I have mig welded things before but it has always been very, not perfect...

Not owning a mig I'd like to get one and practice, preferably second hand as I'd want to spend a small amount just to see how I get on.

What tips would you have for me?

Put your local burns unit on speed-dial?

Cheers Andrew, but if we assume I'm fully conversant in health and safety coming from an engineering background. What practical advice would you offer?

My mate has recently spent alot of time researching and he bought a clarke 135te. wasnt cheap but is about the most powerful you can run off 13a plug.

It does the job nicely and now resides in my garage .

Make sure the mig welder is not a gasless one. You want as many power settings as you can get for your money. Cheap ones have very few settings and as a result you will find much more difficult to set up/ use.

Have a read of here, http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ I've spent quite some time reading various things

After pi55ing about with various hobby ones, I bought a proper one and the difference is incredible.

Tips:
1. Weld prep is everything
2. Good gas supply is important
3. Keep everything in good order

get the best one you can, it is an investment.

a better mig will mean more control, both in terms of arc and wire feed.

A lot of the parts on many of the welders are interchangeable so if you go a bit wrong you can change (as long as there's enough power).

As an example I have a SIP welder but I use Clarke hoods because they are longer so prevent the wire from burning back and get better gas cover to the weld.

Mine's 130A and that's been more than enough, but as MRS says the difference is night & day between a hobby welder like this and a proper one. (i.e. better wire feed, even power, affordable gas to the weld as the bottles get expensive)

As mine's got older the wire feed has become fairly intolerable and the wire's corroded as it has stood in the shed- so it isn't really an easy option for a quick bit of welding these days - I have to keep the line to the torch as straight as I can to get the feed to work, but I could probably fit new pinch wheels, renew the torch liner and it would work like new.

There's quite a bit to shell out on the associated bits like aviation shears, hand nibbler, hammer / dolly set, Angle grinder with wire cup brush / grinding discs, gloves, mask, G clamps, rivet gun, edge setter / joggler / punch and so on.

One of the reasons I keep the Coupe dry / don't use it in winter is that I don't enjoy welding and farming out welding work to somebody who's got the right equipment / is good at it can work out cheaper and a lot better than trying to do it yourself. Weld spatter is a fantastic way to make everything rust prematurely.

All time low was MOT welding a Skoda Estelle floorpan in the winter back in the 90s. The MOT tester allegedly commented "that was the shittest welding I've ever seen" before handing my friend his steaming fresh MOT cert.

I hope this rambling is of some use.

Thanks guys (even AndrewR ), what I'm hearing is spend as much as possible. Avoid gas less, and get as much adjustability as I can. Trouble is, where is the line? If I spend a ton, it'll be naff. If I spend two will it be sufficiently better, or should I spend 3?

Skinflint's experience sums up my concern well. If I spend 500 quid I'll want my money worth. On a plus side I do have all the other kit that goes with. The metal work side I'm fairly competent already.

Spend 350 and get a 185 sealed supermig
Then get a bottle of argomix from Adams gas

You'll also need a regulator

I went crazy and bought a Kemppi unit - it's fabulous though and I will use it (hopefully not as much as when I crashed the race car...)

I have a Chinese made 130 amp mig welder i bought 5 years ago . Not a bad welder for the money new around £140 . I have been mig welding for over 25 years and have used gasless migs to three phase 250 amp one . Dont bother with a gasless one as the weld is terrible . Anywhere between 130amp to 150 amp is fine . It also depends on what you are using the welder for . This level is perfect for cars . I find with the bigger welders they are more suited for big jobs and dont really weld small panels for me . I have used a friends TIG welder and liked it so much i have just bought my own 170 amp TIG welder for under £200 delivered with all leads . If your restoring a car i find the MIG puts too much heat into the body and too much grinding afterwards . With the TIG alot less heat into the panels , lovely clean weld and its a strong weld .You can use just the arc to fuse the panel together or a filler rod . I am in the process of welding my Fiat 131 back together and the TIG suits this type of job better . Once you use a TIG you will wonder why you ever used a MIG .

How can you tell if the welding equipment is suitable to run off a single 13 amp socket?

Robcoupe20vt, where did you get the TIG welder from for under £200 delivered?

