Captain Jack
Burnt out human
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2006
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- North Somerset
So, I've been looking at buying a welder for a while. When I say 'looking', I mean 'thinking'. After my Laminas metalwork is complete, I would like to fabricate something to allow my two 1.8m Channel Master (PF and OS) to use my heavy duty PM designed for a PF Precision dish. That will requite a lot of metal work.
I am pretty tired of drilling holes all the time (oooerrr!) and holding bits of metal together with bolts - works well enough but not really pretty.
Soooo, I've been researching the welders and various types and need advice. For me, it's a toss-up between a TIG and a MIG one. The arc/stick welding a bit 20th century and apparently makes a bit of a mess. The TIG one is obviously the cleanest one but apparently the trickiest? I don't see it being my different from soldering a piece of wire. And MIG (the gas based one) seems like a compromise but perhaps easier to use than the TIG. It's also a lot cheaper....
My head says get a TIG but my bank account says buy a MIG (actually, it says stop wasting money but that's another voice...). @RimaNTSS will say 'get a TIG, придурок'...
Max thickness I'll be welding will be 5mm but generally 3-4mm stainless steel.
Thoughts/advice?
I am pretty tired of drilling holes all the time (oooerrr!) and holding bits of metal together with bolts - works well enough but not really pretty.
Soooo, I've been researching the welders and various types and need advice. For me, it's a toss-up between a TIG and a MIG one. The arc/stick welding a bit 20th century and apparently makes a bit of a mess. The TIG one is obviously the cleanest one but apparently the trickiest? I don't see it being my different from soldering a piece of wire. And MIG (the gas based one) seems like a compromise but perhaps easier to use than the TIG. It's also a lot cheaper....
My head says get a TIG but my bank account says buy a MIG (actually, it says stop wasting money but that's another voice...). @RimaNTSS will say 'get a TIG, придурок'...
Max thickness I'll be welding will be 5mm but generally 3-4mm stainless steel.
Thoughts/advice?