I have the plates for the body mount chop but I have never welded before. I have to chop my Tundra as well so I figured it would be cheaper for me to DIY myself and do it rather than drop $500 for somone to do both vehicles. My question is what kind of welder do I need? I am a woodworker so I understand precision in making things fit nicely but never welded and want to learn. Any advice is appreciated. I plan to do this on Sunday this week 12/19.
Welder for Body Mount Chop
- Thread starter mundra
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May want to ask here as well - GXOR-FL
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MIG is easy. You got to buy the welder, gas tank and all the protective equipment. If you want to learn and use it, definitely worth to buy your own. But $500 would not cover the minimum for decent welder, gas tank, auto dimming helmet, welding glove and all the other small things needed.
Don't buy fluxcore machine. It's cheap but would frustrate you. It takes a lot higher skill to do decent using fluxcore welder.
Don't buy fluxcore machine. It's cheap but would frustrate you. It takes a lot higher skill to do decent using fluxcore welder.
r2m
Richard
Three main (most popular) types of welders:
IMPORTANT: Don't EVER weld (except for acetylene gas welding) on your vehicle with the battery connected.
That is just a 30,000 foot over view. There is much much more to welding. It's not that difficult to learn, but takes time to get good welds.
And just like woodworking, it's a great hobby and you can get some very enjoyable results! I think most community colleges have shop classes that should include welding.
If you're not in a rush for the BMC's, then take a class and then do it! That way, while taking the class you can save up for and learn what welder you want to get!
Good luck!
- Acetylene gas welding - Is probably the cheapest, depending up what size gas tanks you get.
- MIG - I call this "splatter welding" because it does just that when welding with it. It's messy and requires a lot of cleanup afterwards. Upside is it's pretty cheap, can get 110 AC units so you don't need 220 AC in your garage if you don't already have. Generally they are plug-n-play. Also, generally only weld iron l, no stainless, no aluminum, etc. unless you welder is setup for adding Argon gas.
- TIG - The most expensive, but also, in the hands of a welder, beautiful work can be done! It's also a lot more involved than MIG and can give very precise and clean welds. You can't just go out buy one and plug-n-play like you can with a MIG. You will need Argon gas for welding with TIG and usually 220 AC.
IMPORTANT: Don't EVER weld (except for acetylene gas welding) on your vehicle with the battery connected.
That is just a 30,000 foot over view. There is much much more to welding. It's not that difficult to learn, but takes time to get good welds.
And just like woodworking, it's a great hobby and you can get some very enjoyable results! I think most community colleges have shop classes that should include welding.
If you're not in a rush for the BMC's, then take a class and then do it! That way, while taking the class you can save up for and learn what welder you want to get!
Good luck!
Learning to weld is a rabbit hole that takes A LOT of time and practice. You are better off watching youtube videos than asking on here. Sure, some people on here weld but watching a video to learn is going to be your best bet.
I picked up a Hobart Handler 140 and all the fixin's for like $800 last year. Still haven't gotten around to learning to use it well, and I would not be tacking things onto my vehicle's frame.
My honest advice? Buy smaller tires. Big tires is the most overrated thing you can do IMO. In the meantime, grab some cheap steel out of the trash and practice welding.
I picked up a Hobart Handler 140 and all the fixin's for like $800 last year. Still haven't gotten around to learning to use it well, and I would not be tacking things onto my vehicle's frame.
My honest advice? Buy smaller tires. Big tires is the most overrated thing you can do IMO. In the meantime, grab some cheap steel out of the trash and practice welding.
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Ive done quite a few of these on various toyotas in the past few years with my miller 211. It is pretty non structural, and can be done with a 110 welder, but if you are getting a welder and have access to 220 get a 220 welder. My 211 has been everything i have needed for mig so far, but i am looking to try my hand at tig so am saving to upgrade to a multimatic unit.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
That's a little bit of water-under-the-bridge advice, don't you think? Plus it seems a little hypocritical in light of this post... Bigger tires are the one and only way to get clearance under the rear axle. "Most overrated"?
Seriously? Of all the crazy/"stupid" mods, bigger tires get your vote as the most overrated? 
Bigger tires, and lift to accomodate them are the 2 easist and first things to do to make a rig better off road. The wheel wells in the GX are ridiculously small. Most everyone has to do "some" modding to get them to work. You need more happy-pills in your life and realize that not everyone wants or needs to build a truck exactly the way you did. Except that you run bigger tires...I'm with this. It's not (totally or even "very" ) structural. It will for sure look like crap if it's your first welding projct. If you're ok with that, have at it. It is pretty visible for anyone sticking their head down there. I welded on a rear swar bar bracket to the frame on my 100 series with my 110V flux core welder and minimal skill. It looked like ass, but it held, which is what it needed to do. If in doubt, cut, grind, prep, and tack weld yourself, and have someone else put a nicer final bead on it for you. There's a WIDE variety of risk tolerance in this forum, not all of it warranted...
Eastwood has good MIGs for a good price (the 180 is 22v the 135 is 110v), but don't practice on your rig. Welding is rad and fun and $500 here (paying someone for this job) or there (shelling out for your own welding kit) hopefully isn't a deal breaker but a learning experience. I'd recommend getting this job done professionally AND looking into getting a machine. Look locally for classes, as recommended above, from CC or trade school (if you have that luxury) then shop for gear. Agreed MIG is kind of cheating, but with very little experience you can put down good beads and stick stuff together with MIG quickly. I have a 110 MIG and its great but I've kind of outgrown it so a 220 seems better for starting well outfitted. TIG is tops in so many ways but you can get going sticking stuff together functionally and creatively with MIG very quickly. YT videos are great if you don't have access to classes or an experienced friend.
