2hot2handle

Hey im lookin at a Clark 180 amp or a miller 175. Im excited to learn how to weld, and I want to eventually be able to weld some turbo manifolds. Can the Clark handle it? also i want to weld aluminum and stainless (maybe cast iron???). how thick can i go? and also, I know it will be ugly, but can it all be done with no gas? thanks in advance guys

-Zach

SMOKIN01TA

iTrader: (10)

with out gas its like a wire fed sorry excuse for a arc welder imo.

Tim98TA

iTrader: (7)

Yeah and your opinion is ****. Unless you know ANYTHING about the subject, don't post on it.

You can use a wire fed welder without the gas. You just have to use flux core wire. Now granted, the welds won't be as pretty, but with gas you have to have some pretty clean metal to start with to get clean welds. With flux core, your metal can be a bit dirty and it will be fine. I don't know about the Clark machine, but the Millers are good units. If you find a Hobart in the same weld range, it will be just as good. Hobart is a lower line of welders made by Miller.

Brains

iTrader: (7)

One other note about using flux-core vs. gas. Your welder must have the capability to reverse the polarity of the gun. Most do, but you might want to check first before buying if you intend to switch modes. I have a little Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 (110V 100A) that has served me well, but I REALLY want to upgrade to a 220V unit with more current. SOME day

Tim98TA

iTrader: (7)

You are correct on that Brains. But you CAN weld in the same mode if need be. It's just a PIA to get a good weld out of gas wire when you can't switch.

2hot2handle

thanks for the replys, ive just heard that most of the welders have the same internals. its just the name stamped on the box that jacks the price up, i don't know. yes both those welders are gas/no gas convertable.

can these things weld stainless as well as they weld mild carbon steel (3/8 inche) like i have seen people do easily?

Cal

iTrader: (1)

Yeah you can weld stainless very well, but you need to use the right shielding gas. C25 (CO2) isn't worth a damn for welding stainless. I believe they recomend helium for that, but I have used argon on stainless exhaust system parts and got very good results. And of course you should use stainless steel wire, but you don't have to.

When it comes to MIG welders, you get what you pay for. Get the best Miller or Lincoln welder you can afford, especially since you want to weld a lot of stuff besides the "easy" mild steel. I got a Millermatic 210 which seemed like over-kill at first, but after 3 three years I'm very glad I didn't buy any less. For example, it came with a spool gun and a dual tank mount, both of which you need for welding aluminum.

I wouldn't plan on using flux wire without shielding gas unless you have to weld outside. In this case, it's better because wind blows away the gas. But in general, you will get much better quality welds using shielding gas. You use "C25" for mild steel, and straight argon for aluminum.

SMOKIN01TA

iTrader: (10)

i have a arc and a mig and have done lots of welding, personally i would rather my arc welder over a gasless mig. so shadup tim

Tim98TA

iTrader: (7)

Well then that shows you how much you really don't know about welding.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

Flux-core is dirty but will penetrate better than
any gas-shielded wire (nothing to take away heat).
Plus for structural, minus for sheet metal. Takes a
lot more finesse to not blow through thin-gauge
work with flux-core. And your choices / availability
for wire filler type are a lot more limited in the flux
cored category (can you even get stainless?
Forget aluminum).

S_J_H

Nothing wrong with flux core. If your a good welder you can make "pretty" welds with it. Biggest mess is the spatter. But if the heat and speed are right it won't be that bad and is easily cleaned up.
There are flux cored stainless wires available also.
You could build a turbo manifold using it no problem IMO. You'll be doing a little cosmetic cleanup of the spatter though. An angle grinder with sanding disk will remove the spatter quickly.
A 175-180 amp Mig is powerful enough to turn a header into a molten globule. So yeah that's plenty of amperage for exhaust work.

You need gas for aluminum though. No flux cored aluminum wire made.

SMOKIN01TA

iTrader: (10)

nothing broke yet.

jdustu

iTrader: (2)

somebody said something about welding stainless w/o stainless wire....uh, not a good idea.....the weld will be brittle as ****.....actually, you should not only use the stainless wire, but also have a seperate gun and liner for welding stainless versus mild steel. I'm not saying you can't just throw a spool of ss wire in there and hit the trigger(i know everybody'll say "i've done it") i'm just say what you are supposed to do, otherwise the carbon from the mild wire will contaminate the ss wire which will give you less than optimal strength.......as far as aluminum, do some searchs on the net......personally i've only tigged al, but i've heard it's better to get a set up that pushes and pulls the wire so it doesn't bind up, which makes sense because it's "soft." in any case, when you start working with different types of metals you need to keep everything seperate so as not to contaminate the other.......if you are gonna teach yourself, just make sure you aren't working on things thast could have potentially dangerous consequences if they fail.....

XLR8NSS

iTrader: (4)

Here is a place that sells self shielded flux core stainless wire.

http://www.dynamictechnologies.net/ssfc.htm

If you want to look at the Millermatic 210 or any other miller for that matter www.brwelder.com has the millermatic 210 with spoolmate(for aluminum) for $1725.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

The spool gun that I mentioned is what pulls the Al wire so it doesn't kink and bind from being pushed.

I agree it's much better to use stainless wire to weld stainless steel.

Hawkcmc

iTrader: (1)

I have a Flux Core Craftsman and it doest pretty well, welded my own cut off in my exhaust with a very clean looking weld along with replacing the 2.75 restriction in my exhaust. I paid 200 for it However for like 50 to 100 more you can purchase a nicer Lincoln from home depot that allows for a gas hook up with variable temps.

CMC

xfactor_pitbulls

iTrader: (16)

You can go without the route of having to buy a spoolgun to weld stainless and aluminum, (if you want to be cheap) You just have to have their own liners for the whip. I personally weld with an ESAB 225 and have an argon gas setup. I couldnt live without it. The welder is fractionally adjustable, from down to doing patchwork on rusting exhausts to solid stock 1" plate steel. You just have to find what works best for your application. What I found funny is that the original poster said he was eager to start welding up turbo manifolds........... And you are just learning, man be realistic. I have been welder for a long time and have made some pretty elaborate stuff. Bu tyou are talking about not only laying perfect beads, but meeting machine tolerances. Thats years of experience. Also I noticed you mentioned cast iron. Be it know that cast isnt like traditional stock. You have to understand what the process of what you are doing to even start to make it work. IE: heating the work to the right temp. using the correct rod, nickel, stainless etc. Its cool you are wanting to learn. The very best way to do that is to find some old man that has been doing it forever and let them teach you. Dont just be some hack redneck that can stick two chunks of metal together.

Brandon

Something

Louis

iTrader: (7)

If you are just doing some small stuff, the MM135 or MM175 will suit the average home fabricator quite well. I would not use it for gasless welding, sure it might hold up but it is ugly.