I already have a small MIG welder. I'm thinking into jumping up and buying a TIG welder. Question: Can you control the amperage current low enough for autobody 18 to 10 guage without warage to the sheet metal. Without breaking the bank, which is a good choice to purchase.
2006-09-05 07:53:49 · 4 answers · asked by honker 4 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I am a certified welder, I mig, tig, and stick weld. Any kind of welding can be done without warpage. The others are correct in that tig welding is difficult to learn, but the quality speaks for itself. Mig welding is fine for body work, to avoid warpage, turn your heat down as far as you can, and stitch weld, that is to say instead of one continuous weld, weld an inch and skip two, cooling off each weld as you go. this minimizes warpage. Even tig welding can lead to some warpage if done incorrectly, but that comes from experience. Miller & Lincoln both make a package, it is a small portable stick welder with the tig torch attachments ( I have the Miller, it rocks!) The whole deal will set you back about $1300, and keep in mind, most tig welding is done with straight argon, as opposed to the Argon/CO2 mix commonly associated with mig welding. If you use flux cored wire in your mig, that needs more heat to work properly, if your machine has provisions, you may want to consider using a solid core wire and gas. Pre mixed argon/CO2 is available at any welding supply store, but I suggest renting the bottle as opposed to buying it outright. The gas allows you to turn the amperage down and still get a good quality weld. Also, welding stainless steel is much easier and better with tig than mig.
2006-09-05 10:01:41 · answer #1 · answered by unclejimthebear 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
TIG welding is stronger and prettier but takes a whilke to master. A skilled welder can weld thin metal with a TIG with no warpage. MIG welding is plenty strong enough for autobody applications. You will find that most body shops do not even have TIG welders. Another way to attach non-structural metal is with adhesives. This is currently the most common way for body sheet metal to be attached. Check with your local autobody supply for more info. Chance are, they will carry Automix, Duramix, Fusor or one of the many brands of adhesives available. Best part about adhesives is no warpage.
2006-09-05 09:42:43 · answer #2 · answered by dnuss30 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tig is really tough to learn and really only good for appearance and strength, if your really interested in doing body work then learning the new technics of glue are the way to go, they glue most panels now in vehicles, no distortion of metal, and the new glues are just as strong as welding, with out the 2k expence of welder
2006-09-05 08:01:52 · answer #3 · answered by bestwrencher 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to your local auto body repair shop and see what they use and may even recommend. Or your local Jr. college if They have a auto body repair class, talk to the teacher to see what they would recommend. Take your time, then decide after you get credible information.
2006-09-05 08:05:35 · answer #4 · answered by gary o 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