Choosing a Welder?

PB Forum :: Mechanics' Lounge
Choosing a Welder?
Author Message
flag PoloRick
Posted: Jun 17, 2009 at 13:18 Quote
Thats it, You Die! I knew their was a good reason(Time and drugs have messed my brain)

But in all seriousness it will go bang in a big way, So dont do it.
flag madeinchinamyass
Posted: Jun 17, 2009 at 14:32 Quote
jonbikes wrote:
PoloRick wrote:

Also do not use any grease of any sort on the set up, cant remember why but I know its a bad idea!


Oh yes, I forgot about this. ABSOLUTLY no oil/grease around the oxygen or torch body/tip. Grease and oil will combust in the presence of pure oxygen. Since cutting oxygen is 99.8% pure or more, that means it will go boom.

Thanks for the info. I actaully talked to my grandfather last night and he told me that if I want this bike finished before the end of first semester next year I need to design it, cut the metal to my desired lengths and degrees, and just have a professional do it. This meens that my frame will probaly be welded by a TIG and I wont have to worry as much about the welds cracking. This doesnt meen that I am not going to get into welding, by all meens I am going to get a welder before summer is through if not in the next couple of weeks. I still want to learn how to weld but this probaly isnt the best project to start out on.

FYI, My grandfather has been welding for about 50 yrs and he recomended a Harbor Frieght 110 as a begining welder.
flag ricar
Posted: Jun 18, 2009 at 19:44 Quote
jonbikes wrote:
It will still need to be heat treated. Heat treating returns the metal to its natural state (hardness is one thing that is changed) after the welding process.


Thin walled cromo tubing does not need to be heat treated after welding. If you use a good technique. You need to keep the temps down so weld fast or weld short beads with adaquate cooling time.
flag shorerider16
O+
Posted: Jun 18, 2009 at 20:29 Quote
ricar wrote:
jonbikes wrote:
It will still need to be heat treated. Heat treating returns the metal to its natural state (hardness is one thing that is changed) after the welding process.


Thin walled cromo tubing does not need to be heat treated after welding. If you use a good technique. You need to keep the temps down so weld fast or weld short beads with adaquate cooling time.

Chromoly is actually the opposite of many metals. How much heat you put in is not as important as how it cools. Sudden cooling can cause brittleness in the heat affected zone. Because of this, high speed welding should and deffinately quenching should be avoided. Proper pre heating is also quite helpful. Some crafstmen still weld it using the oxy fuel process since the slower welding and heat from the torch allow for even and prolonged cooling. It can also be stress relieve or normalised after for added security.
flag sidekicked
Posted: Jun 18, 2009 at 22:07 Quote
First off keep this in mind, When it comes to welders you get what you pay for. There are two kinds of welders GOOD welders and CHEAP welders, there is no such thing as GOOD CHEAP welders. Second I dont want to be a downer but personally if you have to come to Pink Bike for advice on frame building and welding, you haven't done your home work. The best thing you can do if you dont have shop tools to fool around with is go to a book store buy a books about metals, welding, and fabrication. Knowledge is you best advisor in building a frame not PB.
flag jonbikes
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 3:15 Quote
^^^I think you missed about 90% of the thread.
flag madeinchinamyass
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 6:39 Quote
sidekicked wrote:
First off keep this in mind, When it comes to welders you get what you pay for. There are two kinds of welders GOOD welders and CHEAP welders, there is no such thing as GOOD CHEAP welders. Second I dont want to be a downer but personally if you have to come to Pink Bike for advice on frame building and welding, you haven't done your home work. The best thing you can do if you dont have shop tools to fool around with is go to a book store buy a books about metals, welding, and fabrication. Knowledge is you best advisor in building a frame not PB.

Well I guess if knowledge is my best advisor in frame building I can say this forum contributed a lot towards me buildig a frame. The reason I made this thread if you have not read it already is becuase I needed help on "Choosing a Welder". But I do need to get books becuase when I get a welder I'll probaly need help with welding.
flag sidekicked
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 9:18 Quote
I did read the thread.. And half of the information was junk.

What im saying about these books that they are CREDIBLE sources written by certified welders not back yard billy. Comming to PB for information is like going to Wikipedia.

Im not saying don't build frames. By all means build a frame, im just saying do your home work plan things out. Practice welding and fitting scrap tubes before you start wasting good material. ect..
flag jonbikes
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 14:14 Quote
I believe that was what he intended on doing, seeing as he was talking about welding on an old lawn mower frame and other junk.

If you want to say that coming here for welding advice is like going to wikipedia, then you can say the exact same for bike related stuff.
flag sidekicked
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 14:41 Quote
jonbikes wrote:
I believe that was what he intended on doing, seeing as he was talking about welding on an old lawn mower frame and other junk.

If you want to say that coming here for welding advice is like going to wikipedia, then you can say the exact same for bike related stuff.

Coming to PB for bike questions is a bit different, as it is a forum all about bikes. Now he had gone to a welding forum looking for advice that would make sense. All im saying about wiki is that its a general information site, which is posted on by users. Its not a credible source, and is not recognized by schools, universities ect.
flag hambone2
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 14:42 Quote
hey chuck... keep on topic Smile we are helping this young man choose a welder.... not a website
flag sidekicked
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 14:45 Quote
Good point.Personally i'd buy a Miller Diversion 165, its made for light fabrication use Thin wall tubing and has both AC and DC out put.
flag madeinchinamyass
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 16:04 Quote
sidekicked wrote:
Good point.Personally i'd buy a Miller Diversion 165, its made for light fabrication use Thin wall tubing and has both AC and DC out put.

Unfortunatly that is a bit out of my price range (you could have found that out if you read the thread) and My grandfather has already recomended a starting welder for me that is pretty cheap. I dont need a great welder to start out with I just need some thing that can stick 2 pieces of metal together, which is what my grandfather was thinking when he told me to buy a Harbor Freight welder.
flag sidekicked
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 18:02 Quote
madeinchinamyass wrote:
sidekicked wrote:
Good point.Personally i'd buy a Miller Diversion 165, its made for light fabrication use Thin wall tubing and has both AC and DC out put.

Unfortunatly that is a bit out of my price range (you could have found that out if you read the thread) and My grandfather has already recomended a starting welder for me that is pretty cheap. I dont need a great welder to start out with I just need some thing that can stick 2 pieces of metal together, which is what my grandfather was thinking when he told me to buy a Harbor Freight welder.

Dude those are garbge, look at the Hobarts there decent and you can actually buy replacment parts for them. Would you ever buy a bike you couldn't buy parts for?
flag thud
Posted: Jun 19, 2009 at 18:05 Quote
sidekicked wrote:
madeinchinamyass wrote:
sidekicked wrote:
Good point.Personally i'd buy a Miller Diversion 165, its made for light fabrication use Thin wall tubing and has both AC and DC out put.

Unfortunatly that is a bit out of my price range (you could have found that out if you read the thread) and My grandfather has already recomended a starting welder for me that is pretty cheap. I dont need a great welder to start out with I just need some thing that can stick 2 pieces of metal together, which is what my grandfather was thinking when he told me to buy a Harbor Freight welder.

Dude those are garbge, look at the Hobarts there decent and you can actually buy replacment parts for them. Would you ever buy a bike you couldn't buy parts for?
millers are garbage i use lincon easy to fix and maintain and generally dont over heat as fast as a miller

 


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