Differences in MIG,TIG and Flux welders - contemplating learning to weld

[Roger Chandler]

Okay......I am a total newbie in relation to welding......I have had several times in the last couple of years that I wished I knew how to weld, and even came close to purchasing a welder and shield...........resisted because of my lack of knowledge.

Could someone on this forum explain the differences in TIG, MIG and Flux wire welding and when they are used? Also the benefits of each kind?

Much appreciation!

[Chuck Saunders]

TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) Similar to gas (Oxy Acetylene) in operation, you hold the torch in one hand and filler if needed in the other. Foot pedal controls amperage. Very versatile, but slow, makes a nice weld. Arc is sheilded by a gas envelope, problem with winds. Good for Most metals and more suited to thin material. Often the Tig also provides a stick welder so you can get double duty.

MIG (Metal Inert Gas) uses the filler wire as the electrode, pull the trigger, point and shoot. Gas is used to shield the arc, same problem with wind. Good for steel, can do Alum but usually need a spool gun because the wire is hard to push down the hose. Very easy to learn.

Flux Core - Same as MIG except that the wire hollow and filled with a flux to shield the arc, no gas, good for windy conditions. Basically stick welding with endless rod.

SticK Welder - Electrode is a filler rod coated in a flux material. Good for thicker material, electrode is always hot, you touch the material, you start welding

[Roger Chandler]

Is stick welding fairly easy to learn? Is it for most metals.......steel tube, angle iron, bolts........fabrication?

[Chuck Saunders]

Is stick welding fairly easy to learn? Is it for most metals.......steel tube, angle iron, bolts........fabrication?

Pretty easy, easier with the new auto darkening helmets. The welding rod determines what metal you are welding (Steel, Stainless, Cast Iron) The only real difficulty is thin material <1/8".

Easy to Hard
MIG - Flux core
MIG
Stick
TIG

Cheap to Expensive
Stick
MIG Flux core
MIG
TIG

Flexibility
TIG
STICK
MIG
MIG Flux core

[Ryan Lee]

I've done all of the methods above either through classes at the community college or at home. I own a DC Tig machine, MIG, and oxy/acy torches. I enjoy the tig welding the best. It is slower, but the welds turn out very nice. If I did it again, I would buy a high end AC/DC tig machine and a plasma cutter and be done with it.

[Nathan Shaffer]

Roger,
I have about 9 years of welding experience from being in the Air Force. I have done Oxy-Acetylene, ARC, MIG and TIG.

If you are wanting to learn the basics and I would start off with a MIG set-up and use Flux-Cored wire. By using the flux core you avoid having to purchase gas. When welding steel with a MIG gun you need to use either Argon or Argon/Carbon Dioxide mix to shield the weld. If you want to weld Aluminum you need to run pure Argon.

TIG is by far the cleanest weld that you can do. If you learn to TIG you will have to have a supply of Argon Gas to shield the weld and the electrode.

These are just my thoughts.

Respectively,
Nathan

[Thomas Bank]

Even if you don't end up buying a Miller machine, they have an excellent explanation for starting out: http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/buying-your-first-welder--a-practical--informative-guide-for-do-it-yourselfers--

Over the years I've done oxy-acetylene, stick, flux core, MIG, and TIG. My machines right now are a 250amp MIG, 250amp TIG (which also can be set up for stick), and an 80amp plasma cutter.

Chuck provides some good lists to explain how they relate. I'd debate where MIG and flux core stand in relation to each other, though. Adding the shielding gas to a MIG welder is an added cost, but then you don't have to worry about the slag that the flux forms - both for cleaning it off the finished weld as well as making sure it doesn't get included into the weld if you go over it accidentally.

The first question is what do you plan to weld? You're not going to get very far trying to weld sheet metal with stick. Likewise, a 110V MIG is going to take many, many passes and some skill if you're trying to weld thick brackets and structural items. TIG can have a similar drawback. I welded up a new bucket for my Bobcat the other year. TIG would have taken forever to weld all the seams. Even stick would have required multiple electrodes to finish even one seam. With the MIG I could just start welding and not stop until I reached the end of the seam.

