Posted by carla on October 31, 1998 at 11:50:36:
In Reply to: Mig & Plasma cutter question? posted by Ken Dahlberg on October 28, 1998 at 18:04:52:
just another thought for whatever its worth-----
i've always preferred the tig equipment myself for
any "one-off" or repair work.
with infinite amperage control using the foot control
potentiometer and the convenience of having ac or
dc at the flip of a switch, plus the different sizes
of tungstens, and all the different sizes and material
of filler rod, its really quick and easy to set up
for any sort of weld that might be needed. being
able to go from mild steel to aluminium in about
one minute is a nice convenience.
the nicest thing about the argon arc is that its
easy to watch the pool as you work to know for a
certainty that you have a clean uncontaminated weld
(no inclusions)with the desired penetration.
i like to use 316 stainless rod for most mild steel
work-- it works very well if you are careful to clean
the work thoroughly.
the mig is, of course, a lot faster once you're
set up for a particular thickness of metal, so
its the best choice for any volume of production
welding.
carla