Poor Man's Inert Gas Shield Welder?

jitney wrote in article ...

I'm not sure I understand why the regulator and helium MUST come from your wife's catering business?!?!?!?

LOL!!!!

I am a hobby welder, not a pro. I don't want, and cannot afford, to spend big bucks on advanced equ't. that would be beyond my limited skills anyway. I just want to expand the capabilities of my existing equipment. You can have your cheap laughs, I am asking others for their informed opinions.-Jitney

Jitney,

You'd be better off pointing a low level stream of argon at the arc, only because argon is heavier than air and would be more likely to remain in the area of the arc. (that is unless your doing over-head) On the other hand, helium is lighter than air, and so it would tend to float away...but in my opinion and experience with "redneck-rigging" it would work. The idea is the same, displace the reactive gases with non-reactive (inert) gas. Hell, if you got the helium, I'm surprised you haven't already tried it. Good Luck

I will soon. The CO2 will have to wait until I get a regulator for that tank. Good advice, any other ideas? Ernie?-Jitney

Sorry I haven't been paying attention .

What was the question?

I take it that you don't think much of the idea?-Jitney

If you really want to build your own MIG machine, more power to you. Personally I like machines that work right every time. I don't weld as a hobby, I weld for a living. If you want to build a welding machine, I wish you the best of luck, but don't try and pretend that it is because it costs less. There are so many good used machines available that that is a specious argument. Heck a Harbor Frieght Clark welder will "work", and cost less than your time to build one. What you need top admit to yourself is that the challenge of making a welder is the real purpose, not making a machine for less that it costs to buy one.

Adding gas to a fluxcore welder is pretty simple as addons go. Simply add a gas cup to the gun and feed the cup from a little side tube to a gas bottle. Yippee, big challenge, now can we get back to welding?

Sorry again I am in a pithy mood today.

I have to agree with Ernie, a cheap new MIG is, what $150? A really good used one is only a little more depending on your diligence. And as Ernie pointed out, it will work right everytime.

A MIG is a straightforward machine. A TIG is a different animal. Expensive(relatively) all the way around.

JW