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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Adelaide South Australia
    Posts
    9

    Default MIG for recycled metal sculpture work

    I've had no experience with MIG and limited experience with ordinary arc welding. But I'd like to set myself up for sculptures from recycled steel.

    I know that I need to define what materials I'll be using but that depends partly on the affordability of the tools! For example if I were to be using railway pegs they are around 20mm thick and presumably I would need some pretty expensive gear.

    Here's a few examples to get the discussion started. Some are simple, others extremely detailed and far beyond what I am hoping to achieve.

    http://www.iowacreations.com/wp-cont...spike-star.jpg

    https://scrapsculptures.files.wordpr...esculpture.jpg

    https://ecoartsblog.files.wordpress....creations4.jpg

    https://ecoartsblog.files.wordpress....creations2.jpg

    https://www.deviantart.com/devin-fra...hy-3-200614675

    https://www.novica.com/p/recycled-me...orpion/228118/

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Hi Elecmuso
    Welcome to the forum.
    First up I can see your posts have been moderated. This happens automatically as the software is looking for spammers. All the software sees is a new poster with few posts on this forum and posting links.

    It says to itself, Hey! a relatively new poster and posting links - must be a spammer- bingo-you are moderated. It then waits for the likes of me to come along and sort it. Ok I"ll approve the post and all should be good-cross fingers! Sorry! I have been ill and just got to it, until now.

    Being primarily an ex-welder and most of with mig and a big interest in scrap sculpture I'll try to help.

    1. The mig as a process can do it, but on clean and shiny metal (at the site of welding) Mainly it is mostly tacking and set up well MIG is great at it doing this

    2.Then there are migs and MIGs.

    Purchase something cheap and nasty off ebay and that is what you will have, something that is cheap and nasty will be a misery to use.

    3.Mig requires a sheilding gas which means a Gas cylinder ,a fill of gas and a regulator and a spool of welding wire.ALL on top of the cost of the mig.

    4. What would I buy? It would be in the 180 to 200 amps out put with a duty cycle around 35% min at top amps setting.

    5.Don't go cheap you shall regret it if you do.Also I would avoid combo machines.A second hand 30 year old Cig Transmig195 would suit you well .They were and still are excellent machines and have stood the test of time.Its a mig and you really don't need an inverter for what you are doing.Heaps of parts are still around and they are relatively simple to repair when they do break.
    They came in a standard model and a Ruralpak.
    Such machines should not be too hard to pick up in a city such as Adelaide. Pictured is the type of Transmigs I would be looking for not the lightweight later models being sold.

    Transmig 195.jpgTransmig ruralpak.jpg

    Grahame

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    I had some tasks to do ,but now I am back.

    The Transmigs were mostly not equipped with amp/volt meters, though I do think analog volt/amp meters were available at some point as an extra.
    You may notice from other posts that people believe they cannot weld with out a digital readout installed.

    What a load of bovine excreta.

    It is a case of some being too dependent on technology and not understanding the underlying basics and not being willing to do the online reading, which is there to be found in great detail.

    I had year Eleven High School students running top welds by just being able to read and understand the arc pool they were looking at through the welding shield. More on reading the arc pool later.

    The point about railway spikes and machine sizing is well made, however the mig fitted with the right diameter wire and using correct technique is well capable of that task, yet able to weld down to say 1mm and thinner thickness but using a smaller wire and suitable technique.

    Apart from your mig and its ancillary equipment I would be looking at a bench ,a reasonable sized vice some clamps and an angle grinder with some cutting ,grinding and flap discs.Essential is personal protective gear which would include an auto darkening helmet $100+ ,good gloves, an apron, eye and ear protection and good boots preferably steel caps.

    Grahame

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    38

    Default

    Hi Elecmuso,

    I worked in a trade and was on the end of a MIG every day for about 10 years. In saying that there will be plenty on here that know more than me!!!

    I would have to agree with everything that Grahame has said.

    I had the exact machine pictured a few years back (CIGWELD 195). It was a great machine. I would say you would pick one up fairly cheap now. You may have to change the gas hoses as they perish after a while. Did on mine anyway!

    I have never owned and very rarely have used a MIG with a digital read out. Just the old course and fine settings. I used a fancy MIG a month or so back that looked like you needed a degree to set up. I would take 4 - 4 or 4 - 3 any day over a touch screen!!!

    I would also add my support for the auto darkening helmet. Spend a bit of money here as they are not all equal. Some are very dodgy at the bottom end of the market, especially is they are used intermittently. You only will get one set of eyes!!! I teach kids how to weld now and having the auto helmet makes this learning so much quicker.

    Last thing I would add is that I have found the disposable gas bottles to be a waste of money. I couldn't even get the reg to make it flow anywhere near what it needed to for MIG welding. Investigate buying a bottle from Trade Tools, Get Tools Direct or similar then paying for a refill every 2 or 3 years. This will work out much cheaper than renting.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!!

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