Welders? Any welders on this site?

[greengreer]

Running 240v is really not much different than a 120v circuit. Just two hots and a neutral.
My little welder also has an adapter to run 120/110v but I've never needed to use it. I think having the option is nice, can use some flux core wire and take it out in the field if needed.
I bought an Everlast that does mig/stick and has a plasma cutter. Can also do Al and SS but haven't fooled around with any of that.
So far it's been perfect for me in the shop. The plasma is awesome and usually running mig but have done a little stick and flux core with it.

 

[flushcut]

So maybe I made a mistake but I bought a Lincoln 140…. Mainly cause it runs off 120v…. And does 5/16 of an inch… and I thought it does stick also but upon further research does not…. I don’t have 230v in the garage, so I went w the 140.. almost bought the 180 which boasts mig tig and stick but requires 230v…. I’m looking at the Lincoln arc stick welder for $400 but requires 230/240v….

Wondering if I should have just got the 180 and hired an electrician to run a 240/230 in the garage?

Feeling dumb but going w it…. Been watching a lot of welding on YouTube… mainly Tacoma bumper fabrication…. Which is why I bought it for…

Thinking I need a generator for the house and just get one w 240/230/220 and run the welder off that if I don’t get the plug in the garage….

anyhoo…. Hope I didn’t waste money…

You should be fine for thinner metal. Flux core will help on thicker material but will suck to run on thin material like 14ga and under. Even if it does not fit you needs perfectly run it and get some time under the hood. The nice thing about tools is they tend to hold resale value. Flip it down the road and up grade if you feel the need.

 

[BlackSmith]

“Just two hots and a neutral.”

Code probably calls for a ground too which isn’t a bad idea.

 

[Cobleskill]

I think 4 prong plugs come with new stuff now. Yes. Good idea.

 

[Bodean]

You guys are great… I decided I’m gonna get what I wanted…. Gonna swap out the 140 mig for the 180 multi process…that way mig and stick…
and I’ll run a new 240 in the garage…. But just in case have you guys seen the adapter that plugs into 2 120v plugs w a 240v plug on the end??

Are those real? Cause I could just do that…. Any how I believe the stick welding seems important….

Thanks fellas, I feel closer than ever now…

 

[Bart]

Pretty sure adjacent 120V outlets are wired on the same phase so if you plug in nonpolarised 120 v equipment you can never get the 240 across things. If you found two outlets in your house on separate phases you could jury rig it but the house wiring would only be rated 15A, 20 at a push. Your machine probably needs 60 A.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If you have an electric dryer, or oven, you could potentially run a pig tail extension from those if not too far removed. Distance matters over an extension cord.

 

[flushcut]

You guys are great… I decided I’m gonna get what I wanted…. Gonna swap out the 140 mig for the 180 multi process…that way mig and stick…
and I’ll run a new 240 in the garage…. But just in case have you guys seen the adapter that plugs into 2 120v plugs w a 240v plug on the end??

Are those real? Cause I could just do that…. Any how I believe the stick welding seems important….

Thanks fellas, I feel closer than ever now…

The 240v plug us called nema 6-50p and the receptacle is a nema 6-50r it looks the same as a 120v three prong plug but only bigger. Your dryer receptacle will be a four prong deal where as the welder will be a three prong deal, I think cyberweld. Com sells a pre made adapter if you wanted to go that route but the extension cords get pricy quickly. You will want either longer power cords or longer leads or both at some point but it depends on what you want to work on, yard art as is will work just fine, but building a trailer longer leads are real nice instead of moving the machine every few welds.

 

[BlackSmith]

“have you guys seen the adapter that plugs into 2 120v plugs w a 240v plug on the end??”

Seriously? Don’t be “that” guy. Do it right or don’t do it. You’ll just keep tripping breakers like that. Worst case scenario it will catch fire and they’ll be laughing too hard to put it out.

 

[Cobleskill]

It isn't that hard to wire a new circuit. Treehouse knowledge will make it easy.

 

[Bodean]

Thanks fellas….The TreeHouse Rocks.

 

[greengreer]

“Just two hots and a neutral.”

Code probably calls for a ground too which isn’t a bad idea.

Yes I believe you're right. I can't remember specifically but I believe coming off the panel your grounds are bonded to the neutral, or maybe that's on a sub panel.
Regardless all the info one would need is online or in a book somewhere. I'm fortunate enough to have a buddy that's an electrician that I can call and bug with all my dumb questions.

Also I would recommend putting a disconnect switch or breaker near your plug, just in case. Sort of how a hot tub is set up. Especially if your main panel isn't near by or easy to get to. Maybe overkill, but my main panel is about 100ft away

 

[BlackSmith]

Ground and neutral are bonded at the main panel but not a sub panel if I remember right.