Oxy-acetylene can be very versatile - like TIG, it only provides the heat source and you have to use a separate filler rod. But people can be nervous having a big cylinder of acetylene around the house. The other setups are inert when you're not using them, so there is a certain level of safety to them.

[Roger Chandler]

Is the purpose of the gas to eliminate slag? I still have some gaps in my understanding about what each setup is and why gas is introduced......also, I have seen welders for sale and stick [rods?] which operate off the welding wire clamp.............my impression was that with a welding rod and a welder that produces current that metals could be put together.........again, I have zero knowledge here, but have the desire to learn some and need help knowing where to get started.

Likely, my efforts will be mostly welding things like angle iron, steel plate and perhaps bolts......general fabrication is what I call these.......thanks everyone for your time on this.....pardon my lack of understanding, but any clarification will be much appreciated..........thanks very much!

[Ryan Mooney]

I don't think the ease of use order can be understate for noobs (of which I am firmly in the land of). Even I can get things to stick together pretty good with a MIG welder (not pretty, but hey). I can sort of make it work with a stick welder after running through a rod or three of practice beads and I sure wouldn't buy a TIG without taking some more classes or working with someone to learn better more first.

Any of these can weld steel (with varying ease of use).

In theory you can weld aluminum with a stick welder (I've seen it done... with sprinkler pipe no less, was in awe at the skill required) but it takes a magical hand.

If you want to do stainless you're practically down to TIG or MIG+gas and are probably better off getting someone else to do it cause stainless is a pita to weld (yeah I've seen some flux core stainless for MIG, but...).

I have a 110v Hobart Handler 140 MIG and can easily weld up to 1/4" in mild steel with it (Miller at least has a similar class of machine). Past that I'd take the pieces down to my buddies shop and borrow his stick (or more likely beg him to weld it for me :D).

With flux core on the MIG its really dead simple but I do get a fair bit of splatter (less if I've been practicing :D) compared to using it with gas.

If there is a college or High school near you that offers classes they're well worth your time.

[Scott T Smith]

Is the purpose of the gas to eliminate slag?!

Roger, I've been welding for over 30 years. To answer your question, the purpose of gas - or flux (either in the MIG wire or on the outside of the arc welding rod), is to shield the electric arc from oxygen, and thus proving a greater degree of control to the arc.

Lots of good advice has been offered thus far by other members. Most new welders find the techniques associated with MIG welding to be the easiest to learn, and TIG and stick welding to be more difficult. When welding, you basically have two concerns. First, the strength of the weld, and second the aesthetic appearance. In many instances, a good looking weld is a strong weld; however a good welder will understand the importance of weld penetration and how to determine if their welds are sound.

A 120V MIG welder is usually the best starting point and is suitable for sheet metal and light guage steel (such as 1/8" or 3/16" thick). You can successfully use a small MIG on thicker metal if you pre-heat the metal with a torch (such as oxy-acytelene). Beyond 3/16", usually a 240VAC MIG is the best option.

Stick welding is usually done with a 240VAC welder. Better welders will offer both AC and DC welding. Many pro's use DC reverse polarity for their stick welding, as when coupled with the proper rod can result in deeper weld penetration.

Depending upon the thickness that you want to weld, if I were you I would start off with either a 120V or 240V MIG, and take some classes at a local community college. I would also learn to weld and braze with oxy-acytelene, as this will add a lot of versatility to what you can do. This combination will provide you with the most flexibility and allow you to develop your skill set, before moving into more expensive equipment. Oxy-acytelene torches will also all you to cut thick metal without the expense of a plasma torch.

A 120V MIG and an Oxy-acytelene setup can be picked up for about 1K. A good AC/DC sticker welder will set you back around $500.00, give or take.

When you move into 240VAC MIG, you're up in the $1,500 - $2,500 range. TIG welders will start closer to 3K and up. If you plan to weld aluminum, you will need a high frequency generator with your TIG welder, and a water cooled torch is a good idea too.

[Thomas Bank]

Is the purpose of the gas to eliminate slag? I still have some gaps in my understanding about what each setup is and why gas is introduced......

