Practically Classics Forum

Hi all
As I approach half a century I've decided it's about time I learnt to weld my own stuff.
I have played with MIG welders in the past but never seriously took the time to sit down and learn how to do it correctly.
So I have decided to either join my local college night classes or failing that simply spend time in the garage welding bits of steel together.
I have read reviews of the Clarke 135 welder from Machine Mart.
Question, will this suffice as a learning machine and also be adjustable enough to allow a novice to weld body panel thickness steel?
Or do I need to spend a shed load of money to get an infinitely adjustable machine, in which case I may as well hand my welding over to someone else to do.
cheers
Dermot.

I have a Clarke 160EN and it happily welds 1mm body panels up to 4mm chassis repairs. I haven't had a lesson in MIG, just asked for some help, got some scrap steel and started putting it together.
Fortunately I am welding on a car that has aluminium panels on the outside so can get away with gasless and a bit of spatter. I have used the co2 / argon gas mig welders at work and they are quieter, virtually spatter free and because of the cooling effect of the gas let you work faster.
These guys:
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/
are amazingly helpful, they have tutorials, a gadget for telling you what settings to use on your particular welder with the wire you have and the metal you are welding and a forum with people who seem to know everything there is to know about welding.

I'm sure lots of other members will be along in the not so distant to offer a guide on machine choice depending on what you want to do with it.
I bought my machine a REALLY long time ago as the largest one that could run from a 13a plug but only really started using it a couple of years ago.

We should be getting an article in the next A30/A35 Owners Club mag about welding and welders ... it has been promised. But their forum have a few posts and I think the 135 comes out as one that's recommended but you should use it with gas. Thicker steel is OK gasless, but thin body-work steel can burn through more easily.

Don't forget the mask .. buy the best you can afford.


I'm not expert .. I've never even tried welding yet .. but it will probably have to be another skill I need to learn.

People seem to like the Clarke gazza, avoid the SIP, great out of the box but soon suffer from wire feed problems.
Alternatively if you can pick up a good secondhand small Cebora (often branded as SnapOn) they are bloody good little welders.

I'd recommend using a gas rather than gasless welder, and it is worth getting a larger bottle such as hobbyweld, also worth getting a welder that will run 5kg reels of wire.

Try to ensure you have a low setting intended for bodywork, you will end up pulse welding at times anyway but easier all round if you have the low amp setting available. My latest (secondhand and pretty old) welder is a little too powerful for bodywork at times which can lead to chasing holes and more pulse welding than would otherwise be needed, so not ideal for a first timer at all.

Masks, I may or may not get flamed for this, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money, £20 on ebay will get you an automatic darkening helmet, shades selectable 13 through 9 (you'll probably use the lightest, 9 for what you are doing), and I find they last a good couple of years. Definately get an auto darkening one though, makes life so much easier as you can see where you are before you pull the trigger without having to nod the mask down as you start everytime.

Other than that, cleanliness is the most important thing, clean all rust / paint / underseal off as best you can, practice doesn't always make perfect as bodywork welding can be awkward compared to thick stuff, but it will make good enough.

I used to have to be passed every year to stick weld on railway structures, after about ten years for some reason I failed the simplest one, butt welding flat plate, and had to wait a year to do that test again, for that year I could weld anything so long as it wasn't the simple flat butt weld so its one of those things where you can pick up bad habits, but for what we are doing on cars, so long as you achieve penetration you'll not go far wrong.

Other than that, distortion will be your biggest enemy when working on bodywork panels etc, so these are best done one spot at a time and allowing the heat to dissipate before putting another weld in the same area, even then you will likely get some distortion.

Good luck with it mate

I have a Clarke 151 (I think!) and it is a great machine - now! I ended up converting it to a Euro torch, with a decent solenoid valve for the gas as the standard valve (in the torch itself) failed within a year and wasn't going to be cheap to replace. I also fitted a much heavier earth cable and use Hobbyweld gas. I can now make half decent welds, where I had problems for the first year or two. I suspect the better earth lead and clamp has as much to do with it as the new torch, though having longer cables on both are a real boon!

There's a photo of it here:

http://practicallyclassics.phpbbhosts.c ... 9&start=10

I thought I had mentioned it somewhere else, but can't find the thread. There are one or two threads about welders and welding somewhere in this section of the forum, again, it's a matter of finding them!!

I'd agree with Arceye about masks, mine is a cheap eBay one. However I tried my friend's £60 one (from a local welding place) and it is sooo much better, I'm going to buy a similar one when I can save a few pennies. Also get a few spare glasses for the visor - it's amazing how quickly they get covered in crud, which makes them rather difficult to see through!

I believe Welders Warehouse machines have a good reputation and did well on a PC mag test some time ago. The Clarke didn't do quite so well, but the later model had addressed most of the complaints.

Every thing ones needs to know about welding is on the web. There is a forum devoted to Mig Mag Tig.

About 1992 I paid 200 quid for a used migatronic mig mag welder. I use hobby gas argon co2 which is 55 quid deposit plus 30 for gas. The deposit is repaid when the bottle is returned. The time doesn't matter and a bottle lasts ages.

Leather apron is handy.

Night school is a very good idea.

Just two tip but important. Always before you weld on a car . Weld scrap steel of the same gauge to set up the welder. And it should sound like frying bacon.

Bob.

History wrote: frying bacon.

Bob.

im hungry now...

I have a Clarke 135te...it does the job and is reliable, I have two observations on it after a few years of use, one, that extension handle thing is useless, take it off and put it somewhere else, and two, it could do with another setting between the two lower range settings, its essentially it has four power settings when really it needs six, but for the money its not a bad machine at all.

I bought a 2nd hand SIP unit from a bankrupt garage sale. It's a full size model on wheels, has loads of settings which is superb for getting things just right. I get my argoshield refills from the local scrap dealer, full size bottle for £35 cash.
It uses the full size wire refills which does a lot of welding.

Kev

Bacon butty with HP sauce and sausage butty with English mustard.

Sorry for the mission creep but Rich is hungry.

Bob.