 

[Bodean]

Hey y’all… well, I decided to just run what I bought… figured I’d just start off on the mig Lincoln 140 and get some time under the hood as Rajan suggested…. If I get good I’ll buy the lincoln stick welder for cheap, I see them on FB often…. Meanwhile I’ll run a 240 in the garage. I stopped by the metal store and got an arm load of scrap metal for 20$…. I’ll post a pic when I weld something…. Figured a multi process has a greater chance of going bad than machines dedicated to their process…. Who knows? I’m a noob.. but then even Bruce Jenner was a noob at being a woman, now he’s almost a politician.

 

[Bart]

I ran into a new owner at a property with a nice oak tree I pruned and got to talking, having spotted the welder in his garage. I asked how it was to get the power wired into the garage. He said he didn't, he just picked up an old gas generator with sufficient amps at 240V and it was significantly cheaper. Re-sellable too. Clever guy, never occurred to me to do that.

Bodean, don't limit yourself to mig. Mig is formulaic, get the settings, point and shoot, even doing spot welds with your eyes closed. Stick is just big scale mig, but tig is where the art is, separating heat and material to independent control. If you want to freak out a traditional guy, do a fillerless weld and they'll cry out "undercut!" then you say the metal was oversized 5x in the design just so I could have no fillet!

 

[Bodean]

i thought about the 240 generator…. 3k$ for the Honda 3300… we need a generator anyway but need to make the money….

in fact I need a personal saw… the 500i is almost 2k$ w a 36” light bar… but need it for the big albizzias on side jobs…

Im down to learn all I can about welding…. Of course I can barely spell it now but plan on studying as much as I can….
Im sure I won’t be climbing for ever, although I’m in a Renaissance… climbing comes easy nowadays… got my strength and jam back…

 

[pigwot]

Restoration project.
Finally getting to my Lincoln Weldanpower which sat out back under a tarp for the past three years, unused. The mice had moved in, and since I didn’t have a pad poured until recently, the ground moisture wreaked havoc with it.
Mouse house gone, took a charge and turned over! Tear down, paint, service the engine, and weld… or ship it to Deva (Likely less expensive to just watch for a good used one there in the islands 🙂).

 

[Bart]

Three main gotcha's: fluffy clogged the air cooling fins and hopefully nobody ran it and warped it like that, gas diluted or water condensate in or negligible oil and gummed up or corrosion in the carb/ water in the stale gas. Fun fun fun! When I resurrect something, my float needle test and final rinse is a bit of pure alcohol through the tank, splash rinse drain via float bowl.

 

[Bodean]

Well, I opened up the box and started ”welding”….. I was like a child… full of wonder and no idea what I was doing… only afterwards I watched some YouTube videos and realized my Voltage was turned down… and my wire feed speed too…. I learned that the machine settings to the metal used are pretty important…. I went for about 3 hours…. Pretty fun.. did some grinding too…. Here’s some pictures for humour. uploaded from first attempts to last…

 

[flushcut]

More voltage, slow your travel speed, maintain a consistent contact tip to work piece distance, watch the puddle.
Watching the molten metal under and around the arc will help you get good penetration into the base metal. And it can tell you if you are putting in too much heat. Welding tips and tricks on YouTube is a good channel to watch.

 

[Tree09]

Turn it up and slow down a bit, but hell yeah man! It honestly seems that most of learning to weld is how do you set your machine, and that's more true with mig than any other process. You won't be able to get too hot with a 140 on most stuff, so turn it up and go to town. Always error on the side of too much heat, there's nothing worse than cold welds that don't dig in and bond the pieces. I semi joke with apprentices that if you aren't ever burning thru you are too cold, it's a half joke but it's honestly really good advice because you need heat to weld and the hotter the more penetration you get, aka more better.

Mig is a bit of a different animal, you control your heat with your wire feed and control how much it spreads out with your voltage. So you learn to set it by ear, usually setting your voltage then tuning the wire to it. So set your voltage, then just like tuning a carb on a saw you go up and down with the wire feed till you find your upper and lower limits and then be somewhere in the middle. It'll sound like some version of frying bacon when correct, until you get in the spray settings (much bigger machines are needed) where it sounds like bacon being incinerated in hell. In time you'll maybe memorize certain settings that seem to work better, but far too many people get lost in trying to memorize settings because they don't understand how to adjust them. Set your voltage and then turn your wire to adjust, and run way hot on everything.

Always stay about 3/4 of an inch away from the puddle, and keep the nozzle clean from the little berries that try to stick to it. They make nozzle dip or spray to help with that, it's pretty much a requirement imo. Your tip is what transfers the arc to the wire, so try to keep it clean and replace it when it gets all wallered out.

 

[BlackSmith]

What gas?

 

[flushcut]

Looks like no gas, self shielded flux core judging by the soot and smoke deposits.

 

[Bodean]

Rad Guys…. Thanks a ton… yeah no gas yet… figured I keep it simple for a bit. I need to make/find a cart or wagon for the welder, gas and all the tools. You guys rip.. don’t worry I won’t flood this page w noob pics of cold booger welds anymore…. Stoked…. figured I’d start w the mig then branch out to arc stick and the others as I need/want them…. The best part is I realized that it’s fun and I like doing it. Cheers fellers!

 

[flushcut]

Flood away! It makes for better content.