Welding Question

[88Sleeper]

Hey Guys,

I just had a quick question: I am looking to get a Welder that I can use on my 88's body, and I have a deal from the local store on a MIG Miller millermatic 211 with a cart and cylinder of gas with it for 1295$, but I saw online that I can also get a Miller Diversion TIG 165 for about $1350 on ebay, no cart, no cylinder, but its a TIG.

I have heard that TIG is better then MIG, but in the types of metals, the MIG will also do stainless on top of steel/aluminum. The 211 mig does .8mm to 3/8" steel and 1.0-1.2mm to 3/8" aluminum.

The TIG on the other goes .6mm to 3/16" steel and .8-.9mm t0 3/16" aluminum.

I am curious if anybody here has dealt with welding the quarter panels, and which process would be better.

Personally, I am guessing that you can probably set a good setting on the MIG for super thin stuff, and do some test welds on some scrap to get it right; but I am worried about warping on a quarter panel -> I don't think you can reach in from the inside of the panel and hammer it straight when its on the car...

Thanks for any info/advice n advance! :nervous:

[Vanilla Sky]

I'd go with a MIG personally. The learning curve isn't as steep, and a 211 will weld a bridge together.

BTW, I moved this thread to General.

[2oodoor]

Ditto^^^^
you won't warp it once you get the hang of it, the beauty if the mig is you can toggle the trigger on off to let the weld area cool off a second.
Get the panel tacked in to position first and do small welds. How the panel gets cut in can help minimize issues and unecessary body filler work.

[nswst8]

As a start up unit the millermatic 211 is a great entry level dual voltage welder. As stated above the learning curve in the mig is alot more forgiving.

As for TIG level a nice entry level unit is the Everlast powerarc 160STH about $500 and will do about anything you need it to do. There is a great youtube video on this unit and its capabilities under WeldingTipsandTricks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkjthiUUKRc&feature=g-all-u

[cygnus x-1]

For body work I think MIG is generally used as TIG would take much longer. And it's pretty easy with MIG to use a tack welding technique (short blips on the trigger) to bridge gaps.

C|

[nswst8]

I use compressed air to cool the weld down. No more than 3 tacks at a time then cool down the weld with compressed air.

[88Sleeper]

Ok, thanks guys. I was going to settle for the mig just because the price wasn't way over the top, and mainly because it would be more useful for other jobs I have around. At least with this, my dad can fab stuff up for his rig as well :cheers:

[lostforawhile]

start with the mig,it's the most useful machine, then later on you can get the TIG and start to practice, it takes a lot of work to learn TIG,

[gp02a0083]

i've used a Lincoln mig welder from lowes. Its not the best but it will do the job just fine. A miller would be better tool overall in general if you got the cash to spend. Like Lost said Tig takes a bit of practice, if you have had arc welding experience it makes it just a littler easier working with Tig.