So a couple years back, I took a lot of welding classes. Of MIG, TIG, and arc, I was the most practiced at arc welding... doing big stuff for boats, brackets, and the like. I can't afford a nice TIG welder right now, but I need to be able to do little stuff for aluminum, SS, and steel.

I can pick up a decent stick welder for cheap. Plus, its super convenient w/o having to even get gas or anything. Later I'll get a TIG.

Any reason I shouldn't do it? I can lay a pretty ok bead with an arc welder... looks like a big TIG weld, much nicer than mig.

Ian

 

I dont understand what your saying.. I havent seen a stick welder that can do Aluminum..
It appears that you may not know that stick and arc are one in the same.

Sounds like you should either get a MIG or just save your $$ for Tig.. Arc is the one form requiring the most skill to be done properly. Tig isnt easy but Mig is extremely forgiving!

 

You can stick weld aluminum, but it's going to be hard to do thin material (though it is possible).

I would wait and get a TIG, or get a MIG now and live without the ability to do aluminum until you get a TIG. (Yes, you can setup a MIG to do aluminum, but $$$).

 

Your right, arc is the most portable, the cheapest, and you can weld the most metal with an arc with the wide variey of the different electrodes offered. It works in all positions, and why you may not get the prettiest welds, you can get the most done forsure. Only thing that kind of sucks about them, is the consumable part of the electrode at its best is around 40% due to slag, spatter, filler itself. But they arent very expensive. Arc is a lot of fun, and imo best bang for your buck.

 

I'm fabricating a new plenum for my intake manifold and I want to get an arc welder but I don't think I'll have access to a one of those washing machine type outlets since I'm renting... I only have standard ones unless I go to a friends house.

Has anyone used alumaloy?
They said it can work on intake manfolds... and I need to just fill in some gaps to keep it from leaking vacuum... the bulk of the material that needs to be welded togeter also has coutersunk screws so it's not going anywhere... I just need to seal cracks and such.

 

A stick welder is not very good for many things that you would do on a car. For farm or heavy equipment, it's fine..but for thin materials, it's not near the best thing.

 

save up for a miller tig. you wont regret it

 

yes, SMAW(stick) is not very good with thin materials, if thats all your going to be using it for i would get a mig machine.