Another new one...

[BillJ]

Couldn't think of a witty subject line. There are only so many ways to say you are new

Anyway, I recently bought a SIP Weldmate 130 Turbo, mainly to do bodywork on Saabs, which are my thing. I know now that this model is said to be prone to wire-feed problems but I didn't at the time. I'm hoping I can treat it well and it will give no trouble.

I had an AC arc welder many years ago when I was into Minis and all those fancy MIG things were well out of my price range. I managed to do some acceptable repairs with it, even on quite thin steel. I bought the SIP initially to do some MOT work on a Saab 90 that I sold on a while ago and have now rescued again but after a bit of practice and while waiting to pick up the 90, I decided to take on a rust repair on the windscreen frame of one of my 9000s - they often suffer from rust there a few years after the bonded screen has been replaced by gorillas. I could have chosen an easier first repair than this with its tight, compound curves but it worked and it's reasonably neat (it will be hidden under plastic trim and only needs not to interfere with the fit of the screen and the trim).

The 90, on further inspection, needs a bit more than just the MOT work if it is to survive more than another couple of years so it looks like I'll get plenty more practice.

I've already had invaluable assistance from perusing this excellent site and I'm hoping to get plenty more.

 

[Silas (son of Silas)]

Welcome to you BillJ

 

[lexi]

HI Bill
Them old Saabs are good and parts availability better than ever I think.
I look at my little Sip 130 and think that for a so called crap welder it did some amount of work and still performs like new.
You have to coax them a bit but they can give good results up to about 2mm. Have welded Landy chassis with them but it`s about it`s limit on chassis work, especially when you use 3mm steel plate patched on to 2mm. It`s fine on a bench but you need a bit more power when you can`t quite get the access you need. Also migs don`t like metal that is not bright but with a bigger machine and more power you can force a weld that the smaller machine will not do. An arc is ok for Landy chassis work.
What 90 do you have?
Alex

 

[BillJ]

Thanks for the welcome, chaps.

I seem to be able to get decent results out of the SIP, which is impressive as I've had minimal practice with MIG (and it's a long time since I did any type of welding). One advantage with Saabs is that the bodywork isn't as thin as some other cars so that probably helps.

Lexi, the 90 only ever came in one form. It was Saab's base model for just one model year spanning 1984 and 1985. The only optional extras were a 5-speed gearbox (which mine has) and a centre-console (which it doesn't). Only having been made for a year and not being anything glamorous, they appear to be quite rare now. It's not as fast as my other Saabs (all of which are turbocharged while the 90 is 2.0 single-carb 8-valve with 100bhp) but it is a bit lighter and doesn't have power steering which makes it fun to drive and nimble enough to have embarrassed some of the Saab turbos on track days

 

[migmag]

Welcome dude I had a sip 130 before I got my murex and I used to stitch up 1/4 inch plate until it tripped have a fag wilst it cooled and crack on for hours on end.

Had to do verts to get the heat in but never had any probs with it.

As for wire sticking just try to keep it from dust ect.

Make a little trolly for it to keep it off the floor keep it in a dry place and when your welding keep the hose as straight as possible.

 

[BillJ]

Thanks for the tips, migmag. I'll bear them in mind, especially trying to keep the hose straight. I'll try to keep it covered when not in use as my garage suffers more from dust than from damp.

Make a little trolly for it

Ah! A welding project!