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  1. #1
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    Mar 2014
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    Sydney
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    46
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    121

    Default New Welder advice needed please(MIG)

    Gday Guys,
    I have made the jump to include welding with my machining so as to be more versatile.
    I am a home hobbyist and just purchased a Bunnings Mig welder MWR 135. I am aware alot of people will knock this welder.
    at the moments my thoughts where keep the budget down and see how i like it and how much use i have for it.
    The selling point was price and a 3 year warranty.
    I also purchased the D size Mig shield gas from Bunnings
    My questions are
    1.what would be the best regulator to use with this bottle, the outlet is Horizontal and I like the idea of the ball in tube to measure gas flow however i am aware this has to sit vertical? Also what hose do i need from the reg to MIG?
    2. what size roll and a good place to buy mild steel wire?
    3. When looking at auto darkening helmets there is such a difference in price, what is a good choice for quality and value?
    I have welding gloves and and pliers, Anything equipment wise i have overlooked to get me started?

    This is all very new to me. I have done some stick welding however i wanted to try MIG. A tafe course is something I wanted to do however was not going to fit it in with family commitments.
    Many thanks In advance for the advice

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Lebrina
    Posts
    1,910

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxi77 View Post
    Gday Guys,
    I have made the jump to include welding with my machining so as to be more versatile.
    I am a home hobbyist and just purchased a Bunnings Mig welder MWR 135. I am aware alot of people will knock this welder.
    at the moments my thoughts where keep the budget down and see how i like it and how much use i have for it.
    The selling point was price and a 3 year warranty.
    I also purchased the D size Mig shield gas from Bunnings
    My questions are
    1.what would be the best regulator to use with this bottle, the outlet is Horizontal and I like the idea of the ball in tube to measure gas flow however i am aware this has to sit vertical? Also what hose do i need from the reg to MIG?
    2. what size roll and a good place to buy mild steel wire?
    3. When looking at auto darkening helmets there is such a difference in price, what is a good choice for quality and value?
    I have welding gloves and and pliers, Anything equipment wise i have overlooked to get me started?

    This is all very new to me. I have done some stick welding however i wanted to try MIG. A tafe course is something I wanted to do however was not going to fit it in with family commitments.
    Many thanks In advance for the advice
    Okay, first off, don't expect too much from this machine as it has very limited capabilities and a very limited duty cycle of 10% at 120A. 3mm material will be a realistic upper limit for that machine.
    As far as choice of regulator goes, fairly much anything will do. If the bobbin type flow meter tickles your fancy then buy one of them. Most can be adjusted for vertical or horizontal outlets. Your welder will run either mini 500g spools or 5Kg spools, so you should be able to find suitable spools at any welding supply shop. Avoid Bunnings and Ebay as you will pay through the nose most times. .6 or .8 wire should be okay for most applications.
    I would probably pick a Cigweld weldskill helmet, which will set you back somewhere between $110-125 depending on the day and the mood of the retailer.
    Please remember that the mig process is capable of much more than the welder that you have bought. Not trying to knock your machine as such, more trying to encourage you to upgrade as soon as you can/need to.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Sydney
    Age
    46
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    121

    Default

    Many thanks Karl for your reply,
    My expectations aren't high for outright capability but i expect from what i have read it would be no problem on the smaller stuff you would typically encounter on the DIY list, gates, trailers etc and I don't plan at this stage doing anything over 4mm Max.
    I'm just testing the waters and can always sell it on or keep as a spare if and when the need arises. Thanks for the heads up on the wire. will check out welding shops and online prices for wire and its good to know i don't have to spend $400 on a decent helmet.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Lebrina
    Posts
    1,910

    Default

    Frankly, a $400 helmet will not do anything that a $100 can't in your likely usage. Typically as prices go up, the viewing area gets a bit bigger and there is better adjustability of the delay and sensitivity which possibly come into play in extremes of light and darkness or with ultra low amperage tig welding. Where I currently work, most of the boys use the weldskill shields that I mentioned earlier, while I run a high end Miller shield (I do any tig work that comes in as well as all the aluminium mig work). While the Miller is undoubtedly a nice shield, I could live with the Weldskill for 99.9% of what I do.
    The suitability of your machine will probably depend on how you work. If you cut all your pieces, tack them and then start welding, then I suspect that you will become good friends with the overheat light, but if you cut a bit, weld a bit, have a coffee and then weld a bit more you will probably be reasonably satisfied. Your machine will probably spend most of its life on maximum voltage, which will equate to weld one minute, cool for 9 minutes. On the plus side your machine has a 3 year warranty, so you need not be afraid of blowing the unit up. An acquaintance of mine blew up no less than 7 Ozito routers while remodelling his kitchen, all replaced under warranty. When the kitchen was complete he then took the seventh router back and said he wasn't happy with it, whereupon the hardware shop refunded his initial purchase price. Not really kosher in my book, but it does make a positive statement regarding Ozito's warranty.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Sydney
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    Default

    Thanks Karl,
    Sound advice on the helmet.
    Nice to know i can still use it. Of course i understand its limitations and i am just dipping my toe into the world of Mig and just want to try it and see where it leads.
    Like you said if the machine craps out it's easy to take back get a replacement or money back then decide what machine next.
    I am no professional like yourself so this will at least get me going which is great.
    It must be a nice feeling to be able to do nice welds that are beautiful and structural.

