One Welder to Rule Them All---HAPPY BLACK FRIDAY..

[way_up_north]

Hi guys

I know nothing about welding, but saw this on sale and bought it today Canadian Tire 179.00 CDN or $140 USD. Not attached to it., What should I be looking at. to keep an eye out for?

If there is already a thread on here about this please point me to it...

Is there a welder that can do everything on the plane, Gas torch or Tig?

Do thin aluminum for gas tanks and weld steel tube for the fuselage?

Thanks guys...happy Black Friday




120 volt FEATURES

• Mastercraft Mig and Flux Welder can be used for both MIG and flux core wire
• Infinite wire speed control
• Four setting heat selection
• MIG and flux core polarity control - quickly and easily change polarity settings
• High-efficiency transformer
• Thermal overload protection with light
• Drive deck with dedicated power supply - helps to maintain constent wire speed
• 2-in-1 spool holder, spool adaptor for 4" (10 cm) and 8" (20 cm) spool wires

[Chris In Milwaukee]

The one pictured is a wire feed welder, typically MIG process. While some folks have built planes with MIG, it’s not common.

Welding is a pretty religious subject. Gas welding is usually oxygen and acetylene combined and lit into a flame. That’s what you use to melt the weldable material. Then you feed filler material in through the side. Mostly used with ferrous metals, but can weld aluminum with special prep.

MIG (above) and TIG are arc welding techniques where you use electric current to generate the heat. MIG feeds the filler through the torch head. TIG creates an arc and you feed filler material from the side, a lot like gas welding, except different heat source.

In my opinion, if you’re searching for the one welder that is the most flexible, TIG is a viable contender. But the buy-in can get up there fairly quickly. There are different levels of TIG, too. Features generally drive the price.

[fairchild]

WUN-
Generally- the more kinds of materials you can weld the more money you have to spend. If you want to be able to do aluminum and steels--- (at least for aircraft construction)
you will want an ac/dc tig machine. (mig has been shown to cause structural problems in tubing for aircraft) The one you show - might be fine for non-aircraft use. You want to look for
an all steel drive system ( wheels) and availability of those as spare parts. (no zinc or aluminum parts please)

In a Tig machine you have 2 styles---- inverter style and transformer style. Inverter is MUCH smaller and lighter--- and has much more adjust ability for welding parameters.
The down side (somewhat) to inverters is that they are electronics heavy--- many circuit boards-- can be expensive to repair. Most weigh less than 100 lbs.
Transformer style--- large and heavy --- not as adjustable as the inverter. Few circuit boards...... can last decades with no issues.

In addition - Tig torches can be Argon cooled or water cooled. Water cooled torch never gets hot-- but the hoses are a little more bulky. Also needs water cooler.

The basic brand choices are Miller, Lincoln in the american brands. (miller supposed to have better cust svc.)
Pretty similar in function and features. Both good reputation.
Also a chinese model called "everlast". never used one --- they seem to work fine-- just dont know for how long and not sure about getting parts.

expect the smaller current models to start at about 2000 for transformer and 3000 for inverter.
The everlast - maybe 1000-1500 $ (american dollars)

I have a miller dynasty 200 ac/dc. Love it. would also be perfectly happy with a 180, 250 ( or 300) amp transformer machine too. (miller syncrowave)

Now-- you have to decide..... (the hard part) :-)
Tim

[jaredyates]

The MIG is handy for stuff around the yard, and for making jigs, but as the others have said, and has said Bob in the past, leave the structural welding to TIG or OA.

[whee]

I certainly agree with what the others have said. O/A or tig for the airplane. An AC/DC TIG will allow you to do aluminum and steel. I'm using a DC only so can't do aluminum. Truth be told I wish I was better with O/A, the I would have used that to weld my airframe.

Also with noting, most 4130 airframes built today are mig welded; certified and kits (except BH kits which are O/A). It takes a high level of proficiency and skill to safely mig weld an airframe but it is done everyday by professionals. I mig welded the seat frames for my plane just for the experience...I'd never try it on an airframe and I'm a halfway decent farm welder😉

There are good foreign made inverter welders that are available for a reasonable price. I'm using a Thermal Arc DC TIG machine that performs excellent. I like Everlast better and they have a cool multi process machine that may be a great option for someone that only wants one machine.

