I have plasma cutter bit i lostly use angle grinder with cut of wheel. Less cables, it is faster to get some small job done and the cut is cleaner as there is no slag. In my opinion plasma cutters are overrated. Note: that's just my opinion. Your results may vary
@JukkaVaan cutting speed just right and there is no slag....I know it's not easy to cut perfectly each time but most of the time it's clean enough to not need hit with even a roloc disc
I used to use a plasma cutter many years ago at work. Awesome tool, so I bought one about 5 years ago, with great plans and intentions. So far, I've unboxed it and put it on the heavy tools shelf 😒
You actually helped me out a lot! I was told not to bother with flux core..something about crappy welds. This person does do really nice work, so he probably is talking about really nice looking, clean welds. I have just never got started welding,..and it has hindered me with so many projects. I would rather have a simple set up, so this is the way to go for me.
The better you learn to weld the nicer your Flux core welds will look. Just like any form of welding you need to practice to reduce the splatter. Plus there's a spray you can get that will reduced the ability of the splatter to stick to your work piece.
I am so surprised that you never mentioned stick welding, Tony. I'm still running a 60-year old Lincoln tombstone AC welder, the old copper-wound gem. 6011 rod for farm work, burns thru paint and rust; 7018 low-hydrogen rod for the serious work. I recently had to fabricate a quick-connect mount for a grapple-shear head that my boss purchased for his 22-year old Volvo excavator. The mount was NLA from Volvo, so I bought some 1.5" cold-rolled shaft and some 1-1/4" plate and made a new one. Many years ago I worked for the boss's father, and hand-built a firewood processor that would turn a 2-foot diameter hardwood tree into stove wood using a harvester head chain saw bar and a 5-way wedge driven by a 5" X 30" hydraulic cylinder, all run by a PTO-driven pump on our Deutz-Allis 60hp tractor. I also used 11018 rod on that one, but had a Miller Thunderbolt AC-DC welder at the time. Just bought one of those Titanium machines, and intend to practice with it this winter. Thanks for the great content!
Mechanics don't grow into sticks naturally. The natural way was Tony's. If you had to switch from flame, the MAG, Metal Active Gas, process already was widely established - and you cannot beat wire fed welders with stick welders on cars. Farm equipment is built from hefty metal plates, cars are built out of thin sheets, remind that!
@@werner.x I guess the wire takes less juice to fire, so it is less likely to burn through, is that right? I'm almost set to try some TIG but never have gotten the Argon bottle to try it out. Cheapie Northern inverter stick welder, with the Tig torch attachment.
I have done all sorts of welding including structural welding on things that could get someone killed if a weld fails. Ladders, platforms the people walk and work on, etc. 7018 was the most common rod we used for structural but we also kept 6011 on hand for scab welding something that's not critical and needs to go back in service ASAP. More than once we had newbies come in and they wanted to weld with 6011 on everything "because it's easy". We laid down the law DO NOT USE 6011 FOR STRUCTURAL WELDING LIKE I BEAMS, C-CHANNEL OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MUST HOLD A LOT OF WEIGHT! Of course we had guys who would ignore the rule and use 6011 all the time so we had to constantly check on them out in the field to make sure they were following the rule.
I learned flux core welding when I was doing my coyote swap in 2012 - necessity is the mother of invention - I used it for a ton of sheet metal repair but eventually found myself making a ton of custom brackets and now can't live without one.
My first mig machine was a small 110v Miller. I always have some flux core wire on hand but don't use it often, it's mainly for small mobile jobs. Sometimes you don't want to lug that co2/argon tank around.
@@craighansen7594I have a Lincoln Handy MiG. It started life as a flux core but came with a kit to flip it over to MiG. I picked up a small argon tank and have been using it ever since. The only part that sucks is the lack of a dual heat range (it only has 2 switches for heat and a dual for wire feed speed). Still, I'll never go back to flux core unless it's for bull work.
I've seen plenty of instances where a flux core will perform better than a gas-shielded MIG setup. There are a few things you can do with a flux core that are not possible with GMAW. the first being able to control heat of the weld by increasing wire stick-out. This is very helpful if you are trying to fill pinholes in thin sheetmetal. Tony, I realize you are basing the content on your channel to cater to the common man with common tools in a common garage, but I bit the bullet and bought a Hobart Handler 210 from Tractor Supply a couple years ago when they were 25% off. The cool thing about this welder is I can switch polarity with it and run flux core wire for situations where it is best suited. Best of both worlds! Keep up the good work, man!
