Got my Fathers Day present a week early!

340EH

340EH

Well-known member
http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipmentdatasheet.aspx?p=59618

I haven't welded anything since grade nine shop back in the late 80's. but If I'm gonna get off my ass and do something on the car I think this is must have. I'm very excited. I think my Garage is only 15 amp service, there is a 15 amp screw in fuse but the wire to the Garage is defenitely AWG 12. I wonder if I can just get a new 20 amp fuse holder for the panel? I want to start practising. aside from wiring and an auto darkeing helmet what are some other must haves for my welding "support gear" I think my first project will be a car for it.
 
got angle grinder?..flapper wheels cut off wheels a scrap body panel of your choice to practice with...aside from auto dark..gloves if your inclined to use them, a good stiff wire brush(i like angle grinder cups personaly) leather welder gear is nice but personaly i cant stand the stuff

got a bottle? planing on using a bottle or going with flux core..if your going with flux check the price ..10-1 odds are you can get it at lowes/home depot for cheeper than anywhere else....if the welder can take it..ONLY buy the 10lb spool....if it cant fit a 10lb spool..your hosed..as welding gets stupid expensive on 1lb spools

a BETTER clamp setup isnt a bad idea..extra welding tips..buy em in bulk save yourself some money..also a few magnet clamps, big C clamps and some vise grip clamps...to be honest just buy them as you find a need for them..me i found that the BIG vise grip clamps do the job of most all of the others except in a tight spot

all this from a brain thats trashed from a HOT day in a black ramcharger playing towtruck behind a bunch of micro cars cruising the country side
 
If you can only run a 15 amp circuit, plug the welder in to the outlet and skip any extension cords, unless they're nice 12 ga wire. The more amperage you can get into the machine, the more amperage youll get out of the machine.
Go with gas, for sure. You won't like the welds you get with flux core wire.
Use welding gloves, long sleeve shirts and a respirator if you can fit one under the welding helmet. The "sunburn" from welding can be painful even if you can't see it, far worse than anything the sun will give, and the fumes from welding can turn you into someone like 69.5 or myself. :) You don't really want to breath in the by-products of melting steel, burning paint and undercoats.
 
awww yeah the sun burns can be brutal at first...after a while you quit getting them..except the face..i think you will ALWAYS get them on the face if you dont have a helmet on

and you should prolly get that 12ga wire extension cord for the welder anyway..unless its got a nice long cord..otherwise your going to be chasing your tail trying to weld in weird spots
 
I've been using a MIG for close to 25 years, and there are times when I get forgetful and go welding with no gloves. They don't get red from the burns, but they sure do itch and dry out. Peeling skin ain't too attractive either.
But then again, dipping my hands in the bucket of thinners when cleaning a spray gun probably ain't helping any.
Even better - stick your hands in ANY solvent when you've got some of those small little welding spatter burns. It's an eye opener. Heals 'em up quick, tho'. :)

Better to be safe than sorry. Princess Auto almost always has welding gloves on sale. usaully for $5 a pair.
Get a small respirator while you're there.
 
I will definitley be using a bottle I have heard that flux core and bodywork don't mix well. I'll have to check my Extension cord I have a "Good One" with a nice heavy wire but don't recall the actuall guage it might be 14. ? I've been running my compressor on the same 15 amp circuit I think its a 6 hp "Craftsman" so hopefully it'll hold up. I'll have to remember to turn off the compressor and maybe the clock radio in there too.

I think until I feel a little more comfortable I'll go with gloves and full body prot. Watch I'll be the first guy on the block to burn down my cinder block Garage! :shifty:
 
I have a 65-amp service in my garage, hooked to the 60-amp service in my house. :doh:

It was like that when I bought the place. I've wanted to upgrade the house for quite some time; guys have been telling me to put a 200A with a new drop in the garage, and run the house off that instead. :huh:
 
I added up all of the circuit breakers in my panel the other day - 485 A on a 100 A service.
and there's room for more......

Obviously, I'm not drawing anywhere near that much at any given time. I haven't blown a circuit since the panel was put in... not once.
It makes me wonder though about what other bizarre electrical things I've got in this house. I've found a few interesting things over the years - like the switch that is mounted right next to the panel but is run off of a box in the drop-ceiling on the other side of the basement... runs right past three other fixtures and a switch - not to mention 4 outlets - must have had extra wire, I guess.

I want to add some juice to the garage - already have a 220V/20A (I think) out there for the compressor.
I am also looking for some more circuits for the upstairs bath. Time to call the electrician - let him sort it out.
 
Dr.Jass said:
guys have been telling me to put a 200A with a new drop in the garage, and run the house off that instead. :huh:
Click to expand...


Yup - that's the way to do it.


Older houses like ours draw ridiculously little power compared to what a half-decently equipped garage does.
 
ahh yes..it was nice moving into a house with no garage or shop..but the 70amp wire and breaker still coiled up in the attic from the old unit..runs my 20x20 nicely
 
Yes, Nodda, but my house does have central air which is a big draw. My current service is not really up to the task it's assigned though it seems to do just fine.
 
If all circuits are wired & fused correctly the worst you would do is trip the main, I have 40 amps I ran out to my garage, off the house 100 amp service, I just trip the 40 once in a while if I try to keep all the heaters on & then use the grinder or something else big, house a/c & main never affected.
you gotta run a lot of house hold stuff to pull 60 amps, our tools, compressors,grinders, welders & such are the worst offenders1
 
Finally go to weld something to day just a practise pas on some 12 guage steel with the fluxwire but I didn't blow any circuits so that's gotta bode well for future efforts. did some shopping and wow gas cans aren't cheap. I have to start saving up again. :)
 
The deposites on the tanks are pretty steep, but the trade in's arent too bad, I have a tank that stands bout 3'high & i think it's 30 bucks for argon (the mix) they last quite a while on sheet metal, the rails ate it up a little faster.
much cleaner welds with the gas, it's well worth it! Rich.
 
I use CO2. It's cheaper than the Argon mix, though sheetmetal is a little tougher to do nicely as the carbon dioxide really pushes the welds home... or in my case, through. :doh: We learn to adapt. :D Also, a CO2 adapter can be a little pricey. Luckily, mine came in my gas-conversion kit bought well after I'd gotten the welder itself (which ultimately saved me about $40 compared to buying a gas-ready welder).
 
I learned to MIG using CO2. With some practice, the welds will lie flatter and you won't wear out your grinder.
I got my adaptor from the gas supply company. A little whining got it for free. :)
 
restoman said:
I learned to MIG using CO2. With some practice, the welds will lie flatter and you won't wear out your grinder.
Click to expand...
So, despite my old grinder bursting into flames, my Makita shouldn't do the same?! :dance: Now I just need to deal with the Makita's tendency towards painful head wounds! It still hurts, for the record. :doh:
 
Dr.Jass said:
So, despite my old grinder bursting into flames, my Makita shouldn't do the same?! :dance: Now I just need to deal with the Makita's tendency towards painful head wounds! It still hurts, for the record. :doh:
Click to expand...
Here's a trick to lessen the projectiles-
I wired up a rheostat into a surface-mount switch box, putting a male plug on one end of an old extension cord and a female plug on the other. Start your grinder up and then slowly reduce the rpms until you get a more user-friendly speed.
In my opinion, electric grinders turn far too fast for body work, unless your lucky enough to have variable speed unit. When you're dealing with sheet metal, speed equals heat, heat equals distortion. OR, speed equals surface-to-air missiles.
 
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