I just bought a welder. What else do I *need*? (1 Viewer)

[ihadmail]

I just purchased a Hobart 210MVP welder in order to assemble a bumper kit I purchased. I have never used a MIG welder. I did some stick welding of mild steel back in high school but not enough to get good at it. I TIG welded stainless frequently enough to get mediocre when I worked in the food processing industry around 10 years ago, so I understand the basic process pretty well.

I have a really nice heavy duty cart/cabinet that I picked up out of the trash pile from my current work a few years ago. It has storage for two cylinders and a large vice on it. The top is 3/8" plate.

I have the breaker, wiring and outlet to install a 50A 230V circuit in my garage within the next few days.

My question is, what all do I need to buy now and what would be nice to have but not really necessary?

So far I've come up with this list:

• Auto darkening helmet
• Welding Gloves
• Welding Jacket
• Welding hat
• MIG pliers
• MIG gel
• Spare tips
• Spare nozzle
• Solid wire
• Clamps
• Clamps
• More Clamps
• Wire Brush
• Argon cylinder filled with C25
• Smaller magnets
• Bigger magnets
• Soapstone
• Torch rest

I've linked to everything specifically that I have picked out. If you would recommend a different/better/less expensive of anything on that list I would love to hear what the recommendation is.

Thanks to all who take the time to look through that list and give me your input. I searched and couldn't find any threads similar to this one.

 

[FJ60Seth]

You need a welding table. It should be your first project.

 

[GDA62/100]

4.5" (or 5") angle grinders, at least 3 of them:
1 with cutoff wheel (doesn't need much power, so HF is okay)
1 with grinding wheel (nice to have good amount of amps on this one)
1 with flap disk (you'll use this the most, get one you like to use)
stockpile of the various wheels/discs
hearing protection for grinding
respirator for fumes: like the 3M half face piece mask, 6191, with P100 filters, 2091

 

[ihadmail]

Thanks for the input guys.

Initially I planned to use the top of my cabinet as a table. It is roughly 2'x3.5'. The welder will go inside of the cabinet. Would this not work for smaller projects?

I have one 4.5" grinder and will be going through the hassle of changing wheels when needed as I won't be doing enough fabrication to justify the cost and space of multiple grinders. I may change my mind on this when I get started assembling my bumper kit.

I already have the respirator, cartridges and hearing protection covered. I do some wood working and use the respirator whenever cutting/routing/painting.

 

[firestopper]

Fire extinguisher.
Skip the jacket and hat.

 

[ERG80]

excellent thread.

I prefer this wire to the harbor freight wire you linked.
INEFIL ER70S-6 .030-Inch on 10-Pound Spool Carbon Steel Mig Solid Welding Wire - Arc Welding Accessories - Amazon.com

Harbor freight has an adequate plain black auto dimming helmet which is usually on sale for $40. I haven't had any issues with mine yet.

I use 3 grinders like gda recommended above. At least One with a cut-off wheel and one with a grinding wheel should get you by. Changing wheels gets annoying. The harbor freight ones are under $20 and last a long time if you add better grease to them.

You may also want to get a welding blanket to protect your paint if you weld while it's on the vehicle.

That torch rest seems to have trouble holding my miller 211 torch so I don't use it

 

[ihadmail]

That's some awesome input @ERG80. Thanks.

 

[KLF]

Torch rest? Isn't that what the floor is for?

Blanket: I have an old moving pad that's seen better days, I just get it nice and wet before I put it down over what I'm protecting.

But I would never weld without a leather jacket on. We have a bunch of the ones with open backs, much nicer when things get toasty in the summer.

You will want more than one grinder. I just bought a pair of these the other day, wow they are nice:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RVZ7DNO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

 

[ferg]

Practice...

 

[ihadmail]

I ordered the hood, gloves, wire, pliers and anti-splatter from Amazon today. I didn't get the jacket, but did score a set of Carhartt FR coveralls really cheap in my size. I got the Amazon helmet because there were a lot of reviews there that directly compared it to the HF helmet and all stated it was leaps and bounds better.

I will be swinging by Northern and Harbor freight to pick up magnets, clamps and spare tips/nozzles tomorrow.