For those interested, total price with welder, regulator, gas bottle, spool of .023" diameter wire and a new auto-darkening welding hood was just under $1000, but that was 2 years ago. I'm sure with inflation, it's well over a grand these days.
Great advice...I've had one for bout 10 years. Been through about 4 rolls of the .30 and 1 of the .35. The .30 works best for me. Also a can of the cheapest PAM type product, provides superior clean up. Love the videos and personalized perspective.
I bought that exact Titanium welder with a coupon. The thing sat for a year because I had no 20 amp outlets at the time lol. Just made my very first welds a few weeks ago. It's addicting.
I learned how to weld back in the early '80s with a Lincoln AC-225 arc welder, commonly called a scratchbox, which used welding rods held in a clamp. Different size rods for different jobs. Only adjustment was the amp setting. No gas. I don't have a 50 amp circuit to use one of those at home, and I don't have that much interest in welding anyway. I now have that same $150 Harbor Freight Titanium flux core 125 amp welder you have. I only weld small stuff with it. The last thing I welded was a fender washer to the center of an air cleaner lid, because the original hole was rusted. If I need any serious welding done, I get a shop to do it. I would never trust welding a frame, or engine mounts, etc. Dan at DD Speed Shop is about the best welder I have ever seen. I will never be that good. Being a couple years older than you, I definitely remember Jungle Jim, and especially Jungle Pam. Those were the days.
I first bought a stick welder. Anything that was 1/8 thickness or less, was easy to burn through. I bought a flux core welder like the green one you have. Makes my life lots easier. And , I can hook it to a generator and weld in the middle of the woods if I want to. Love it!! Thanks for the video!
Great to hear someone speak postpositively about these cheap welders, tried one years agio but never got on with it. The reason I only have arc is due to not wanting to invest in a gas bottle for my occasional use as its very expensive in the UK (£250 for a decent size no rent bottle). I have some thinner work I need to weld for the first time and been trying 1.6mm rod in the arc welder and its hard on thin stuff. Will give one of these a second chance.
Just purchased the titanium recently. Never welded before but taking everything to the local welding shop has gotten expensive and time consuming. Looking forward to learning how to use it.
Ok Tony, I’m doing this. Welding is the one skill I’ve been wanting to add to my abilities and this video pushed me over the edge. I’m not looking to build a bridge but I do have some “light” welding I want to do to my Fairlane, beefing up where spot welds alone sit as too add a few gussets to the sway bar mounts as I’ve got a larger sway bar and I risk tearing it and the few welds retaining it. I was going to hire a guy but after watching thought, to heck with it, for the money I’d pay the guy I can buy the equipment, train myself and get it done. Great video and thanks for the incentive, as push, I needed. Best to you & yours!
@@tomberan1282 Tom, lots of guys can make a pretty weld, but a lot of them don't understand the physics involved. A community college course would be best, and you learn all types of welding. I'm sure there's tons of stuff online about technic, but knowing weld root and boundary areas and when to pre heat is where I'd start. 👍☮️
Same harbor freight welder saved money on almost every vehicle I’ve bought since the welder. Right now there’s 3 cars in my dads driveway with new flex pipes welded on.
I've always regretted not learning how to weld. We had a very limited introduction to welding in metal shop in high school, but that was it. Throughout my life, I can't count how many times I could have fixed something broken, or made something I needed, if I knew how to weld. Not to mention all the job possibilities there are for welders out there! Whenever I talk to teenagers about their job outlook or future plans, I suggest for them to learn welding. Even if they don't go into that profession, there will be times when they will use it in their own garage or basement - or a friend's!
I took a local class here in Philadelphia to learn welding and it was only around $100. It was run by a hobbyist-type organization. Look up welding classes in your area.
@IndependenceCityMotoring awww, I'm too old now to worry about it. But you're right, I should have had more initiative to do something about it back when I could have taken advantage of it. I encourage everyone middle aged and younger to look into your suggestion! 👍
Thanks for sharing your experience and making this video that I needed to see . Now I will know what to buy when I'm ready to start a welding hobby . Thanks !
