Welders

S

springer82

Well-Known Member
So,,,, I got my LG all straightened away. Its hammer time. My only downfall is my welder. It's a Hobart 125 flux core mig. To save my life I could not put a rebar on my bullet that lasts more then 5 minutes. Is the 125 to small or does my welding just $#@%???

What do you guy's use. Mig, Tig, Stick.
Does it last?? I cut the end off my bullet 3 times and rewelded yesterday. It gets a little bit frustrating! Thanks for your help.

Bob
 
Just not enough welder..... the Hobart 125's max welding thickness is listed as being 3/16" thick..... it just doesn't provide enough penetration for welding handles on billets. Flux-core wire is also a big drawback... using it often lessens a welder's listed capacity. Putting a gas kit on the machine, and then making multiple passes is about the cloeset you will get with that machine...... and that still may not be enough. I don't know what a gas kit runs, but suspect by the time you get the kit, and a tank of gas, you might be better off looking into a bigger machine.
 
When I was using a stick welder, I stumbled across an older Lincoln "buzz box" at a local auction..... I got it for $100, and after messing around with for welding handles on billets, I had the best luck with 1/8", 6013 rod.

I used that welder for a number of years before I came across a great deal on a HUGE, older, Lincoln Idealarc SP-200.

A 220V welder is pretty much a "have to" when it comes to welding on stuff that gets put into the forge. Just a thought.... one thing that I tired with the smaller MIG machines that works fairly well is to weld the handles to billets...... weld the handle in place.....then pre-heat to about a dull orange..... then pull it out of the forge and weld it again...... that allows the weld to penetrate much deeper....... not always effective, but I did find it to be helpful in most cases.
 
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