The Newman Skoolie!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Jman6631

I could use some welder input. I know rudimentary welding enough to get me through this project. What I don't know is if the Harbor Freight gas-less welder I just picked up for cheap off Craigslist will get the job done (yes it works).

I know it's borderline but it was so cheap I couldn't pass it up. I'd rather not upgrade if I don't absolutely have to since it will only take money away from the rest of the project. After seeing what it can do it sure seems like it will be adequate, if only barely.

I will be doing a roof raise and will build storage boxes below deck, so it will be used.

Thoughts?

Test it out and see how it welds. A cheap welder can still do a good enough job, its all trial and error.

[Jman6631]

Yeah I did and so far it looks decent enough. I just know there are hardcore welders with very strong opinions about gas-less welding. I'm just not experienced enough to be totally clear if what I end up with, that may look good to me, may not be and could end up ruining my project.

[jbohall001]

I've done both. I PREFER gas welding, but have done hours upon hours of gas-less. Both work.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by jbohall001

I've done both. I PREFER gas welding, but have done hours upon hours of gas-less. Both work.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

Yep. A shop my buddy works in does all gas-less welding.

[cadillackid]

that paint is lookin good! I use the inverters with the clips all the time as they are great for temporary use.. I DID wire a breaker into the leads on my inverter though in case the inverter were to malfunction and somehow short out i wouldnt end up with a fire.. theres SUPPOSED to be internal fuses or breakers on the input side of inverters but not all of them have the correct sizing for the wires they provide..

one thing to watch is an inverter connected to the batteries and operating even with no 110 volt appliances plugged in will still run your batteries down.. obviously not as fast butthe inverter circuitry tends to be a tad inefficient
-Christopher

[Tango]

If it uses shielded wire instead of gas, expect lots of smoke & spatter. Good idea to have a fan handy as breathing that stuff in quantity is not a good idea.

[cadillackid]

as someone who has never welded 2 sticks together in his life, which is the best type of welding to start with as far as learning curve..
-Christopher

[Jman6631]

Got a quick question on inverters; I have a chance to pick up a 3000w inverter for $225.

Is that likely to be adequate? I haven't planned my electrical load yet so I don't know if this would be in the range or not. I'm not going to have anything really crazy, just your normal, average kind of build.


Is this likely worth it?

[cadillackid]

Inverters are great but remember they are using power from the vehicle electrical system .. Ie the batteries. And batteries also have to be recharged.. Granted you will likely not be pulling 3000 watts all the time but you want to make sure the wattage output on your alternator can handle the inverter along with the vehicle systems you are running...
Christopher

[Jman6631]

Thank you all on the welding tips. I will proceed with what I have and hope for the best. If it's crap, well that's what happens when you roll the dice, right?

I have heard a lot about the smoke and splatter from the flux core wires but I thought that was isolated to the really cheap stuff from Harbor Freight. This used unit came with a full spool of it which I immediately replaced with better stuff from Lincoln that is supposed to be much better...hopefully. It will still smoke and splatter but is not supposed to nearly as much.

As for your questions cadillackid, I recently took a weekend class, two 8 hour days, and while it was an excellent experience I'm not qualified to tell you which is better to start with, but I can tell you about my experience and what I was told and you can take it with a grain of salt.

The instructor was a 40 year veteran master welder plus an all around really nice guy so I weighed his input pretty heavily. We used Miller MIG welders with gas and they cranked. I did overheat mine a couple of times but that's not because there was anything wrong with them or that I'd done anything wrong. We students weren't taking the normal breaks that experienced welders do plus the machines were pretty dusty inside (which we helped clean out with a compressor).

His opinion was that gas-less welding was inferior to real MIG welding. I'll spare you the adjectives! I was never totally clear to me about the reasons why, just that it wasn't as good. Ultimately I took it to mean it was his preference, but that gas-less was a slightly inferior weld, which prompted my question to the board here. I figured I could make the gas-less welder I have work provided I followed the guidelines (gap the pieces slightly and the weld goes much deeper) and switched out the wire. I'll report back on my findings once I get into the actual welding.

Again, thanks for the input!

[Jman6631]

Hey cadillackid, how do I calculate the alternator's ability to support a 3,000w inverter?

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by Jman6631

I could use some welder input. I know rudimentary welding enough to get me through this project. What I don't know is if the Harbor Freight gas-less welder I just picked up for cheap off Craigslist will get the job done (yes it works).

I know it's borderline but it was so cheap I couldn't pass it up. I'd rather not upgrade if I don't absolutely have to since it will only take money away from the rest of the project. After seeing what it can do it sure seems like it will be adequate, if only barely.

