The Newman Skoolie!

[Jman6631]

The Lincoln is $549

Shop Lincoln Electric 120-Volt MIG Flux-Cored Wire Feed Welder at Lowes.com

[Jman6631]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

We just can't seem leave you alone-- so here goes.

Bed frame material is vert strong and will support quite a bit of weight if it is assembled with bolts and nuts or bucked rivets. It is not a satisfactory material if it is welded (unless done with an oven to control temps). The problem stems from the fact that bed frame material is highly crystaline in nature, almost like steel castings. Welding melts the crystals at the site of the weld and produces an interface between the welded and the unwelded portion which is subject to rapid fatigue and complete failure. Using welded bed frame material to support tanks of liquids or under floor compartments is not a safe practice.

Find a metal provider in your area and purchase mild steel materials of the appropriate shape and size and you will be good to go! Jack

Thanks Jack! But, I have seen/heard of folks using bedframes successfully, or so they say. To me it "looks" the same...cuts, grinds, and drills the same, that is.

[ol trunt]

I hear what you are saying, but I'd recommend that you chat with a certified welder about the issue before you try to weld bed frames. After all, I might be the guy behind you when your s*** tank drops off

[Tango]

Jack is right...forget bed frames for the reasons stated...crystiline metal...aka:...bubbles. Crap metal. You need to mate metal with like metal for reasonable results.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

We just can't seem leave you alone-- so here goes.

Bed frame material is vert strong and will support quite a bit of weight if it is assembled with bolts and nuts or bucked rivets. It is not a satisfactory material if it is welded (unless done with an oven to control temps). The problem stems from the fact that bed frame material is highly crystaline in nature, almost like steel castings. Welding melts the crystals at the site of the weld and produces an interface between the welded and the unwelded portion which is subject to rapid fatigue and complete failure. Using welded bed frame material to support tanks of liquids or under floor compartments is not a safe practice.

Find a metal provider in your area and purchase mild steel materials of the appropriate shape and size and you will be good to go! Jack

You can even dumpster dive at a LOT of fab shops. Scap is worth ZILCH and I know of several in my area where I can get steel and even some other metals FREEEEE!
The shop I worked in for over a decade throws away any angle, flat bar, round bar... anything shorter than 48" and often pieces that are nearly full length for seemingly no good reason. Worth a shot, for sure man.
I haven't paid for a piece of steel pretty much EVER, I just know where to look.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Jman6631

The Lincoln is $549

Shop Lincoln Electric 120-Volt MIG Flux-Cored Wire Feed Welder at Lowes.com

Yeah, thats the same price as a Hobart 140, and the Hobart is a better machine. I've even seen the 140 on sale before for LESS than $500. Like $479 IIRC. Last time they were on sale a Rural King I think thats what they went for.

For $500, though, you could probably even find a nice lil used Miller.

[Jman6631]

Well doods, I've heard you all and I do appreciate all of the awesome input! I will review it all again and again.

Thanks also for the intel on dumpster diving those shops. I don't know where you guys are but most dumpsters around me are locked up tight. It's rare that I've found one that likely has what I need that is accessible. But, I will check the local fab shops specifically.

For the budgetary reasons stated above I went with the Lowes purchase of the Lincoln Pro Mig 140. It gets good reviews on multiple sites and will do 5/16" mild steel. I did find a few decent one's on craigslist, Miller and otherwise, mostly otherwise, but since I had that big gift card I had to go there for this purchase. It ended up costing me ~$200 out of pocket. All I need now is some gas!

Check it out!

[Jman6631]

One question I did think of, which will be painfully obvious to most of you, is whether or not the mig rig I have will be ok for sheet metal. The previous discussion focussed on stick welders, since I brought them up to begin with, which are not ok for sheet metal. Will this mig be too hot for sheet metal?

[thjakits]

According to your trusty Lincoln-Pro-Mig 140 Spec PDF
[ http://www.lincolnelectric.com/asset...480-1/e726.pdf ]

ON the manuals, I don't know which one is yours:
Operators Manuals | Lincoln Electric



you should be alright with welding 24-gauge steel sheet, that is according to some conversion table about 0.025" or 0.635mm - I would hope you have nothing thinner on your BUS!!
[ M E S T E E L ]

Otherwise it is time to break out your trusty OxyAcetylene-equipment OR your TIG-welder!! You don't have either - you better have another gift-certificate for Loewes!!

Please, have a look at your manual according to material and thickness you use different size wire and quality.....

Though it says you DON'T weld 1/4" in one go on gas - have a look at this youtube clip - apparently there is tricks to go with...
[

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihorndQTyGE

]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some tricks for thinner skin too!!

NOW - it is time to google/youtube/forum your way into the details/mods/tricks of your new toy!!
GO MAD!!

Lincoln itself has at least a weeks worth of stuff for beginners to read up upon!! They have excellent beginners support!

Education Center

Welding How-To's

POWER MIG 210 MP - From Box to Weld Video
[I know it is the bigger brother - but I am sure you will learn something!!]

Lincoln

MIG Welding Forum


Read/Watch/Listen/TRY - repeat!! ASK/ASK/ASK!!

There is NO stupid questions - (...well, there is ONE - the ONE you DON'T ask!!)....

Learning curve is about 87° steep! Meaning - you should become good in no time!!

HAVE fun!!

thjakits

[BurlKing]

looks like it can do gas and non-gas flux-cored (which is what i got) and i welded 20ga steel today with my lincoln just fine.

