stud welders (automotive)

I picked up one of the cheaper HF units when it was on sale. Seems to work just fine so far. I have also used a stud attachment on my tig unit. The dedicated unit is much easier and more portable.

Hi Steve, Thanks for the above note. I looked at the HF units. Price seems great. Do I need to worry about the duty cycle? The $99 welder has a 1% duty cycle. The $134 welder has a 2% duty cycle. Does this mean that if I weld one stud (takes one second) that I have to wait 100 seconds in order to weld a second stud? Please advise. Thanks, Ivan Vegvary

That's what it means, all right. Not too bad if you use that minute-and-half to measure where you want your next stud, lay out the mark, and reload the stud gun. In any kind of welders duty cycle is something you pay for, if you want cheap you pay with your time, like so many places in life.

GWE

Thanks for your quick reply Grant. You always come up with the answers. BTW, I seem to remember that you are in the Northwest. I'm in Sandy, OR.

Yup, I'm up just outside of Seattle, Washington, in a burb called Kirkland.

GWE

For pulling a few dents/creases I've taken a large washer or chunk of flat stock with a hole for a pulling hook., ground one side flat, and brazed with low temp rod to the dent/crease and used it to pull out the dent. Works quite nicely, expedient low cost body work. Heat to remove. Oxy/ace required. Might get a bit more warpage than the stud welder..

ED

HTP has an attachment that does that, kind of, but it does not fit on all guns.