Oxyacetylene is so overlooked which is a shame because its so damn good. Its becoming a lost art but you can weld with it, you can cut, you can braze, you can shrink metal with it, you can use to soften metal to bend it, it can free up rusted together fasteners, can use it to harden, temper, or anneal
Thats true. I got lucky cause I bought the tanks, cart, hoses, regulators, with 2 torch handles with regular and cutting tips at a swap meet for 50 bucks like 8 years ago now and the tanks still haven't needed a refill. Crazy good deal when the cost to refill the argon for the tig welders is almost double that entire set up now and that argon will probably make it 6 months at best
At our shop, the boss got different tips for the gas welder and switched to propane. It's cheaper than acetylene, readily available and doesn't blow soot into the air when you fire it up. Oh... I also recommend using propane compatible hoses for the welder. In the long run, it'll pay off.
I'm a certified welder but I own my own mechanic shop nowadays. i have several expensive machines but 9/10 if its something small I grab my old beat up $100 flux core and it always gets the job done quick and easy. Ive welded non stainless exhaust like that for years without issues. poor things paid for its self over and over again who knows how many times. Hands down the best all around machine for a hobbyist or beginner.
I have the titanium welder and have never welded before this summer. Let me just say it's a great purchase. The only thing that I don't like about it is it takes a lot of practice to use it on rusty(prepped) sheet metal but you get the hang of it. I've found it your new take a piece of scrap from what your working on and practice on that first before touching your project
I was fortunate, I took welding at a vocational institute, the instructor worked at a local shipyard, I love all the forms of welding, all are good to have ,for my needs I got a welder that can be used Flux core or gas
That's the best way, as humans we arise to the situation we're in so whatever situation you put them in they'll rise to it or say I want no part of this, I know a 18yr old never been put in any situation and mowed a 3 acre yard with the back tire flat on a zero turn the whole yard was stripped up, on the other hand another friend has a 18yr old same grade school and everything and that boy will out work 95% of experienced mechanics, he's doing timing chain and intake jobs on modern engines
That cybertruck mostly held together. Actualy that itself saved others from being hurt. The windows of the building were not even.broken that truck literaly held the blast and shaped it upward .
I wasn’t a good classroom student back in high school in the late seventies early eighties but when I took shop I delved into the welding section with fervor. There were only a couple of guys that were better than me, I really loved the skill and patience it took to gas weld….and not just on a flat surface, mixed thickness or the proverbial scary cast metal! Only got a taste of MIG welding in 1980 as our school didn’t have an instructor that knew much about it! Then after just dabbling at work occasionally I bought almost the same exact Chicago welder to turn an old, very old boat trailer into a lawnmower trailer. I struggled a bit but eventually I put together a nice tilt bed that will self lower then flatten out once the mower gets just past the center pin! Ohhh….that splatter drove me crazy, didn’t understand it was the flux core until I did some TH-caming!
I have a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 I bought back in 1996. Installed the MIG conversion kit, and never looked back. Still works great, and I've used the heck out of it. It pays to buy a name brand.
The green one is leaps and bounds better than the other one. I went from man that looks like 💩 to decent. Seems to me the old one worked but with very limited settings it was always in between that I needed lmao
Good video i totally agree. Have been using a fluxy for 20 plus years and built everything from race cars / trailers / rust repairs and exhaust systems you name it. Totally a must have for the home workshop
Picking up a welder was easily one of the biggest game changers to my repair game. I started with a chicago electric flux welder and it got me going, but I've since upgraded to that Titanium 125. I've made many repairs with it and even welded up a driveway gate out of angle iron. Absolutely an amazing skill to have.
Tony, you'll retire your Chicago Electric once you get the hang of the 125. The inverter makes the difference. I'm a certified welder and have been for 20+ years. I have a sweet Miller mig/tig 220V combo and I use the Titanium 125 way more often on my car projects. ESPECIALLY on thin steel/sheet metal! One of the few good tools from Harbor Freight. I recommend it bigtime.
Thank you for this video man. As a young man in his 20's I wish I would've took welding in tech school. I could tear a car down to nothing, tear a motor apart and put it back together, never attempted to weld. I'm sure my day is coming lol
I love my little harbor freight welder. I think the biggest thing people overlook is how effective it is to weld a nut on broken or stripped hardware and use that to get stuff done
Yessiree- a 41/2 inch angle grinder with a slitting disc, and a welder, you can do about anything. I use my oxy/acetylene now more for heating and bending than welding.