A local fabrication shop donated a pile of 11 gauge plate scrap to me to practice on while I'm waiting for my bumper kit to arrive.

Thanks for all of the input on gear. I will start a journal of my progression for input/tips once I get everything all set up.

 

[Tapage]

I found myself not loving the small magnets .. not strong enough to hold what I need .. clamps and vice work better for me ..

 

[gregnash]

Found this site a while back and came highly recommended by a few people... great products and prices for what it is..
MIG/TIG/Stick Welders & Plasma Cutters | USA Weld
For the magnets, pliers, cart, etc. (other small stuff) get that at harbor freight especially with the coupon codes that @ERG80 always throws on his thread.
Also look into getting a copper welding spoon or some other types of dollys that you can throw a decent flat piece of copper over so that you can weld those larger blow through spots! (Don't ask how I know).

You will need some tigers paw (flap discs) and then a few hamburgers (abrasive disc, softer than the flaps) a few different heavy duty wire cups to go on the 4.5" grinder to help clean off mill scale and other heavy surface rust.

After that, just find yourself a nice area, some good scrap metal and start practicing. Mess with how you hold the gun in relation to your weld joint to see what it does (this was an epiphany moment for me) and then keep practicing. Body work is a BITCH with that super thin metal, so that is where you are really going to have to learn patience and to ONLY do a few tacks here and there.

 

[KLF]

I also just bought a few sets of those small magnets from HF for our welding class, ya they really suck, and not in a good way. Very weak.

 

[ihadmail]

I also just bought a few sets of those small magnets from HF for our welding class, ya they really suck, and not in a good way. Very weak.

Thanks for the input. I'll most likely just get a couple of their biggest magnets and skip on the small ones. If I find I need more HF is only 10 minutes from the house.

 

[half k cruiser]

4.5" (or 5") angle grinders, at least 3 of them:
1 with cutoff wheel (doesn't need much power, so HF is okay)
1 with grinding wheel (nice to have good amount of amps on this one)
1 with flap disk (you'll use this the most, get one you like to use)
stockpile of the various wheels/discs
hearing protection for grinding
respirator for fumes: like the 3M half face piece mask, 6191, with P100 filters, 2091

Agree, having at least two grinders would be awesome, three would be better. You will see why once you start fabricating things.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

The Carhartt FR coveralls will burn through, they just won't catch fire. I have a set and they have some burn holes in them, they just get the burn holes more slowly than regular clothes.

You don't need an auto-darkening helmet. You don't need a billion clamps. You don't need a soapstone, a torchrest or nozzle gel. For good quality welds, all you need is a single grinder with lots of cutoff disks, grinding disks and flap disks (of varying grits), a wire brush and a set of MIG pliers. Having solid wire and gas is a big plus as it helps reduce cleanup time, but is by no means necessary.

Like @FJ60Seth said, build a welding table as a first project, then practice not just on any steel, but on the same thickness as the bumper you're building. Always remember that a weld can look "good" on the outside but have no penetration, so practice and use some some NDT (non-destructive testing) as well as DT (destructive testing) techniques to check the weld quality. Naval jelly is good for this.

Watch this guy's channel before you even get started, and always remember, CLEAN, TIGHT, SHINY and BRIGHT:

weldingtipsandtricks

 

[Weber Sarge]

Amen to Jody's videos - they are very well done and informative . Don't ever assume your method is "good enough" - destructive testing will show a lot , as well as doing polish and etching to better understand penetration to see the weld nugget itself . Leave anything critical to a pro - any part that can fail and hurt someone , especially on the highway is not a good project for a novice . If nothing else , get it all fitted up ahead of time and take the part to a shop - it will be cheap for them to zap together if they don't have to do the fitting work .
Nothing else , take a local community college class or find a retired welder for some guidance ...

Sarge

 

[northumbrian]

Get yourself a load of off cut steel, and practice, practice, practice, practice...
All the Gucci toys in the world are meaningless if you can't use them.

 

[Kaasdief]

Do not wear your good watch welding.

 

[northumbrian]

Do not wear your good watch welding.

Long gloves