With any welding method, you have to shield the molten weld from oxygen. So you either use a shielding gas (MIG and TIG) or a flux (flux core, stick, or oxy-acetylene) that burns off creating both (essentially) a shielding gas bubble around the weld as well as slag over the weld to keep the oxygen out. The disadvantage of the flux is that you have to chip it off. For oxy-acetylene welding you dip the heated filler rod in flux. For stick welding the flux is bonded to the exterior of the electrode.


also, I have seen welders for sale and stick [rods?] which operate off the welding wire clamp.............my impression was that with a welding rod and a welder that produces current that metals could be put together.........

I'm not exactly sure of what you are asking here. For stick welding, you have a ground clamp that you attach to the object you're welding (flux core, MIG, and TIG also have a ground clamp). You then insert an electrode (rod or stick) into the electrode holder. The electric arc melts the tip of the electrode as well as heats the workpiece to form the weld. This is basically the same process with flux core and MIG except rather than have a stick of some length, you have a continuous wire that is the electrode. And the difference between flux core and MIG is that you either have a wire with a flux core down the middle or you use a separate shielding gas to provide the protection.


Likely, my efforts will be mostly welding things like angle iron, steel plate and perhaps bolts......general fabrication is what I call these.......thanks everyone for your time on this.....pardon my lack of understanding, but any clarification will be much appreciated..........thanks very much!

You could likely get away with either a flux core or stick machine to start out depending on how "heavy" the pieces are that you're working with. Either would be relatively inexpensive compared to other machines.

[Thomas Bank]

Again, go back and read the Miller welding link that I provided earlier. It will give you a pretty good understanding of the different methods and you'll be able to better ask questions once you understand the basics.

[Scott T Smith]

With any welding method, you have to shield the molten weld from oxygen. For oxy-acetylene welding you dip the heated filler rod in flux.



Thomas, the Miller welding link that your provided is an excellent resource; however your statement is not completely correcct.

Oxy-acytelene welding that uses a steel filler rod does not require flux or shielding. Prior to the widespread use of MIG welders, oxy-acytelene steel rod welding was the common method of welding vehicle exhaust systems. The rods were not flux coated, nor was flux used in the welding process.

[ray hampton]

Thomas, the Miller welding link that your provided is an excellent resource; however your statement is not completely correcct.

Oxy-acytelene welding that uses a steel filler rod does not require flux or shielding. Prior to the widespread use of MIG welders, oxy-acytelene steel rod welding was the common method of welding vehicle exhaust systems. The rods were not flux coated, nor was flux used in the welding process.

If Thomas are braze -welding then he can use flux, the use of flux are to keep oxygen away from the weld on the steel but this are impossible when we are welding with a oxygen-ace torch

[Thomas Bank]

Oxy-acytelene welding that uses a steel filler rod does not require flux or shielding.

My apologies. It has been a few decades since I did anything with oxy-acetylene. As Ray inferred, I was thinking of brazing with dipping the welding rod in the flux crystals. Could picture using the torch and dipping my rod in the old coffee can of flux - but got mixed up on what I was actually doing. :)

[Keith Outten]

Mig, Tig and Stick welding from one small machine. (http://store.millerwelds.com/commerce/product?ProdID=951474&utm_source=millerwelds.com&utm_medium=button&utm_content=productpage&utm_campaign=millerwelds.com) $1,958.00
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[Ryan Mooney]

Mig, Tig and Stick welding from one small machine. (http://store.millerwelds.com/commerce/product?ProdID=951474&utm_source=millerwelds.com&utm_medium=button&utm_content=productpage&utm_campaign=millerwelds.com) $1,958.00
.

Keith, that link didn't work for me, but I think this is what you were linking to? http://www.millerwelds.com/landing/multimatic/

That's a sweet machine although I think the TIG kit adds another ~$400 if I'm reading it correctly, but there is a 15% rebate on miller equipment right now so that would get you back into the ballpark. Luckily I'm not a good enough welder to justify a new machine :D

[Dan Hintz]

Would you guys stop posting this stuff! I'm trying to save money for bigger toys...

