Guycali Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Hi guys, Taking MIG welding this semester and was talking to my welding instructor today about capability of MIG welding. I informed him that I want do MIG on auto body, rotisserie, and custom roll cage. He told me MIG won't be strong enough for any structural support, i.e. rotisserie. He suggested to use Arc welding instead. So for those who had build their own rotisseries, which welding technique did you use? Is MIG good enough for building a roll cage? Can TIG be used on rotisserie and roll cage? Thanks -Guycali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 3/16 inch steel or larger requiring strengrh should be arc welded unles you have a large capacity wire welder. Roll cages should be fine with the little mig wire welders or TIG. I would want some heavy duty weld penetration on a rotessire. When you are practice welding always flip the welded piece over to see what kind of penetration you obtained. I like for a heat trail that shows that the welding heat from the weld bead just about melted thru the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Speaking of welding is there any online place to find tips or information about welding? I've got a little mig welder and have done some welding thats turned out fine but, I could always use more information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Don't know of any links off hand but find this book a very easy read and quite informative: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0831131519/qid=1043242786/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3844026-2852730?v=glance&s=books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 2adz Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 I have a rotisserie and I do my own welding but I sent mine to a machine shop and had it welded by a pro. My rotisserie is very stout and it still was scary spinning the car. Make sure the welds are perfect, it could mean the difference of a really good restoration and a smashed Z on your garage floor. Don't have really good pictures of the rotisserie but you can see a little here. http://www.frpinc.com/projectz/ProjectZ.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 I built, designed, and welded my rotissurie by myself. It`s on wheels and is plenty strong. I put my 71 chevelle on it and hauled it to Alabama on my trailer. I figure, if it can handle a 600mi drive with a car on it, I can trust it for whatever uses I will have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 For what you are doing, stick or flux cored wire are the welding processes suggested. Roll cages are mostly done with MIG (when done cheaply and mass produced), I'd do mine with TIG. With flux core, it's like a MIG, but with a lot and deeper penetration/hotter, so you have to be careful with thinner stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 I found a really good url for learning about welding, You might try it. "millerwelds.com". This website has wealth of data on all the different types of welding and other related items including some training. Have Fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Depends on the MIG welder and wire size. While at the Lincoln Welding school I MIG welded 1" steel plate with 3 passes using .050 wire. If its a 110v MIG welder you can weld up to 1/4" steel plate with 1 pass and up to 3/16" or maybe 1/2" with multiple passes using .030 wire. Just take your time, bevel the edges, and lay down a good root pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 I use .045 wire for 1/4". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 As noted above, it all depends on your welder and your experience. The type and thickness of metal you are welding will dictate the wire diameter and type of shielding gas. Your instructor may know more about your setup than we do, but MIG welding is very effective. Penetration can be controlled depending on heat setting and shielding gas chosen. Once your class is done, you'll know all about it! In the mean time, get some practice building a BBQ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guycali Posted January 22, 2003 Author Share Posted January 22, 2003 Thanks for all the inputs! Really appreciated. Since I'll be purchasing a welder in the near future, I'd like to make sure I get one that can do everything. Good TIG welders can do arc welding as well. If I can get by with having just one machine instead of two or three, the money saved can easily go into fixing up the Z. I'm not sure about this but I overheard my instructor talking to another student about MIG welding on parts that will take on lots of vibration. He said MIG welds won't do well on vibrational parts and could crack over period of time. If that's true, I guess no MIG welding on shock towers(strut bars or camber plates), coilover strut conversion, and exhaust piping? Argh! The more I get into car restoration, the more headache and deeper pocket I get. So the ideal all purpose one machine welder would be the TIG? -Wilbur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Try to find a Mig with Tig, Just be sure to get one with the foot pedal.(20/20 hindsight) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Go to www.motorbooks.com and buy the Performance Welding book by Richard Finch. I am not a trained expert, but me thinks your welding instructor may not have all of the facts. Just about everything that is welded in a production environment is MIG welded. It is fast, cheap, strong, and VERY effective. It is also difficult in the sense that picking the right wire and gas for the job can make a big difference in weld quality and strength. Roll cages, frames, bodies, all are highly stressed and all have been/can/will be assembled by MIG welding. Almost all trailers are MIG welded as well as engine hoists and stands. Don't blow your wad too soon on a welder until you are sure what you want it for. I used a Century 145 (230v) for 5 years with excellent results. I started working with some heavier gauge metals and doing longer welds, so I sold it and upgraded to the Century 250 amp welder. 100% duty cycle at 160amps IME, you will want a 230v machine for most jobs other than sheet metal or you really need the portablility of a 110 machine. Your instructor may have made his statements based on flux cored welding or because the machine in discussion was not capable of sufficient output. Or he is completely wrong and maybe you should change classes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 25, 2003 Share Posted January 25, 2003 Guy-Its absolute nonsense to say that mig welding isn't strong enough! First off, in most modern metal fab shops mig is the preferred welding method for out of position welding. It is commonly used in transportation and construction industries as well as structural fabrication. AWS recognizes mig welding and has published standards for process and certification. It is probably the most forgiving process and is the easiest to learn (my opinion based on 30 years in the metals business). As proof, look at any truck trailer or highway sign post. You'll see mostly mig fillet welds. Any weld process that develops 100% or more of the base metal strength is "strong enough". I'd be more concerned with the design of the rotisserie, making sure the joints are properly gusseted to carry the load. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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