Newbie from County Durham

[Jamie G]

Hello all
I recently inherited all of my Dads welding gear (mig, tig, arc/stick and oxy acetylene). I'd learned a bit of gas welding from my Dad and started teaching myself stick with a cheap little Powercraft welder.

Been practicing with my Dads - now my weldmate p178 and made quite good progress. I made another gas bottle stoves and a very sturdy stand for my blacksmiths leg vice which I'm in the process of restoring.
I used to be okay at gas welding but there's a DHC 2000 welding torch on and I'm having a bit of a job adjusting to it - practice needed. Has anyone used one?
Mig has been doing my head in! Haven't tried tig yet but looking forward to it.

I did a blacksmithing course a few years back so can fire weld. Bit out of practice there as well!

My Dad said to me that if I can gas weld and stick weld then mig should be easy. Not so far!

Jamie

 

[marlinspike]

I learnt gas welding at night school, then bought a small mig. After a long break we got a bigger mig and an old car to restore.

On the one hand mig is more straightforward but as you are often working on thinner metal, like car panels, it is very, very easy to blow through. I also find that you can do great on a practise piece but go through on the car panel, despite same settings and same heat sink. I wouldn't say it was easier tbh, not if you want a nice, pretty weld.

Anyway, welcome to the forum, lots of experienced folk here who can help with most issues.