[way_up_north]

The one pictured is a wire feed welder, typically MIG process. While some folks have built planes with MIG, it’s not common.

Welding is a pretty religious subject. Gas welding is usually oxygen and acetylene combined and lit into a flame. That’s what you use to melt the weldable material. Then you feed filler material in through the side. Mostly used with ferrous metals, but can weld aluminum with special prep.

MIG (above) and TIG are arc welding techniques where you use electric current to generate the heat. MIG feeds the filler through the torch head. TIG creates an arc and you feed filler material from the side, a lot like gas welding, except different heat source.

In my opinion, if you’re searching for the one welder that is the most flexible, TIG is a viable contender. But the buy-in can get up there fairly quickly. There are different levels of TIG, too. Features generally drive the price.

Thanks for the reply, I also found your project very interesting and read your Expedition link.

I wanted to ask you a question to make sure I understand your terminology when you say climbing cut for making router created ribs. Is that to mean feeding the material toward the cutting edge rather then away from it?

Michael in Toronto

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Good question. When you’re routing, you can go one of two directions. One direction will tend to naturally pull you away from the form, and the other will naturally will tend to pull you toward (climb toward) the routing form. When using a climbing cut, you don’t have to force the work piece against the form (as much). It naturally tends to take care of itself. Don’t get complacent, though. It’ll get you.

[sjt]

Mig has been used on air frames- WITH A GIANT CAVEAT. In the case of Mooney they take the entire fuselage and place it in a oven and heat to some temperature. The cheapest and most versatile process is oxygen acetylene. If you do go oxy/acetylene you want small torch tips - not the size that comes with a victor home depot set.
In the smith line of products I have found the small aw201 for tubing to be about right. I also use the aw203.
AW 200 Series (Acetylene)

[Chris In Milwaukee]

In addition to Stan's Smith Airline torch (a fine torch), the Meco Midget torch is also popular. Both great tools for welding airplane parts.

[whee]

IMO the best method of welding an airframe for an amature welder is O/A. It's hard to screw up a gas weld that 'looks' right. It's not difficult to TIG weld and do it right but it's also easy to do it wrong. If I were prepping to weld a fuselage I'd go handle a few torches, pick the one I liked the best, buy some RG60 rod and start practicing.

sjt, the caveat may apply to Mooneys but it doesn't apply to Maules, CubCarafters, KitFox, American Champion, Just, and Rans. Probably others too.

[Chewie]

If welding is a religion, I have been discipling with the Church of O/A since late spring. My "pastor" got me switched on with Smith's AW1A and I've since sold the meco rocket in favor of the zen-like experience that Budd Davisson describes. I agree with Jon that if it looks good, a gas weld is probably ok. Where a good TIG bead might look machine-perfect, a nice, low-profile line of tight ridges from O/A (under a skilled hand!) is a work of art.

[way_up_north]

Mig has been used on air frames- WITH A GIANT CAVEAT. In the case of Mooney they take the entire fuselage and place it in a oven and heat to some temperature. The cheapest and most versatile process is oxygen acetylene. If you do go oxy/acetylene you want small torch tips - not the size that comes with a victor home depot set.
In the smith line of products I have found the small aw201 for tubing to be about right. I also use the aw203.
AW 200 Series (Acetylene)

Is the small tip oxy type welding also good for doing the gas tanks or is that a whole diffeent type of welding?

Michael in Toronto

[S Lathrop]

Is the small tip oxy type welding also good for doing the gas tanks or is that a whole diffeent type of welding?

Michael in Toronto

I think gas welding is the best way to build your fuel tanks. That said, I TIG welded my tanks. Gas welding aluminum is more difficult that welding steel and it takes special equipment. In particular lenses in you goggles and aluminum welding flux. Also the pro aluminum gas welders use hydrogen and oxygen vs. acetylene and oxygen. The other issue is that a lap joint weld, like what is laid out for the Bearhawk tanks is difficult to do with gas and not have a lot of distortion.

[sjt]

Is linseed oil the preferred liquid to coat inside tubing?

[Chris In Milwaukee]

This article seems to think so.

https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-communities-and-interests/homebuilt-aircraft-and-homebuilt-aircraft-kits/resources-for-while-youre-building/building-articles/basic-construction/rust-protection

I’m not sure if there are more “modern” options.