[Scott T Smith]

Keith, that link didn't work for me, but I think this is what you were linking to? http://www.millerwelds.com/landing/multimatic/

That's a sweet machine although I think the TIG kit adds another ~$400 if I'm reading it correctly, but there is a 15% rebate on miller equipment right now so that would get you back into the ballpark. Luckily I'm not a good enough welder to justify a new machine :D


That's a pretty sweet machine! With the optional TIG kit, it would do everything that a home user would need.

[Scott T Smith]

My apologies. It has been a few decades since I did anything with oxy-acetylene. As Ray inferred, I was thinking of brazing with dipping the welding rod in the flux crystals. Could picture using the torch and dipping my rod in the old coffee can of flux - but got mixed up on what I was actually doing. :)

<grin> Your comment about the "old coffee can of flux" brought back some memories!

[Keith Outten]

Ryan, sorry about the link I guess it is too long for vBulletin. In order to qualify for the 15% rebate you have to purchase at least $150.00 in accessories, the tig torch kit qualifies.


That's a pretty sweet machine! With the optional TIG kit, it would do everything that a home user would need.

Scott, I ordered the Multimatic 200 with the Tig kit. I am scheduled to pick it up Wednesday :) A little gloat there I guess but its part of a shop machine upgrade that I have been working on for several months. Three weeks ago I purchased a Miller Extreme 625 plasma torch and two new Baileigh metal working machines for my shop in an effort to upgrade the sign hanger side of things.

Roger, I started welding using a very old Miller Thunderbolt AC buzz box stick welder. My Dad bought it over 30 years ago for 50 bucks used and I gave him 50 bucks for it about 20 years ago. The welder has a copper transformer and it takes two men to lift it but it is still in my shop and it works fine for a buzz box. I had a Hobart Handler 140 mig welder, sold it three days ago when I decided to purchase the new Miller Multimatic 200. Years ago almost everyone started welding using stick welders but I expect most people today start with mig machines.
.

[Thomas Bank]

<grin> Your comment about the "old coffee can of flux" brought back some memories!

I can't say I've ever seen brazing flux in anything BUT an old coffee can... :D

[David G Baker]

When I was using oxy Acetylene for brazing if I ran out of brazing rod I would switch to coper electrical wire and it worked fine for light fastening. When I ran out of steel rod I would go to the closet and grab a hangar. I didn't use the gas welder too much because it got stolen and I bought a stick welder to replace it and eventually bought a MIG outfit. I wish I had bought a 220 MIG set up instead of a 120 volt unit. I have never used TIG but I worked around it and loved the neat little weld that it made on stainless steel.

[John Aspinall]

Lots of good advice here, Roger.

Let me just emphasize one point mentioned above, but you may miss it in the flood of info: get an auto-darkening helmet. Especially when you're starting out, the ability to go from looking at your work in daylight, to looking (safely!) at the arc in fractions of a millisecond, is a huge help. No head nodding, no poking around blind.

[Eric DeSilva]

The one other observation that I'd make is to check your power options. I looked at TIG, and the problem was that for the range of metal thicknesses I was looking at, the TIG machines were considerably more expensive and required significantly more amperage than the MIG machines. I ran a 60A circuit to my garage for the MIG I've got--I think I would have needed 90A for the TIG.

[Scott T Smith]

Ryan, sorry about the link I guess it is too long for vBulletin. In order to qualify for the 15% rebate you have to purchase at least $150.00 in accessories, the tig torch kit qualifies.



Scott, I ordered the Multimatic 200 with the Tig kit. I am scheduled to pick it up Wednesday :) A little gloat there I guess but its part of a shop machine upgrade that I have been working on for several months. Three weeks ago I purchased a Miller Extreme 625 plasma torch and two new Baileigh metal working machines for my shop in an effort to upgrade the sign hanger side of things.

Roger, I started welding using a very old Miller Thunderbolt AC buzz box stick welder. My Dad bought it over 30 years ago for 50 bucks used and I gave him 50 bucks for it about 20 years ago. The welder has a copper transformer and it takes two men to lift it but it is still in my shop and it works fine for a buzz box. I had a Hobart Handler 140 mig welder, sold it three days ago when I decided to purchase the new Miller Multimatic 200. Years ago almost everyone started welding using stick welders but I expect most people today start with mig machines.
.

