I have a wire feed welder from harbor freight. It's a POS and I prefer arc welding anyway. If I hooked up a regular electrode holder and cable for arc welding, would I be able to stick weld with this thing? Wouldn't the transformer be the same as one used in a cheap arc welder?
Can I stick weld with my wire feed welder?
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It won't work because a stick welder (SMAW) is constant current with varying voltage. A (MIG) welder is the opposite; it's constant voltage with varying current.
You could probably get some small diameter flux core wire for your little MIG welder if you're just welding steel and don't want to buy the shielding gas. With flux core wire, you get to drag the electrode rather than push it like you have to with hard wire.
You could probably get some small diameter flux core wire for your little MIG welder if you're just welding steel and don't want to buy the shielding gas. With flux core wire, you get to drag the electrode rather than push it like you have to with hard wire.
I took a welding class back in the day when I worked in a sheet metal shop. That stuff was some of the nastiest ---- that I have ever had to deal with.
What about those guys that stick weld with two or three car batteries wired in series? Isn't that constant voltage?
Yeah, that's the only thing it uses. It's not a MIG welder, just "wire feed". And it's $11/pound locally and gives a really ---- weld.
Have industrial grade Lincoln at shop. VERY little experience with home boxes. Ones I've tinkered with were different. One's trigger only controlled feed mechanism, and the gun stayed "hot". The other was more like pro welder and trigger both turned on feed motor, and current to gun. If your box stays hot and trigger only controls feed it should be simple enough to come off of pos &neg legs to weld with a stick. If trigger shuts off current to legs also, you'd need to figure a way to bypass trigger.
Got a pair of jumper cables? Quickest way to give her a try without spending any money.
Bob
Got a pair of jumper cables? Quickest way to give her a try without spending any money.
Bob
learn to use the flux core! i have a cheapo wire feed from harbor freight also. after i figured out how to use it i can weld all sorts of stuff from exhaust systems to my lawnmower seat brackets. it takes some getting used to, but if flux core is good enough for rough work on american chopper and boyd coddington, then its good enough for most people.
I can't answer that question for you.
I really can't comment on your machine either. I learned how to weld using some very nice large machines at Fresno City College with ultra smooth 480V 3-phase power.
What have you tried to weld with your POS welder that didn't work for you?
"Yeah, that's the only thing it uses. It's not a MIG welder, just "wire feed". And it's $11/pound locally and gives a really ---- weld."
Of the two cheapo's I've used, BOTH were because the owners (both friends) wanted me to see what was wrong with "this cheap P. O. S."! After a few moments experimentation with both I determined it was the primary operator.
Bob
Of the two cheapo's I've used, BOTH were because the owners (both friends) wanted me to see what was wrong with "this cheap P. O. S."! After a few moments experimentation with both I determined it was the primary operator.
Bob
I didn't say it didn't work, it just does a really horrible job. I know how to weld with flux core just fine, it just isn't a nice thing to weld with. It comes out looking bad, with spatter all over, and like I said it's $11/pound vs $1.87/pound for arc electrodes. As for the machine, it doesn't feed very well, and the gun is garbage. The only thing that might have any value is the transformer.
Innershield NR-311 7/64"
That's the wire I wish you could try. It runs at a speed of 11 lbs. per hour and can weld 2 inch thick V-bevelled steel plates at full penetration in a matter of minutes.
The amount of heat is enormous; and the amount of smoke is like a house on fire.
That's the wire I wish you could try. It runs at a speed of 11 lbs. per hour and can weld 2 inch thick V-bevelled steel plates at full penetration in a matter of minutes.
The amount of heat is enormous; and the amount of smoke is like a house on fire.
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