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My shop is Winter Park and I do them for $150 while you wait
r2m
Richard
Can't beat that!!!
But since the OP does woodworking and seems to enjoy working with his hands, if there's time and some extra green, absolutely get a welder and learn a new skill!!
You'll be glad you did in the end. Wood and metal projects work wonderfully together!
I disagree with flux core being frustrating or harder to learn than gas-shielded MIG. Granted I have some welding experience (taking welding classes in high school 20 years ago, for both MIG and stick welding), but flux core is simply not difficult to work with. In fact, it's a bit easier than MIG to learn without the gas and it does not require the same level of surface prep.
I bought a $200 Harbor Freight flux core welder in April in order to remove some stripped bolts when when installing my headers. It was the first welding I had done since 2002. Since then, I've used it to re-attach one of the transmission cross-members to my frame, build a mount for a larger transmission cooler, improve the front skidplate mounting situation, repair broken-off captive nuts associated with my rear trailer hitch (long story that involved cutting a hole and welding it back-in to my frame), make extended rear sway bar end links, install a panhard bar correction kit, repair a broken trailer fender, and do some light exhaust work. When I bought the welder I also picked up an auto-darkening helmet, gloves, and a spare role of flux core wire. I was out the door at $300. It's been the best $300 I've spent on a tool in a long time, although I will upgrade it to a 240v MIG if I get into any heavier fabrication. In the absence of heavy fabrication, a flux core welder is great for a hobbyist mechanic.
I would not hesitate to attempt a BMC with a flux core welder, but first do some practicing on scrap steel and watch a lot of YouTube videos. Although flux core surface prep is not as important as MIG, it still is important. I have made some very nice-looking flux core welds by cleaning the surface, going slow, and having the settings right. If you have everything dialed in there is limited splatter.
I bought a $200 Harbor Freight flux core welder in April in order to remove some stripped bolts when when installing my headers. It was the first welding I had done since 2002. Since then, I've used it to re-attach one of the transmission cross-members to my frame, build a mount for a larger transmission cooler, improve the front skidplate mounting situation, repair broken-off captive nuts associated with my rear trailer hitch (long story that involved cutting a hole and welding it back-in to my frame), make extended rear sway bar end links, install a panhard bar correction kit, repair a broken trailer fender, and do some light exhaust work. When I bought the welder I also picked up an auto-darkening helmet, gloves, and a spare role of flux core wire. I was out the door at $300. It's been the best $300 I've spent on a tool in a long time, although I will upgrade it to a 240v MIG if I get into any heavier fabrication. In the absence of heavy fabrication, a flux core welder is great for a hobbyist mechanic.
I would not hesitate to attempt a BMC with a flux core welder, but first do some practicing on scrap steel and watch a lot of YouTube videos. Although flux core surface prep is not as important as MIG, it still is important. I have made some very nice-looking flux core welds by cleaning the surface, going slow, and having the settings right. If you have everything dialed in there is limited splatter.
Right, I did ponder this and I ended up sticking with stock-sized KO2s because it's not worth the headache. Take it as old-man advice, or take it as needing happy pills IDGAF. Posts in public forums get public replies.That's a little bit of water-under-the-bridge advice, don't you think? Plus it seems a little hypocritical in light of this post... Bigger tires are the one and only way to get clearance under the rear axle. "Most overrated"?
Been up and down and through all the fun of getting bigger tires on my Tundra. Is it more capable? Sure. Worth it for 11 MPG and a 180 mile range? Nope.
haha or just weld it and grind the welds !That's a little bit of water-under-the-bridge advice, don't you think? Plus it seems a little hypocritical in light of this post... Bigger tires are the one and only way to get clearance under the rear axle. "Most overrated"?
I'm with this. It's not (totally or even "very" ) structural. It will for sure look like crap if it's your first welding projct. If you're ok with that, have at it. It is pretty visible for anyone sticking their head down there. I welded on a rear swar bar bracket to the frame on my 100 series with my 110V flux core welder and minimal skill. It looked like ass, but it held, which is what it needed to do. If in doubt, cut, grind, prep, and tack weld yourself, and have someone else put a nicer final bead on it for you. There's a WIDE variety of risk tolerance in this forum, not all of it warranted...
Dont be scared of welding, youll pick it up pretty easy, its something you got to get hands on with, basic tips and tricks can be picked up from some youtube reasearch. Youll probably put in a lot of grinder work to get the finishing look you might want. And thick plate steel is super easy to learn on.
It can be a lot of work, but not over rated at all. Larger tires are probably the best thing you can do to improve off road capability… in some vehicles, like a GX, it takes more work, but it’s the only way to truly increase ground clearance. A truck on 35s can go a lot of places one on 31s can’t.
It can be a lot of work, but not over rated at all. Larger tires are probably the best thing you can do to improve off road capability… in some vehicles, like a GX, it takes more work, but it’s the only way to truly increase ground clearance. A truck on 35s can go a lot of places one on 31s can’t.
You weren’t actually getting 11 mpg and 180 range… the computer gets thrown off as soon as you put larger tires on.