Sweet! We expect some tool reviews in the near future. I have a Miller plasma torch and really like it. The only thing that I wish that I'd gotten with it was the curved head for torching out welds. I use a carbon arc torch for that but the plasma would be much nicer (and quieter).

I still have my old Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC buzz box - it gets used about once a month (more often if I don't want to pull the Trailblazer Pro down from the barn). I think that mine has the aluminum transformer though.

[George Carlson]

You're probably getting tied of all this advice, but here's mine anyway. My advice to someone who wants to learn about welding is to buy an Oxy-Acetylene rig. With the gas rig you can weld, braze, silver solder, heat things and bend them, and cut steel. Since the heat and fillet material are fed seperately, you have a lot of control. You can even weld aluminum with practice. I do a lot of TIG welding, mostly aluminum, so I'm a little biased toward the torch and rod method. The nastest welder I ever used was a flux-core 110V job. Those are awful. But sometimes they even have a use.

[William M Johnson]

In another life I was a certified welder. I currently own a Lincoln Square Wave TIG, Miller 211 MIG, Hypertherm Plasma and an Oxy Actelylene rig. When it comes time for the bill collector to haul everything off the Oxy Acetelyene rig will be the last to go. The mig will be the first. MIG is the easiest to do poorly and the hardest to do well. It is best used in a production shop where the setting don't change and relatively thick steel. Oxy can do anything including aluminum and cutting.

[George Carlson]

In another life I was a certified welder. I currently own a Lincoln Square Wave TIG, Miller 211 MIG, Hypertherm Plasma and an Oxy Actelylene rig. When it comes time for the bill collector to haul everything off the Oxy Acetelyene rig will be the last to go. The mig will be the first. MIG is the easiest to do poorly and the hardest to do well. It is best used in a production shop where the setting don't change and relatively thick steel. Oxy can do anything including aluminum and cutting.
Amen I haven't used my MIG in years. Everything gets done on TIG (I have an Aerowave, wonderful machine), or gas. In fact I just sold my MIG to a bodyshop. They like to use a MIG to make those crappy little stitch welds they cover with Bondo.

[Keith Outten]

I have been working around welders most of my life starting with nuclear pipe welders when I was young. When we were building nuclear power plants in those days it was extremely rare to see anyone using a Mig welder. I would guess that 99% of the welding was either Tig, Stick or a combination of the two for pipe welding. Structural welders rarely used Mig but that was probably because these were very large construction projects because I know Newport New Shipbuilding does use Mig welding in the shops frequently. They also used a lot of sub-arc for carrier decks in those days, I expect they still do but I have been away from the yard a long time.

For home welding I have always felt that stick welding was the best way to go, its not too difficult to learn and the weld quality is usually pretty good for round the house projects and farm stuff. It does seem that these days people who are just starting up prefer to purchase Mig machines although I'm not sure why.

I started my career as a Non Destructive Testing Inspector so I know a good weld when I see one. The truth is if I was welding professionally I would reject 95% of the welds that I make :) I have found over the years that welding for myself and my shop projects my welds are fine but I would never weld on a trailer hitch for someone or anything that was pressure boundary related. I build farm implements, tables and a host of other stuf like wrought iron hangers and such so the quality of my welding work doesn't have to meet any code related specifications.

[Ryan Mooney]

For home welding I have always felt that stick welding was the best way to go, its not too difficult to learn and the weld quality is usually pretty good for round the house projects and farm stuff. It does seem that these days people who are just starting up prefer to purchase Mig machines although I'm not sure why.