  6. #6
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    Mar 2014
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    Default

    Would this Bunnings mig welder do Aluminum?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxi77 View Post
    Would this Bunnings mig welder do Aluminum?
    The unit won't pull enough amps to run aluminium and the the drive unit, the cable liners etc are not sophisticated enough to run aluminum wire.
    Aluminium wire is soft and ideally is pulled from the contact tip area. This unit pushes wire from the control box through the cable which is in manner of speaking too rough and too long to do this without the wire birds nesting.

    A change in shielding gas would also be required. All in all,with changes required to"upgrade" the unit it definitely not worth the effort.

    Grahame

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
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    Default

    No Aluminium needs a lot of heat input as when you weld it will wan't to act like a heat sink and draw the heat away. Compared to steel you almost wan't to double the amps required. When I was welding 5mm plate I was using 200 amps, this was with pulse mig. You may get away with welding thinner sections of aluminium if you preheat it before you weld it but I probably wouldn't even bother and just buy a better mig in the first place.

    By the way a spool gun is not needed to weld aluminium, a lot of people seem to recommend them without any prior experience, a decent welder, the right drive rolls and the right liner is all that is needed.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Mackay North Qld
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    Default

    Of course a standard gun can work but it has to be pointed out that with 2 figure 8 curls in the cable and a poor liner chances are not good. Those inquiring are not likely to know bout such requirements
    Aluminium less than say 1.2mm wire diam is a pain in the bum to push through a standard cable. Some wire does not have the hardness to resist pushing over any decent length. Contact tips need to be larger than standard as the ali wire swells ( in diameter) with with heat from the contact tip.
    Standard contact tips jam the wire causing birdnests.

    Yes it can be done on a standard type cable but more often than not the length of the cable is the game changer.
    I had to, on occasion butcher a cable to reduce the length and therefore reduce the amount of friction generated.

    I was " pressed ganged " by a vocational institution to modify a bull bar for a regional ambulance .In the end I cut the gun cable back to 4 or 5 feet and kept it straight at all times to minimise wire snarl.I'll point out this was on an industrial qulaity unit only a few years old.Wire diameter and hardness are a big factor in wire feed.Too small and too soft and you are guaranteed problems.

    I had access to both CIG and Lincoln technical expertise and followed the advice given and it worked.Success will be specific to the conditions of a particular situation.

    The amount of piddling around to avoid wire snarls on a welding unit not so designed is of some consequence and truly best avoided.

    Trying to fart around and do a similar thing on a home handy person mig welding unit is just not possible or feasible. My opinion is that you maybe talking close to a grand until you get into the ballpark.

    Grahame

  10. #10
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    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
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    Default

    Yes you should keep it as straight as possible but that is the case with any wire, short guns work best but sometimes not practical. I have used long guns around 5 metres before. Key is keep it straight.

    I've only used 1.2mm wire and it was 5356 which is one of the most common. I've never used a spool gun, ok I tried one at tafe one, it was the most unconformable thing I have ever used. I would have gone through over 100 rolls of wire, the large 6kg spools through a standard gun.

    By the way you can run at least a full spool of aluminium wire through a standard steel liner and it will work even though it may not be recommended.

    Also if the wire is bird nesting you probably have too much feed pressure on the rollers and the wire guides may not be set up correctly.


    By the way for the record, this will not work with any mig welder bunnings sell!

  11. #11
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    Mar 2014
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    Default

    Thanks Fellas for giving me the info, Now Im wondering if I should just take it back(haven't opened the box yet) and spend a little extra to keep my options open.
    Whats the minimum unit I should be looking at that will do 3mm ally and feed through the cable.
    I should have asked these questions before but searching alone the web doesn't always get the facts...
    Thanks guys!

  12. #12
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    Feb 2015
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    Oz
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    Default

    If the helmet doesn't get used regularly the batteries will die, they can be replaced but the lens has to be pulled apart and new batteries soldered in place. Better to pay the extra dollars and buy a helmet with replaceable batteries.

  13. #13
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    Jan 2004
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    Mackay North Qld
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    Default

    3mm thickness aluminium is not suitable for welding with a MIG unit. The combination of high travel speed required and and small diameter wire diameter (remember bird nesting) make this so.

    That material thickness is suitably welded with a TIG unit. Here is some info on welding aluminium with TIG & MIG.

    http://www.micomm.co.za/portfolio/afsa/pocket-guide.pdf.


    Here's some mig info written years back that maybe be worth reading once you decide which way you want to go.
    Welding Lessons by Grahame Collins

    Grahame

  14. #14
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    Default

    Many thanks Grahame. I will give it a good read. So much to learn 👍

  15. #15
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    Mar 2014
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    Default

    So after all this info I've made the decision to return the Bunnings Mig.
    I have purchased a Unimig 175 razor. At least I know I can do Aluminum with the right cable sleeve and it's got stick as well. Will be delivered next week. I can't wait to give it a go👍

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