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welders MIG vs. TIG

To: shop-talk@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: welders MIG vs. TIG
From: Mike Rambour <mikey@b2systems.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 13:00:20 -0800
   First, let me say I don't weld often enough so I am a lousy welder and I 
know that and I know it is because I don't practice enough.

   I can weld well enough with a oxy-acetylene torch but not great, so I 
got a MIG a few years ago and that has been wonderful, if it is thick 
metal, I can weld it no problems, thinner stuff like exhaust systems, I am 
finding myself burning holes in the pipe while trying to tack it up and 
then filling the holes with oxy-acet. torch.  I can't seem to weld thinner 
stuff (I know, I know, practice).  I either have not enough amps or too 
many for the first few welds, then I am ok.  One other non-welding detail 
is that I have Racedeck plastic floor tiles and I am burning holes in them 
with weld splatter because well, I don't know how to weld.

   I recently had to build a header for a motor and I told the guy I would 
tack it up and he could get it welded elsewhere, he took it to a guy who 
has a TIG and all I can say is WOW ! there was no splatter on the headers 
(or on the floor) and it looked easy.  Very oxy like welding which I am ok 
at but instant like a MIG which is important to me as I don't always have a 
way to hold things in place when tacking them up.

  I went to a welding shop yesterday and looked at a TIG (yikes, $1,600) 
and he let me do some coupon welding, it was great, I almost bought it but 
when I told him I would get rid of my MIG to offset the cost he said if it 
was him, he would keep the MIG along with the TIG.  I am willing to spend 
the money on the TIG because my reasoning is that I seem to be able to weld 
better with it and I don't weld often enough to keep the practice up but 
his comment about the MIG made me wonder if I am wasting my money.   Is my 
reasoning about a TIG being better for someone who does not weld often 
enough to stay good at it, correct ?  Looking for opinions, if you have a 
welder, which one and do you want the other ? if you were looking for one, 
why one over the other ? (assuming costs were the same which in this case 
they are not).

   I do have a fairly large restoration project coming up this spring which 
will require lots of rusty panel replacement on a car, my MIG can do it but 
maybe TIG is better.  I do know TIG is slower (feet/per minute) but that 
does  not matter to me.

        mike

~~~~~ I'd rather be sailing and  ~~~ .oooO  Oooo.  ~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Rambour                                   (    )  (     )    
Bug Writer er...Programmer                \   )   (   / 
      mikey@b2systems.com                  \_)  (_/  
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