I will be doing a roof raise and will build storage boxes below deck, so it will be used.

Thoughts?

Make/ Take some scrap pieces and practice welding the overlap or butt weld that you want to perform in place on a bench/ground,somewhere comfortable and play with it. Practice with the pieces vertical just like they will be on the final product. you can start flat for practice and work towards the upward positions you need.You want to Adjust the temperature and wire speed to where you get good penetration but not burn through all the way and coordinate both with your hand speed.
Whether overlap or butted up you actually want to see the two pieces melt together even if it means two passes? One to melt and one to cover for the overlap which means temperature settings and if you are butting the ends together then you want to burn through all the way and work that little keyhole from start to finish which means getting your temperature,wire speed and hand movement coordinated.
Sorry haven't had time to look at your thread very much?
Make sure your little machine is rated for the metal thickness you are welding and I am sure it will handle the ribs fine but when you get underside you might have some problems but we can discuss that when you get there.
Practice in a comfortable position until you are comfortable with your ability before you go for the real thing cause a position weld is always tougher than a bench.
Make sure your hood lens and gasket are good and wear your damn safety glasses when grinding.
Cause getting a sliver of steel drilled out of your eye while you have arc flash isn't the funnest thing to do.
Even if you wear leathers your still gonna get sparks down your neck and even though your boots are tied and your pants were over the top when you started your still gonna get sparks in your boots.
You will get used to it.
No longer than your ribs are and the guage of metal you don't need to stop because of a spark down you shirt are you could get some warpage from the metal temps if butt welding.
Hope I helped?

[Jman6631]

I hear you Jolly Roger, yes, you helped.

You should be an instructor, you basically describe the welding 101 class I took. We welded simple, straight, flat rows for 2-3 hours and then moved on to horizontal and vertical angles. All seated comfortably as you say. I have not welded in a real world application yet but will do my best not to trash the world of welding when I do!

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

as someone who has never welded 2 sticks together in his life, which is the best type of welding to start with as far as learning curve..
-Christopher

Doesn't matter because each type and manufacture for each type widely varies in the ability of how they operate. Each and every machine has a max capacity rating as for as the metal type and thickness for each machine model.
Flux core wire/gasless is the cheapest(Yugo) shielded arc with argon is the Cadillac of wire welding and you will notice the difference immediately but wire welding (mig) is wire welding. The same animal just different breeds.
My preference is Lincoln diesel and have used an old school gas that I loved for stick, miller shielded for mig(shop work) and have never had a flux core (pocket machine) that lasted but that is why I stress to check the metal size for capability of the machine.
In my opinion a 120 flux core will never provide an acceptable weld to the bus frame if and when needed?

[daddyoften]

So I've just skimmed this thread so I'm sorry if this already came up....
A 3000k inverter for that price is pretty good but make sure you get a pure-sine wave inverter. It's much cleaner power and is much safer on your delicate electronics.
Eric

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by Jman6631

I hear you Jolly Roger, yes, you helped.

You should be an instructor, you basically describe the welding 101 class I took. We welded simple, straight, flat rows for 2-3 hours and then moved on to horizontal and vertical angles. All seated comfortably as you say. I have not welded in a real world application yet but will do my best not to trash the world of welding when I do!

Don't worry about the world of welding? (Some tough men)Worry about your world and what you have ahead of you.
When you get underside let us know. I can help you make that little machine work for you.

[Robin97396]

True that's a Ugo welder, but there is a beautiful simplicity to flux core welding. It's fast and cheap. I wouldn't attempt welding a truck frame with it, but it should be very adequate for ribs. These are light weight welders and they won't last if you try welding 1/4" plates together. They will do it but it obviously shortens the life of the cheapo.

[Jman6631]

Thank you all, again, for the great input!

I was able to verify that the inverter is a modified sine wave model, so that and what appears to me as likely being oversized means I'll skip this one.

One question I have not yet answered is regarding the metal thickness a given welder can weld. I should have asked that instructor while I had the chance but it didn't occur to me...DOH...

Mine has a 3/16" thickness rating. Does that mean it can weld 3/16" all the way through in one pass, or just sufficiently to make a good weld?

[Robin97396]

I'm just guessing, but your welder has a high and low setting? It should be able to weld ribs easily. You'll just have to try it on the different settings while you're taking a little time to practice. If the low setting looks like a scab on top of the metal, it's not getting enough heat. You'll see it melting. I'm pretty sure you'll like the high setting once you get used to it. It's faster.

[JA Savage]

Jolly Roger, you are clear and concise and if you are not teaching welding you could make a living doing it. Thanks for your input you have given a lot of people reading this thread an idea about how to do it right.