Welding Rig Recommendations (for a beginner)

[Freemasm]

Starting my canopy frame layup. I'll probably have the final welding completed by a nearby professional, FAA certified welder.

As for the initial lay-up and tack, can anyone suggest a capable, relatively inexpensive rig? Comments (and expected flames) would all be appreciated.

Thx.

 

[mstrauss]

What are you building?

 

[Jjackh10]

Are you doing a chromoly frame or Aluminum? For chromoly I wouldn't be afraid to try a cheap rig from Amazon. Most of what separates cheap machines from quality machines is duty cycle. How hard you can run it before it gets hot and weld quality degrades. For the thin materials on airplanes it's low amps/ light duty.

For aluminum you need an AC tig. And I haven't yet seen a cheap knockoff one of those. Something Like the Miller Syncrowave 212 is as close as you can get. It sits on the line between hobby and production machines. High quality, parts availability, and multi process, can stick weld and run a spool gun (mig). It's a chunk up front, but for home projects you'd never need to buy another machine.

https://www.millerwelds.com/equipment/welders/tig-gtaw/syncrowave-212-m00205

 

[sf3543]

Starting my canopy frame layup. I'll probably have the final welding completed by a nearby professional, FAA certified welder.

As for the initial lay-up and tack, can anyone suggest a capable, relatively inexpensive rig? Comments (and expected flames) would all be appreciated.

Thx.

Look at Primeweld. They have everything from MIG to TIG and anything else you would need for fabricating at an economical price.
I got a 225x to learn on and then upgraded to the 325x, not because I needed to but just because. They both do stick, MIG and TIG. Both AC and DC.
Check out YouTube for information.
Their Cust service is phenomenal, too!
YMMV depending on what you want.

 

[Freemasm]

Rocket slider
Steel, assumed to be 4130 CM.

 

[DanH]

As for the initial lay-up and tack, can anyone suggest a capable, relatively inexpensive rig?

Buy a good set of oxygen/acetylene regulators, a lightweight Victor torch or similar, and a few nozzles for it. Get a cutting head and a rosebud while you're there.

Run beads on scrap until they all look good. Then build some shop fixtures...racks, shelves, maybe a table. Now go buy a TIG if you want one.

OK, so why? It's about really learning to weld. The actual welding is the same for gas or TIG...make a puddle, dip the rod, move, make a puddle, dip the rod, move. The learning side is hard to describe, but guys who learn with gas seem to be better with TIG later. Plus the gas investment is low, and it's actually more useful for the all purpose shop because you can heat, cut, braze, and solder.

I'm at about 50 years with stick, 30 with gas, and 25 with TIG. They all have their best use.

 

[Mikeyb]

Buy a good set of oxygen/acetylene regulators, a lightweight Victor torch or similar, and a few nozzles for it. Get a cutting head and a rosebud while you're there.

Run beads on scrap until they all look good. Then build some shop fixtures...racks, shelves, maybe a table. Now go buy a TIG if you want one.

OK, so why? It's about really learning to weld. The actual welding is the same for gas or TIG...make a puddle, dip the rod, move, make a puddle, dip the rod, move. The learning side is hard to describe, but guys who learn with gas seem to be better with TIG later. Plus the gas investment is low, and it's actually more useful for the all purpose shop because you can heat, cut, braze, and solder.

I'm at about 50 years with stick, 30 with gas, and 25 with TIG. They all have

Probably but if he’s only going to tack thin steel tubing the cheap DC TIG welders are about the same price as a Victor gas setup and you only need on bottle of gas. Your probably less likely to burn something up learning because when you break the arc the heat source stops instantly.

 

[SmokeOn]

FAA certified welder.

Never heard of an FAA Certified Welder. Usually welding certifications are held by the company and process being run for a specific part.

But back to original question, if you are planning to do more than a canopy and want to learn welding I think the TIG welder is the most universal and overall useful. Not the easiest to learn, MIG would fill that.

40 years of weld experience here, and I use my TIG 100 times for ever 1 I use my tig. Have not used a stick in 30 years. Oxy/Acetylene even less.

 

[wirejock]

These guys know far more than I, but I bought a Yes Welder. Firstess DP200
I got in on the early price. I'm still learning, and dialing in settings. It's an incredible machine. Totally programmable. You can save settings and update software. I'm running 75/25 Argon/CO2 with mig.

 

[mstrauss]

Please no one skewer me for saying this, but I like my HF PROTIG 205. I only pretend to be a welder, so take what I say with a salt shaker or two. I did take the EAA Tig welding class, which I highly recommend. We used Red (Lincoln Electric) welders in the class, and I find the HF PROTIG 205 to be just as capable (I hope HF is listening and they start sending me free tools to evaluate). Just so you know, I have yet to use up my first 120CF bottle of argon gas, so I should probably just stay quiet.

 

[climbak]

I'm an amateur at best, but for relatively thin steel, like not much more than 1/8" just about any cheap DC TIG machine will do if you're not going to weld a lot. Especially if you're just going to tack things together. If you want to do aluminum too, then one of the relatively inexpensive AC/DC machines will do fine. I have the Eastwood 200h. If you want something nicer, an Everlast is what I would get. There is absolutely no reason I can think of to get a Miller or Lincoln unless you are going to be welding a lot or really specialty stuff, but just my opinion. I will say, if you can get a flex head torch, it makes things a lot easier.

