, three times. The only way to check for leaks is with a solvent like you have done. Be careful applying too much heat to a corner piece. The heat will really shrink the steel in a corner and will distort it. I made a jig for my pan to bolt to, and it didn't come off that jig till I was finished. I didn't have a spare Tomahawk block to bolt it down to ray: Cheers
So far so good after touching up a couple of spots. I have some Hirsch Miracle paint and it says it's impervious to oil and acid and lacquer thinner so I'm thinking of coating the inside of the pan at the welds so the oil will glide right over it and get back to the sump faster and help seal it.
