Welders

Hi there everyone i am real new to the rat rod sceen and am hoping to build my own soon. The only thing from keeping me from that is the fact that i have never welded and was wondering what kind of welder should i get to build a rat rod from frame to finish.
Thanks with the help of this site i am hoping to start something real soon.

Although we have had this discussion a thousand times, I'll go over what we have talked about again.

Get a name brand, 220V welder, that will take a gas bottle. In that bottle, you will want "mix" gas. (argon, and CO2--- 75-25%). .030 wire is a pretty good all around wire size to use.

You should take a class, or volunteer some time in a welding shop in exchange for some lessons. Or hit up a friend who knows what they are doing.

Good luck.

That would be MIG. It is the easiest one to learn, and the most versitile.
Craigs list is a pretty good source for a used machine, or a pawn shop.
There are some pretty good deals on new ones on the internet.

Name brand welders would include, Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, Essab, and a few others.

Non-name brand would be harbor freight, and some on e-bay. Some, like Clark have been around for a while but really don't have name recognition.

A mig welder will do body work, frame work, and about anything else in the hotrod shop.

The Key to welding is practice, practice, practice.

^^^ What he said ^^^

Also, don't expect to do everything on your first build unless you like being totally overwhelmed to the point of quitting. If it was easy everyone would have a car on the road. Take your time, learn, and do what you can but don't expect to do a ground up build your first time out.

If you have never welded before, I would recommend you take some classes at a vocational school. They have them in the evenings 2-3 nights a week. It is so easy to learn and pick up bad habits. A 40 hour course here is only about $300. It is a lifetime investment.

The machine itself needs to be at least 180 amps to weld 1/4". Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, running the c-25 gas mix.

Consider cutting the pieces and having someone else who knows how, weld the frame [ this is a safety area that doesn't allow mistakes
You can do the other non critical parts

pick up lots of scrap steel to... the more practice the better you get.

going with what everyone else has said -- just thought id throw in a suggestion ... since it will be your first experience with all of this - id say make some friends who are experienced and help them with their current projects/work -- just explain to them what youre wanting to do and what youre trying to learn -- watch and listen... and of course practice.

I work for Miller here in Appleton wi. I would recommend one of our welders over the competition aka the red guys anyday. In weld tests and machine durability we hands down put out a better machine.

quandelgarage said:

I work for Miller here in Appleton wi. I would recommend one of our welders over the competition aka the red guys anyday. In weld tests and machine durability we hands down put out a better machine.

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What is the connection between Miller, and Hobart. I have heard "same parts",and Miller owns Hobart, and other similar conections. So what is the scoop?

quandelgarage said:

I work for Miller here in Appleton wi. I would recommend one of our welders over the competition aka the red guys anyday. In weld tests and machine durability we hands down put out a better machine.

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I have not had the best of luck with the blue welders. Gone trough 2 of them so far. Just switched to a red one. So we will see.

Every rodder starting out should tack Boneheads post on their garage wall and follow it to the letter. A quality 220 welder with bottle is an investment that will last you a lifetime. First time welders should NOT be welding frames and critical pieces.

I've said it a bunch of times, for years I only spot welded my stuff and took them to a pro to be finished. I could weld but didn't trust my welds on something that could kill me and others. Then my Son became a good welder so I have him do it for me now. There is no shame in knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

Don

I use Millers at work and have 2 of my own at home. First wire feed welder I ever bought was a used 90amp Miller Cricket 110v. It was a flux core welder and great for an uneducated 20 something guy learning to weld and flatbroke.
I shudder at some of what I welded back then with the little guy. I still have it but its been converted to gas and set up with .023 wire for nothing but sheetmetal use. My Millermatic 250X 220v is a very versatile machine, will run many differnt wire gauges and a wider range of amp settings. Im with the Bonehead advice, you get what you pay for when buying tools. Good tools cost a little more for a reason, more dependable, and easyier to find parts and/or service if you do have problems. My suggestions, get a little on hands education, determine exaclty what kind work you will be doing, do your research, and if you buy a welder, dont go less than 140 amp.

since the discussion is open - why doesnt anyone here run stick? just curious... i have both and use both regularly

Two reasons I seldom use my stick welder: slag clean up & vision. Too hard to see the work with all that fire and smoke.

I use my stick welder when I narrow an I-beam axle.

I use my stick welder for structural steel, and usually welding outside, as wind does not bother it at all. At one point, that is all I used. Pipeline, and oilfield work, in the field, is pretty much all stick.

RPM said:

I have not had the best of luck with the blue welders. Gone trough 2 of them so far. Just switched to a red one. So we will see.

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I would have to agree with Ron...hard to believe that Blue beats Red hands down or vise versa for that matter. I've owned and worked with both. Both are excellent machines, but my preference is RED.

As for the topic Bonehead's reply needs to be a sticky.

-Troy

Really interesting that you guys haven't liked the blue ones. Everything we have bought from Miller has been exceptionally good. I would not be able to guess how many miles of welds the 210 Mig has on it over the 8 years my Son has had it, and the only thing we ever had to change was the liner in the lead, and that was a cheap fix. I guess it is like anything else, some like Chevy some like Ford.

As for arc welding, it is still an excellent way to join metal together. Mig and Tig have become more popular because of cleanliness and other factors, but in the right hands an arc welder can be a great tool. My Model A frame and rear suspension was arc'd over 20 years ago and nothing has ever let go. Mig is just a little more versatile, you can turn it down and do sheet metal, or crank it up and do frames.

Don

I love Miller welders that's all I have in my shop MillerMatic 200 I bought 27 years ago not one problem then a SD180 Tig & arc + a Hypertherm plasma

donsrods said:

Really interesting that you guys haven't liked the blue ones. Everything we have bought from Miller has been exceptionally good. I would not be able to guess how many miles of welds the 210 Mig has on it over the 8 years my Son has had it, and the only thing we ever had to change was the liner in the lead, and that was a cheap fix. I guess it is like anything else, some like Chevy some like Ford.

As for arc welding, it is still an excellent way to join metal together. Mig and Tig have become more popular because of cleanliness and other factors, but in the right hands an arc welder can be a great tool. My Model A frame and rear suspension was arc'd over 20 years ago and nothing has ever let go. Mig is just a little more versatile, you can turn it down and do sheet metal, or crank it up and do frames.

Don

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In my arc welding hay day, on a bet, I welded two tin cans together. Arc welder turned down and 3/32 rod.

I have had both Blue and Red machines over the years, and they are both good, just like Ford and Chevy, there are some lemons out there.