Welder for Noobie

[gt crazy]

I have never welded before in my life and the more i get under my gt the more rust i see. ALOT MORE. And the body shop is gonna cost wayyy to much. So im thinking buy my own welder and learn how to weld on the opels in the back yard and when i get the hang of it start on mine. I've seen poeple suggest MIG lincoln 180c in previous threads but there experience. I need a very user friendly welder than would give me great welders that will hold for another opel lifetime.

Any advice on which welder for a 16 year old that will have to find out how to weld in his backyard?

[neuropel]

Lincoln SP135t

It's 110v, has "infinite" heat and speed settings, and will handle pretty much anything you'll face on an Opel. It's a good brand, easy to get replacement parts, etc., and not terribly expensive. Get a CO2/Argon tank and you'll find it doesn't take long to lay down decent welds.

I'm sure others will chime in with similar units, each with their own advantages. Search the site here as well, as I think this has been discussed (at least in brief) in thte past.

Todd

[yellaopelgt]

Doesnt your school offer any shop classes where you can get your hands on a welder? Thats the way I learned...anyway, a decent welder can be found just about anywhere these days. Try Craigslist or look in the local paper for a used one. Look for something with the Argon gas shield(it will make your welds cleaner).
Just be careful you dont weld your eye out kid!!
Joe
And buy a fire extinguisher while your at it......

[gt crazy]

yes my school does offer a welding program but i wasn egible to take it this year you have to be a 11th grader and im only 10th. so next year im gonna sign up for it and unless i get the welder and learn how to do it in my own time.

[Johnvan]

A 110volt 135 lincoln or 140 miller mig or similar makes of gas shielded welder will last for many years and is fairly easy to use. Go in and talk to your local welder and gas supplier to see what is available new and used . Miller and Lincoln have a lot of information on "how to" on their internet sites and there are a lot of books available in the library and book stores.Look for simple books as they don't have to be complicated as some are.THe mig would be the most useful for your needs. John

[Paul]

... unless i get the welder and learn how to do it in my own time.

Even if you do get a welder before next year, do yourself a favor and take the class anyway. The instructor will undo all of the bad habits will learn as you teach yourself. Trust me... there is a right way and a wrong way and amazingly enough people can welds to stick doing it the wrong way. But the right way is better. There's nothing like learning from a trained instructor.

[RallyBob]

I can't say enough about this welder:

My father's company has one for light maintenance work, and it welds incredibly easily. Nicer than my Esab commercial welder. They bought it from Northern Tool, and another nice thing about it is it's actually manufactured by Miller, so parts are readily available if needed. As you can see, Northern sells it for considerably less than 'list' price.

I like it better for light-gauge metal more than any other Miller or Lincoln welder I've tried, FWIW. Welds sheet-metal like a dream. This is with 75/25% CO2/Argon mix shielding gas and .023" solid wire BTW, not flux-core wire.

Bob

[heimue]

I can't say enough about this welder:
Bob

I can only support Bob, I have the same Hobart 180 amp welder, and it is great. With 100% Argon, I also use it for SS and aluminum.

Dieter

[deaner]

Even if you do get a welder before next year, do yourself a favor and take the class anyway. The instructor will undo all of the bad habits will learn as you teach yourself. Trust me... there is a right way and a wrong way and amazingly enough people can welds to stick doing it the wrong way. But the right way is better. There's nothing like learning from a trained instructor.

My Son just bought the lincoln welder. He was doing great weld's in less than a day (welding on his prerunner desert truck). He has since signed up for a welding class at the local college. The welding shop he bought it from has plenty of classes too. As Paul said take a class. You'll learn so much from it.

[kwilford]

Have a read of:
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/2d-body...body-work.html
and
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/2d-body...r-arch-gt.html
especially posts #19 and #20