You need a 16 amp socket running to your fuse box . Not a problem for me as a mate done this within a half an hour .It did put me off getting one but i am glad i did . Just waiting for my new visor and then already to weld . My friend has the bigger 200 amp one .This is my welder http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251323797581?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

This is a good video on You tube showing how easy it is to weld with TIG http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is0BP39XZLw

I love that video. Testing it by bashing the shit out of it. I'm very much a fan of the large hammer.

Robcoupe20vt, you've really mixed it up with the TIG suggestion. It would be automotive panel work I'd want to do, but equally I'd want to be able to weld to studs/axles/brackets, so would want versatility.

I've never done TIG before, would I be able to pick it up?

I have never done TIG before either . I can braze ,arc and mig but was crap at gas welding . I dont know why anyway it not used to day in the body trade . TIG welding to me is easier than mig welding and i picked it up straight away . I will only use my mig for big jobs . For panel work TIG for me . You could get the 200 amp TIG welder and then not get a MIG ?

Cheers for that, something to consider for the future. My only trouble is, I'm in a rented property, so wouldn't be able to change to a 16amp socket.

Have a look at this video of a beautiful TIG welded italian made motorcycle exhaust for a Yamaha R6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ8CGGYamuE.

That seems like a good suggestion. I asked about MIG as I understood it to be easier, but TIG would be fine also.

My friend is a professional welder (he makes MRI machines for a living) and has helped me out no end with various jobs.

His TIG welding is awesome - I keep suggesting to him about setting up a fabrication firm but he wasn't bothered.

I have a cheap and nasty gasless MIG welder than I bought off ebay. It takes a while to get going and with only 2 settings I'm not going to set the welding scene on fire, but it gets me by. If often gets too hot and cuts out.
There was a super test in Mechanics weekly a few issues ago. I will dig it out to see what it suggests.

I'd love to be a TIG welder, although my friend suggested a good one would set me back atleast £500. I had a go with my friend set (borrowed from work and was over £1k) and it didn't seem that hard to be honest. We are only talking straight line, ready prepped, thin steel angle bars.

Slightly off subject, but what are the rules concerning carrying gas bottles in your car? Do you have to have any sort of permit etc? (I guess its argon?)

I may look into the TIG idea. But I do like the idea of a cheap solution to get me going.

Re the gas bottles, I think it's just insurance and a sign stating you're carrying compressed gas.

I mig welded(with Gas) the roll cage into my coupe at the weekend. I had a bit of tuition to ark weld about 35 years ago.

And have done odd bits over the years.

The mig was a bit hot really but i got the hang(ish) of it by the end.

i can mig and tig ... szkom get your self on a night school training course at tameside collage thats what i did ... now qualifed to C+G 1-2 mig and 1-2 tig in stainless and aluminium

I did a taster day in stick and mig/mag welding at writtle college in Essex, I can thoroughly recommend it as you get to use someone elses stuff without fear of breaking anything. Stick welding and mig/mag welding was covered along with some safety basics. On a Saturday and £100 (including big fry up lunch :-) )

They also do a 10 week evening course which covers all welding apart from tig and then another course in tig.

Well worth it, I just need to get some inspiration to build something !

Low profile car ramps!

This is what i keep wanting to get around to, but never seem to get the time at the moment

Depends what you will be welding. If just to weld/fabricate things, mig or stick (mma) Easy enough if you master the settings. On the other hand welding on a vehicle is another matter all together. As said, tig would be the preferred option, more controllable & less messy.

Overhead is the one that sorts out the men from the boys. Underneath a car is usually where things need to be repaired. Tig is expensive compared to mig. Rust is your enemy, metal must be silver clean. If mig is used, tacking said piece of metal all round, then it's a case of stop start welding filling in the gaps, switching from section to section if that makes sense.

The build up of heat is quick if you don't pay attention. If you master the correct settings, a welder can tell you this by the sound of the crackle/noise of arc, making yourself comfortable may sound obvious & of course have your trusty grinder at the ready.

Inspiration or perspiration? Here's one I did earlier...

http://www.alfa.me.uk/crash.html

I think inspiration MRS. That's really the sort of thing I'd want to be doing. I actually have a 205 Gti that took some fire damage. All superficial damage, except it's highlighted any area that was rusty. I.e. under the headlamps. So it needs a some metal chopping.

Jimboy, if costs weren't a consideration, within reason, would I be better served by TIG in the long term?