Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Lets start out by saying what Im using right now. Im using a chicago electric flux core, been using it all this year. It sucks, but worked great when I needed it to

I personally am going to be attending welding trade school within this year. Looking to get my licesnce as soon as possible through a local apprenticeship. And the goal is to start my own welding/fabrication shop

What Im looking to buy is a welder. I know very little about welding but I know there are many shapes and sizes.

Most of the things I will be making are things like traction bars, downpipes, few manifold, bracketery.

Ive personally heard good things about a welder thats referred to as the "smiley" welder. I think it does TIG, Mig and has a plasma cutter? But is it what im looking for or am I off base

I also want to learn how to weld aluminum. Id like to modify/ create intercooler endtanks etc. Can the smiley do that?

I need some advise.

As for a budget, Im not looking to break the bank just yet, but I would like something that is easy to learn on and will make a quality product.

Hope someone can help

Thanks

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-30-A-PLASMA-...QQcmdZViewItem

Thats the smiley ^^

It doesnt do aluminum

Maybe look into picking something used? or look at a thermal arc ta185

It certainly is a lot more expensive than the smiley so maybe u could get a good deal on a used one or something.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Can you trust used though? Why cant the smiley do aluminum?

Ive heard ---- about pedals and such, are they needed for TIG?

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

The Smiley is DC only and you need AC for welding aluminum.Having a pedal lets you adjust amperage on the fly via your foot instead of reaching back to the machine to adjust etc.If I were you I would get a Smiley for the plasma and mani making and invest in a good Miller etc wire feed and get a spool gun for doing aluminum.I took a aluminum welding night course using a spool gun and I think for the little amount you will need it a spool gun would meet your needs.That is the setup Im going to go with pretty quick here.The wire feed gets the most use for doing all mild steel jobs like exhuast,traction bars,brackets etc so i would rather spend the money on a good mig and get a cheaper tig for the little I will use it making manis etc.Having a plasma would be handy as well.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Why do all the smiley's say they don't come with a plug? and is the arc holder something needed in order to use the plasma?

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

They normall dont come with a plug as there is a few different styles so you need to add the plug to match your style of outlet.The Arc holder is for stick welding.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

hum the next hotrex manifold shop :P

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

if your starting out and arent sure about welding i would pick up a smiley, if you end up buying some thing better, you can still sell the thing for 300 - 400$ and with patience and practice you can pull of some nice welds.

here are my smiley welds after welding for about 3months and i just learned by myself no schools.

Attachment 31575
Attachment 31576

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Nice work^ :y

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

And how is the smiley as for not breaking down? Is it reliable?

I thought Id love to weld aluminum though

How is the plasma cutter? Does it eat a lot of gas?

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

the smiley is a trooper, hasnt broke down on me yet, and the plasma cutter uses comressed air, not argon, if you look at the pics of the welds the plate under the flange was cut with my plasma cutter.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

I still have my smiley and use it for plasma cutting. My Thermal Arc makes the smiley welds look pathetic though. The amp control is must with a pedal. Adjustability is needed and the smiley doesn't offer that. The smiley will serve its purpose though for you. If you can get good with a set amp unit then when you move to a pedal machine you will excel. Here is a smiley weld:

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/we...ZkMzF5NTQx.jpg

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

So I need to have a big air compresor to make the plasma work? All I have is a 2.5HP 10 gallon campbell hausfield, that cant even keep up with a die grinder

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Spend the $800-1400 those 160amp new generation rhiland/smiley tigs are going for. They have alot more features, and do A/C also.
You'll want to buy a descent band saw, AND take care of it... That means modding it - good gearbox oil, blades, a water jet setup to keep from making a mess, speed cutting & extending blade life. Base/mounting mods to stengthen it.
A descent 14" chop saw.
1/4" die grinder with a flex extension.
Right angle grinder.
Awhole lot of large & small clamps.


That's scratching the surface.


*Edit* I said chop saw when I ment band saw at one point.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

SMiley does me very well, yes a better machine would be nice but for now I'm happy.

We only use it for TIG as we have another plasma cutter. I have use it as ARC to fix my dad's tractor.

We like it, I have converted it to a pedal so varying amps during weld is doable. MAde a WORLD of a difference. Also I have a Gas lense for it. Make SS weld look way nicer.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Care to enlighten me on the new generation Smileys?

Anyone have any info on them? Do they have the variable amperage control?

Personally I think Id like to weld aluminum just because intercoolers would probably end up being fairly common as well as intake manifolds, but I do need some help

I always have a chop saw, die grinder, angle grinder, no band saw though

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

yea you need a air compressor for the plasma cutter,

hey jk i know your smiley pedal only runs throught the whole amperage band, but what is you used the pedal to only regulate only after the stock smiley amperage controller, im thinking of doing this way because plamsa cutting with pedal would be wayyy to hard.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Also does the air compressor have to be huge like I asked in order to keep up with the plasma

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

anyone have a link to smileys website or anything to get a lott at the new weldeR?

Anyone have any experience for it?

Id probably love to get one if people said they were worth the money

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

are you talking about the ac/dc smiley welder, i heard they are ----, but if your talking about the mitec 160, best tool purchase ever, ive done soo much ---- with it. and it hasnt failed me yet.

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

I duno what Im talking about, people say there is a new smiley that can do aluminum and has a lot mroe features but costs a bit more

Dont know anything

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

bump

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Honestly after going to school for a while and getting certifications in MIG, Stick, TIG, and Advanced TIG (aluminum, stainless, titanium, and magnesium) if your 100% sure you want to pursue it, but a nice expensive machine you can keep with you forever. If your not sure dont do it. To be honest I dont think I could have taught myself half the stuff I learned in school, especially with aluminum and rare metals.

And foot pedal and high freq start is sorta a must if your just starting out (especailly if you get fustrated easily).

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

bump for the new smiley

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

I would stick with a Lincoln thats all I use. Heres some of my TIG A36 mild steel flange hoop to ANSI Schedule 40 10" OD
http://www.picturehosting.org/images...ater/weld2.jpg
the second link is of it in 800x600
http://www.picturehosting.org/images...Eater/weld.jpg

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

need the entire weld picture, anyone can bust out a 1" long perfect weld :-*

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Not everyone can lay a perfect 1" long weld. I have seen alot of people fail their G6-R(pipe) and even a G3(vertical V groove plate upward progression) test. I have over 2 years of TIG exp. Close to 3000+ Hours. Sorry they are blurry I took them in shop with a cell phone camera. There is all around the pipe.

http://www.picturehosting.org/images...er/weld3_1.jpg
http://www.picturehosting.org/images...ater/weld4.jpg
http://www.picturehosting.org/images...ater/weld5.jpg

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

nice hand control, i wish i was that good

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Thank you. It takes practice and a good machine I use a Lincoln Precision TIG 275 with pedal. I use a water cooled Weldcraft torch. I used a 7/8 straight cup. For anyone starting out on TIG i suggest using 2% thoriated tungsten(red band on end). Its the best all around tungsten for newbies. Then work up to Tri-mix (cream band). Never buy pure tungsten(green band) its not all that great for anything.

Anyone can msg me on AIM if they need any help with welding questions
s/n TelevisionaryEnd

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

^I cant find the smileys on ebay

what are they called? look like?

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

Re: Welder Purchase - Start My Fun, Start My Career - Need some help
 

anything cheaper?