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Mace said:
AC is flux, AC/DC is mig ;)
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Still trying to find anything that supports this, everything I find on the interwebs says DC negative electrode for flux core wire welding.

According to the Miller site
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/flux_cored_welding_basics_mild_steel/
"Select electrode polarity: Flux-cored welding requires DC electrode negative, or straight polarity. The polarity connections are usually found on the inside of the machine near the drive rolls."

It really wouldn't matter. The HF wire welder I have is a POS, came from the factory that way. It works for stuff like welding up a broken shovel well enough that I keep it around. I got it for $20 because it wouldn't turn on, replaced the power switch with one I scavenged from something else and it works as well as it ever did. Anybody that paid full price for one of them got screwed.
 
AC is for welding aluminum
DC straight is for TIG
DC negative can be used for TIG welding aluminum - but AC works A LOT better. The idea of reversing the flow goes like this - if the current travels the opposite direction, it will clean the weld so that the material will weld without porosity or contamination... in my experience, DC negative doesn't do that - but it is a theory I've heard from the crusty old timers. It also can be used for welding with welding rod (stick welding).

AC/DC is still a rock group.
 
SuperBuickGuy said:
AC is for welding aluminum
DC straight is for TIG
DC negative can be used for TIG welding aluminum - but AC works A LOT better. The idea of reversing the flow goes like this - if the current travels the opposite direction, it will clean the weld so that the material will weld without porosity or contamination... in my experience, DC negative doesn't do that - but it is a theory I've heard from the crusty old timers. It also can be used for welding with welding rod (stick welding).

AC/DC is still a rock group.
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Good explanation

The reason a/c works better for aluminum is the a/c action removes any oxide on the aluminum, you can get good welds on aluminum with d/c it just has to be really really clean.


Ohh since Dan is always on my case..

how about some pix are you getting anything done????

I still have half a sheet of 18ga if you want to start doing metal work...
 
Mace said:
...

The cheap ac migs are difficult to use, but I have seen some fairly impressive welds with them. Perhaps it was a lucky person that got a good machine.
...
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Given my welding experience and ability I'd rather not be fighting a poor tool while trying to learn. I'm trying to justify a new welder here, work with me. ;)
 
RAYJON said:
Good explanation

The reason a/c works better for aluminum is the a/c action removes any oxide on the aluminum, you can get good welds on aluminum with d/c it just has to be really really clean.


Ohh since Dan is always on my case..

how about some pix are you getting anything done????

I still have half a sheet of 18ga if you want to start doing metal work...
Click to expand...

I could have posted picture of my 40 buried under boxes and crap then another of it after I cleaned up.

I still have a wheel and tire of yours, next time we head that way I'll drop them off. Maybe I'll pick up that sheet metal then.
 
rusty_tlc said:
Given my welding experience and ability I'd rather not be fighting a poor tool while trying to learn. I'm trying to justify a new welder here, work with me. ;)
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I'm always a fan of new tools :)

http://reno.craigslist.org/tls/4877968447.html

http://reno.craigslist.org/app/4883138780.html

This dudes in Carson, you can probably talk him down in price with a pocket full full of meth.. It's an excellent welder.
http://reno.craigslist.org/tls/4903845386.html

But, if you bide your time you can find good deals on a MM200 or similar. I bought my ESAB migmaster 250 for $450. It was a good deal tho.
 
Mace said:
I'm always a fan of new tools :)

http://reno.craigslist.org/tls/4877968447.html

http://reno.craigslist.org/app/4883138780.html

This dudes in Carson, you can probably talk him down in price with a pocket full full of meth.. It's an excellent welder.
http://reno.craigslist.org/tls/4903845386.html

But, if you bide your time you can find good deals on a MM200 or similar. I bought my ESAB migmaster 250 for $450. It was a good deal tho.
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I have an old 220V Lincoln Tombstone AC stick welder I want to sell before I haul anything else home. I learned stick welding 35+ years ago and still remember enough to get by but not enough to do anything important like wrap bars etc.. For body work I think I need something a little more subtle.

http://reno.craigslist.org/tls/4928152846.html

http://reno.craigslist.org/tls/4934800832.html

This why I don't look at CL
http://reno.craigslist.org/snw/4871376452.html
 
Believe it or not, the bigger welders (220v) tend to do better on body work. They tend to be much more adjustable.

That Lincoln sp170t is a fairly good machine. Older, but functional.

The mm185 is a great machine with a strong duty cycle. However it's an old machine, built in the mid to late 90s. It's not a $1800 machine. So I'd really work on the seller to reduce the price.

Miller/lincoln/hobart/esab. You can't go wrong with any of the 220v machines..

My 40 was almost entirely built with a fluxcore home depot 115v wire feed. However, they're is nothing that the new esab doesn't do better.

Ac stick is a pita..
 
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hobart/esab is the same thing
my criticism was of those Lincoln welders - I think they were actually made by hobart who contracted out with someone else... as you can imagine, the quality sucked.
with that said, Lincoln, in general, make a quality machine, as does ESAB for the last 15 years (the first machines were a joke), and Hobart does as well.

I've been welding my entire life (okay, I didn't start until I was 8, in 1974) - my dad owns (and still owns) a sheet metal shop in Portland, my brother was a welder, as was my uncle, I got my certification when I was 18.... and I don't do it for a living anymore, fell off one roof too many.
And I really want a sychrowave...
 
Mace said:
Believe it or not, the bigger welders (220v) tend to do better on body work. They tend to be much more adjustable.

....
Ac stick is a pita..
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The 110 units have the advantage of mobility.

AC stick is a PITA but it penetrates.
 
The 175/185 Hobart/Miller/Lincoln units are just as mobile. And way more versatile..

If you can weld ac stick well, you can weld anything..
 
rusty_tlc said:
Good Bye old friend
20150312_164703_zpscexgmxcs.jpg
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Rusty, This from your driveway? Looks like you are very close to me. Double Diamond???
 
I paid $400 for my sp170 w/ a CO2 cylinder. Does almost everything I need. I occasionally borrow my dad's Miller Vintage (200) if I need more umph, but I prefer the smaller gun on the sp170.
 
I really need to adjust my priorities. I spent 3 hours today trying to save a $30 TRE with screwed up threads.
Then I woke up, 5 minutes with a pickle fork and 40minutes to Napa and back. Done.
 
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