Metal working--welding

[WadePatton]

Any master fabricators out there?



I'm going to set up to gas and tig weld 4130 and aluminum. OA will be first.



Looking hard at the Miller 180-tig outfit. A friend of mine built an airplane in the garage with that and a OA setup.



I will be striving for aircraft/racecar fabrication quality, though most of my projects won't be that intense.



Also looking at an old Logan turning lathe.



input?

 

[WadePatton]

more info

Okay, now that I've studied it a bit--the Miller 250 package deal is the schzit --> 5-310 amps and water-cooled torch, variable square wave, all the stuff.



Started on radio mount project (OA) with mild steel . 060 sheet metal. Looks great so far. Much more to do. Need one size bigger tip, but the equipment I'm borrowing is obsolete.



Next project is antenna mount for motorized multi-band ham antenna (Hi-Q). I'll build it to mount from bumper or frame/hitch--haven't crawled under there yet.



Anybody wanting to learn more about gas/mig/tig welding Al/SS/4130 and even magnesium should pick up a copy of Richard Finch's PERFORMANCE WELDING. I found it at TSC -of all places. He is a real expert in the field and that field is full of aircraft and racecars. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to learn the latest about welding.

 

[metal tech]

I'd recommend either the Miller Synchro Wave 250 or the Lincoln 275. Being as I weld repair Aircraft Engine hot section parts ( afterburner) parts for the Air Force, that 250 is perfect for the home fabricator. It's got the amps to do thick aluminum yet with practice you can weld 2 coke cans together with it.



Al

 

[merryman]

I am no wizard, but I have built front and rear bumpers for my trucks since late '70's, as well as a variety of other small metal projects. Most recent project was a jack system for removing the canopy from my truck alone. I have a simple miller buz box, a Snapon wire feed and and 0A setup-----just basic, but does the job.



Vaughn