Mostly because its easier to get some sort of stickum to stick (at least for me) and works pretty well with thin materials that I'm likely to be using around the shop. Its pretty rare that I want to go over 1/4" material and for the really thin stuff I just burn holes with a stick welder :o but can make a somewhat lumpy but mostly functional join with the MIG (and ye-gods yes it would be a horrid idea for me to weld something like a trailer hitch at this point regardless of the methodology). I've done a little bit of stick welding and if I was doing anything of any size (like farm equipment) I'd go back there in a heartbeat and re-learn it better (and add an oxy acetylene setup as well). I certainly don't dispute that TIG makes cleaner welds, and stick can make better welds and that oxy acetylene is more flexible (or any of the other counter arguments you guys made cause they're definitely valid), but the thing you guys have to understand is that you all know how to weld much better than most of us ever will so the rest of us are pretty happy with something that pretty much mostly works with minimal learning curve. For me I can get out the door faster with a MIG than the other technologies at this point in my practice/knowledge curve. This is also not to say that time spent learning oxy and tig and stick wouldn't be time well spent, it would.. but you really need to do a lot of it and keep in practice (unless you've done a LOT) to stay decent so even if I went back and re-learned it all better I'd still not be very good at it :rolleyes:.

BTW: Keith, how do you like your fancy new welder?

[Mac McQuinn]

Roger,
I won't go into the difference in processes as it's been covered already, I will say this though, If and when you purchase a welder and hood, before you strike an arc, invest in a welding fumes respirator or welding fumes collector. Welding fumes are nothing to take lightly.

I'm a certified Welder in DC Stick on pipe and plate and Tig for the same. I started with Gas welding and cutting/piercing at welding school and it's a great place to learn torch control and metal flow. While learning by doing is a positive tool, throw your hood and respirator on and sit next to a seasoned veteran who's welding to see how it's done correctly. Watch his hand control and puddle flow. You will see what needs to take place to make a certified weldment.

For me the toughest welds were made with stick DC on pipe. You prepare the pipe and have to make a root pass starting from the bottom followed by several overlapping passes. Your rod angle is critical and has to be maintained as you move up the curvature of the pipe. Remember the rod is constantly shrinking and you're maintaining arc to puddle gap and removing stubs and adding new rods as you go. This is not a quick or easy process, although if you do it right, it's very rewarding.

Good luck, be safe and enjoy
Mac

[Keith Outten]

Ryan,

I wish I could report to you that I have been using the new welder but I can't. Some sign work dropped out of the sky and I have been busy getting material and design work done so I can get these jobs out the door before I go to Jim McGrew's Aspire Camp next week. Two other jobs that I finished are ready to ship so I need to get that done right away. Right now my mower is sitting in my shop in my welding area, I sharpened the blades and now I need to change the sharp set for the dull ones.

I promised myself that I would spend some time with both the new welder and the plasma torch this weekend no matter what comes up or who drops by :)

[Thomas Bank]

It does seem that these days people who are just starting up prefer to purchase Mig machines although I'm not sure why.

I think a lot of it comes down to what people see on the TV "fab" shows. Everyone is using a MIG welder or TIG welder. You don't see a lot of oxy-acetylene being used (and explosive gases tend to scare some people off) and I'm not sure I've ever seen a stick welder being used.

With MIG it is very easy to get things set up and get results - not necessarily favorable results, mind you... But you can set up the MIG you got from the local big box store and glue some metal together right away without too much of a learning curve. Now, gluing that metal together properly and so that it doesn't fail if it is structural is an entirely different matter! I see a lot of "bird poop" welds out there.

As I say, explosive gases scare people off from oxy-acetylene. Stick takes some little amount of skill to not just stick the rods to your work - and doesn't work so well for light gage stuff. TIG not only takes some time to learn, but takes some actual dexterity and coordination to pull off adding heat and filler rod. I've heard more than one person say that if you can draw a line on a sheet of metal with a magic marker, you can glue stuff together with a MIG.

A few people have mentioned sitting down with someone with some experience. That is definitely worthwhile advice! You can end up with a lot of confidence in your abilities (particularly with MIG) if you don't know how much you don't know... :D Having someone with some experience there to tell you what is good and what is bad can save you a lot of time - and keep you from forming some bad habits.

[ray hampton]

[QUOTE=Thomas Bank;2092838]I think a lot of it comes down to what people see on the TV "fab" shows. Everyone is using a MIG welder or TIG welder. You don't see a lot of oxy-acetylene being used (and explosive gases tend to scare some people off) and I'm not sure I've ever seen a stick welder being used.