[EastCoastCB]

Well, with a gift card I can see why you'd go with that one, for sure. guess I overlooked that part.
I almost bought the Lincoln myself.
Enjoy!

[Jman6631]

Thank you all again and again!

And now for something completely different...I'm heading into a divorce and need to officially valuate my partially disassembled, not yet rebuilt bus. I assume (there's that word!) it is worth zilch at this point or pretty close to it.


Does anyone know how I could get a value on it as-is? I'm going back to the dealership where I bought it but they may not know either.


ANY help is appreciated, thanks in advance!

[cadillackid]

why so much welding? why not just bolt and rivet the hanging stuff under the bus? welds seem so rigid for something that is likely to want to flex a bit as you run over bumps and such in the road... i understand welds for the roof raise ribs but for under-belly hanging stuff just seems like id Bolt it up...

as far the the valuation.. why not just use a nominal figure? if the D is gonna get messy then the Ex will try to take it for reasons other than value so a lower number is better.. if you have it in pieces.. ie in the middle ofa roof raise, nn-running, cant pass state inspection, then you make a really good case for a $500 bus...

id sure not be working on it anymore till that mess was over... at least not working on it in a method that will put it back together or increase its value... as the Ex may want to try and wait it out and then take it from you just to be nasty... even if she "SAYS" thats not he intention....

the dealer only knows what they sold it to you at.. in pieces makes it much tougher as its obviously not worth what it was bought for...

-Christopher

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by Jman6631

Thank you all again and again!

And now for something completely different...I'm heading into a divorce and need to officially valuate my partially disassembled, not yet rebuilt bus. I assume (there's that word!) it is worth zilch at this point or pretty close to it.


Does anyone know how I could get a value on it as-is? I'm going back to the dealership where I bought it but they may not know either.


ANY help is appreciated, thanks in advance!

Lower than Scrap Metal value, Coming from someone who rotates wives like a farmer rotates crops you price everything at low ball garage sale prices.

[ol trunt]

Dump the bus for scrap and next time marry the Lincoln or Miller rather than some knock off brand.

[Jolly Roger]

I weld daily for a living and I want all of my storage,tank frames and anything I build underside to be bolted and I am using 12-guage unistrut for most (1-1/2"x1-1/2")
It flexes it moves and twist,can support most of what I want under my bus and can be adjusted or reconfigured later with NO welding involved?
Hence the name. Universal
Love it

[Tango]

Really good stuff. Excellent call.

[Jman6631]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

why so much welding? why not just bolt and rivet the hanging stuff under the bus? welds seem so rigid for something that is likely to want to flex a bit as you run over bumps and such in the road... i understand welds for the roof raise ribs but for under-belly hanging stuff just seems like id Bolt it up...

as far the the valuation.. why not just use a nominal figure? if the D is gonna get messy then the Ex will try to take it for reasons other than value so a lower number is better.. if you have it in pieces.. ie in the middle ofa roof raise, nn-running, cant pass state inspection, then you make a really good case for a $500 bus...

id sure not be working on it anymore till that mess was over... at least not working on it in a method that will put it back together or increase its value... as the Ex may want to try and wait it out and then take it from you just to be nasty... even if she "SAYS" thats not he intention....

the dealer only knows what they sold it to you at.. in pieces makes it much tougher as its obviously not worth what it was bought for...

-Christopher

At long last I can finally get back to some of this. I've had a really busy and slammed summer. Lots of travel coast-to-coast, then the divorce is taking a lot of energy out of me. Any, thought I'd give you a reply at last...

I like the welding because it seems stronger and more permanent. I can see bolts loosening, even with loctite, from all the vibration and bouncing so welding seems better IMHO. I also figure that's one reason they used so much welding on the structure and frame.

I did get the valuation from the dealer who sold it to me. They say they do this all the time not only for their own purchases (duh) but also for other people who call them. My original salesman was awesome and responded quickly. He did some research and then sent me the valuation on letterhead, coming in at $500, so, nicely done there cadillackid!

[Jman6631]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

I weld daily for a living and I want all of my storage,tank frames and anything I build underside to be bolted and I am using 12-guage unistrut for most (1-1/2"x1-1/2")
It flexes it moves and twist,can support most of what I want under my bus and can be adjusted or reconfigured later with NO welding involved?
Hence the name. Universal
Love it

Wow, Jolly Roger, thanks...way to blow my fantasy! How are you keeping the bolts from rattling loose and backing out?

[Jman6631]

Ok hosers,

I listened, I learned, and I got the Lincoln MIG-140 and finally set her up for a test drive today. Add one cheap-o cart from HF and viola, we're welding baby!





Ok don't laugh...I already have gas tank envy...I ditched the chains that did little to no good and opted for a bungee cord instead...





At first my welds were no better than the flux-core ones I was getting from that sooper cheap-o gasless HF welder that I unloaded to make way for this one. Lots of spatter and really inconsistent beads. I was pretty disappointed but then after fiddling with the settings things got better. Take a look at this:





I was getting better looking welds, at least a consistent pattern. But the beads are too bulbous so I must have had the wire speed set too high. I was following the Lincoln settings on the box, figured I'd at least start there. That and still hearing my weekend warrior instructor telling me I'm going too fast must have combined to build those unnecessarily thick or "tall" beads. It'll get better (right?).