 

[Freemasm]

Never heard of an FAA Certified Welder. Usually welding certifications are held by the company and process being run for a specific part.

But back to original question, if you are planning to do more than a canopy and want to learn welding I think the TIG welder is the most universal and overall useful. Not the easiest to learn, MIG would fill that.

40 years of weld experience here, and I use my TIG 100 times for ever 1 I use my tig. Have not used a stick in 30 years. Oxy/Acetylene even less.

Could have used better words maybe. He has an FAA approved repair station.

Thanks for all of the good recommendations so far. Please keep them coming.

 

[Ironflight]

I am also a late-bloomer when it comes to welding…just started learning a citrus of years ago and bought an HF multi-machine that does Stick, Mig and TiG. Played with Stick and MiG to learn them, set it up for TiG, and have never gone back! (OK, of I have to weld two tractors together I’ll set it back up for MiG…..) I practiced enough on coupons and scrap packages of tubing (under the watchful eyes of excellent welders) until I was comfortable tacking and then finish-welding the canopy frame for the F1. Then also did the cross-fuselage brace for the front seat to my satisfaction. I am certainly not at the level of welding a motor mount, but I am comfortable with the parts I have down - very satisfying…. “Education & Recreation” after all!

Paul

 

[Mikeyb]

Not sure I agree with the learning curve transition from other types of welding. If your “mission” was to tack steel tubing together I think you could buy the cheapest TIG welder available, watch a YouTube, cut and notch 2 feet of tubing into one inch chunks and be good to go with tubing to spare. If the parts fit well enough you might not even need to add filler rod

 

[Jjackh10]

I stand corrected, sounds like there are some affordable ac tig machines.

I’m at the same spot as you. Gonna build a chromoly frame for my fastback 4 cause it will be quicker and easier than modifying the aluminum frame. My ex-father in law got my syncrowave in the divorce. So I’m going to buy a cheap tig rig off amazon, tack it up, and have one of the professional welders I work with finish it up.

 

[lr172]

Look at Primeweld. They have everything from MIG to TIG and anything else you would need for fabricating at an economical price.
I got a 225x to learn on and then upgraded to the 325x, not because I needed to but just because. They both do stick, MIG and TIG. Both AC and DC.
Check out YouTube for information.
Their Cust service is phenomenal, too!
YMMV depending on what you want.

+1

I have a primeweld 225 tig machine. It is an inverter style. The older one with just tig and stick capable. It performs great and a much better value than miller or lincoln. Much better than the typical low cost offshore stuff. Even came with a high end branded flex head torch handle and hose. Foot pedal was also good quality which is not typically seen in cheap gear. Also have a 220v hf mig welder. While the parts are not the same quality, it lays down welds as well as my smaller miller that i just gave to my son.

 

[lr172]

Need to be careful if you start out with mig. It is easy to lay down welds that look good but have no penetration. Mig isn’t really a good choice for thinwall tube anyway. Gas or tig are better, as they give much more control over heat input. Each have their challenges. Dans suggestion has merit, as you can learn just the welding basics with gas. Tig carries another challenge on top of that. You must learn to keep a tight arc otherwise they heat goes up fast. Makes it hard to keep even heating. Tough to manage that while you are learning the basics of welding, as it is a tough skill to master. Certainly possible to do it that way, just need to work in steps.

 

[fixnflyguy]

Could have used better words maybe. He has an FAA approved repair station. View attachment 108475

Thanks for all of the good recommendations so far. Please keep them coming.

Yes, the repair station..I work at a huge (commercial jet MRO)one and oversee a couple small ones. Generating the 8130 is the certification of what has been done ,which is inspected by an I/A or designee, though the I/A is useless in the big jet world. I have several welders, not with any real certification per say...but they all have some serious instruction and experience. I'm just curious, what kind of canopy build-up are you doing?..Im not familiar with any fab required on a VANs or similar canopy frame. BTW, my son-in-law welds chassis for NASCAR and those guys are artists. I've looked at some wrecked roll cages and the welds are solid, tubes ripped in half.

 

[Ironflight]

I'm just curious, what kind of canopy build-up are you doing?..Im not familiar with any fab required on a VANs or similar canopy frame.

He’s doing a Rocket - the first step in doing the F1 canopy is to cut up the supplied frame, make it fit, then re-weld it into the correct configuration….. A Harmon is generally “build from scratch”!

 

[Freemasm]

After a lot of practice, could make ugly but solid tacks. Lift/scratch start sucks, BTW. Will be getting rid of this thing. The local 8130 has flaked; but, instructor from the local community college was kind enough to drive to my hangar.

Thank god for true artisans/tradesmen/craftsmen. Was able to meld my ugly-a$$ tacks with little evidence they ever existed all with my hobbyist machine. Frame still lays flat with no heating/stress relieving required.

Will definitely be xitioning to something with high frequency start and oedal control.

Much thx for all of the suggestions and recommendations.

Top weld was his.