As I say, explosive gases scare people off from oxy-acetylene.

people drive cars and mower their grass with a gasoline engines , some people also cook with gas but will shake in their boots if a oxy-acetylene pops when the welder get too close to the metal being weld on, I were using a stick welder close to a cutting torch tank set, when I finish the weld I noticed that the acetylene tank were on fire where the valve enter the tank, my first thought was to run but I realize that IF THE TANK were to blown that if would already had happen so I took two quick steps to the tanks and with one breath blow the fire out,I AM MORE AFRAID OF GAS COOKING STOVES THAN OXY-ACE WELDING TANKS

[Thomas Bank]

people drive cars and mower their grass with a gasoline engines , some people also cook with gas but will shake in their boots if a oxy-acetylene pops when the welder get too close to the metal being weld on

Familiarity breeds complacency. I see people smoking around gasoline. That scares me! But most people aren't around acetylene cylinders regularly. So they expect them to spontaneously explode without warning.

[ray hampton]

Familiarity breeds complacency. I see people smoking around gasoline. That scares me! But most people aren't around acetylene cylinders regularly. So they expect them to spontaneously explode without warning.

WELL SAID, VERY TRUE
do the same people believe that Oxygen will explode or burn by itself ?

[Thomas Bank]

Well, I have seen people say you should depressurize your air compressor when it is not in use because it would feed a fire... :rolleyes:

[David G Baker]

Oxygen and oil make a deadly combination as well as oxygen and any ignited material such as a burning cigarette, etc.

[ray hampton]

Oxygen and oil make a deadly combination as well as oxygen and any ignited material such as a burning cigarette, etc.

maybe but a diesel engine need oxygen + oil to run

[charlie hill]

Okay......I am a total newbie in relation to welding......I have had several times in the last couple of years that I wished I knew how to weld, and even came close to purchasing a welder and shield...........resisted because of my lack of knowledge.

Could someone on this forum explain the differences in TIG, MIG and Flux wire welding and when they are used? Also the benefits of each kind?

Much appreciation!

hi, sir. welding actually needs a lot of experience. there are so many welding types. it takes time to master just one of them. we provide submerged arc welding fluxes for customers. so i know about SAW process.
here is my tips. first, you should choose which welding is applicable. MIG, MAG, SAW, GMAW, etc. they are used for different purpose.
second you choose welding fluxes and wires based on your base metal. is it low carbon steel, low alloy steel or stainles steel? is it pipeline, cars, roll hardfacing, ship building, bridge building?
the combination of flux and wire is very important. they help you a make a good welding.
please contact us for more info about submerged arc welding flux.

[Curt Harms]

Lots of good information here. Here's my experience. I bought a cheap 110 amp buzzbox stick welder 'cause well .... it was cheap. It'll run either 120volt or 240 volt though amperage is limited on 120 volt. It works but someone with no experience with stick welding would get REAL frustrated. It's much easier to get a stuck rod than a struck arc. I'd had previous experience with stick welders and had taken a class so had a clue about how things are supposed to work. The little buzz box has welded some mobile bases together and have done other small jobs but requires more skill (and a little luck) than a better machine.

[michael langman]

Being a homeowner in the country , I needed a welder to do repairs and to build implements for my garden tractor.
The cheapest and most versatile way to be able to do most repairs is to have a 110 mig welder that is preferably 100-120 output amps, for body work on cars, and thinner materials of steel. I bought an Astro 110 Mig welder, good quality, made in Italy, from a body shop technician, used for 225.00 and it came with a small bottle of argon.
The next thing I own is a used Lincoln AC Tombstone welder that I bought for 100.00 and use with 220V for welding heavier steels. I was accustom to welding and brazing, soldering, in maintenance and tool rooms before so the learning curve was easier for me.
I think Oxy Acetylene is very versatile, but expensive to acquire in the beginning. I cannot find a good used setup under 250-300 dollars, and then the gas and oxygen is quite a bit more.