I absolutely loved oxy acetylene welding and cutting back in the 70s 80s. You are right, it's a zen thing that will make you forget about the world around you. I did mostly sheet metal so it requires full concentration. Wild to see how much the equipment has advanced in the last few decades.
Great video, getting older I was fed up with this heavy mixed gas bottles. I recently bought a small synergic 120 A and a bigger 160A Flux core welder only (designed by the factory for this purpose only) We use in Germany the removable connection package in the "professional" range. Very good machines brand "Stahlwerk". (no paid advertising).
Great vid! Funny story... 10 years or so ago I was looking for a used one. Old guy had one for sale $75. with the box and welding cheapo mask included. Like new. Said he was an experienced welder but didn't like it cuz it was crummy doing exhaust work underneath cars. I read the instructions and he missed it saying the wire spool it came with was no good for vertical welding. So I bought the normal spools and use it for everything no problems. 😊
That little titanium flux welder is a fine machine it works great but works even better with quality wire and a direct plug to a 30 amp for example dryer plug is where it really shines
I built an entire small front end loader on a 210 John Deere garden tractor with the HF titanium 125 fluxcore , your right it needs 30 amps and good ground clamp and don't over work it .
Welding class was part of my tech school degree for automotive. Made it through the whole welding portion with only a stick welder and oxygen acetylene torch. Gas welding is really relaxing just like you said
I used the Chicago electric One the one on the left for about 3 years. Went to a mig 180 Eastwood and on the flux core setting without gas holey smokes. So much better. Yes the cheap one you have works fine(ish) the Eastwood is night and day better. Now the Eastwood is $300 more but if ya got the money it is well worth it.
Amazon has flux core only welders for less than $100.00. I have a Yeswelder that is a combination welder for $225.00 and I like it. It does Flux Core, Mig, Touch Tig, and stick welding. 110 or 220 Volt capable machine.
I actally just bought one my self the Chicago Flex core one and got it cheap it was on sale as a helmet and gloves . Gonna do exhaust on my projects and etc and I've never welded anything before so wish me luck I feel better now seeing what it can do cause alot say they are junk welders but hey gotta start somewhere
I too learned to braze weld, did floor boards and rust repair on my old junk back then. Learned stick on an old buzz box AC welder. Now I have a couple of flux core welders and there’s no comparison between the inverter and older welder. I had budgeted a MIG welder for a recent project but haven’t purchased it as my welding is all done outside. Flux core is so versatile and portable
I learned welding with a buzz box . About the same time you did I came across flux core . It is a little different for me but not much . I am retired and do not need to use the big buzz box . I have a harber freight cheap fix core in my garage. Works well .
Funny you should mention puppy sitting and welding, Last summer my wife asked me to repair a folding dog crate. She thought I would use zip ties. I told her welding would be just as fast and just as strong as new. Three tacks with a flux core welder and it was done. Welding is like hot glue for steel.
This is what is holding me up on my 70 GTX. I have all the parts. I have prepped and primed the body. I just need the floor pan behind the driver welded in and the two piece trunk pan welded. I have the trunk pan and floor pan. I have also cot everything out. I even have a welder. And I have tried my hand. But have not been successful yet. I am waiting on a guy to come by and give me an estimate. The car needs to be rolled back to the shop. And I sure do want to know the cost. I might try my hand at this again. Thanks Uncle Tony for another very useful lesson in Auto University.
What part of the country are you in? I've installed 4 complete B-body floor pans from AMD. The hardest part about the whole job is the prep work. Cleaning the surfaces, drilling holes for plug welds, trimming, tucking, etc. The welding itself is gravy!
@ I am not a welder. I am mechanical and I can spray primer and paint. I live in North Carolina and have access to many fine body shops. I even have a 220 bolt welder. Just no training. I have been watching videos and will try my hand at it again. Prior attempt have been unsuccessful. So we shall see😂
@@mikeheggem9488 thank you. I will give it a try. I know that is a good way to become familiar with our tools of the trade. I guess I will knock off the dust and give it a try.
Great timing! I'm looking for a cheap welder for body panel and exhaust pipe repairs, and a few other small jobs. I've only done stick, years ago, and have no real welding skills, so I need something a bit forgiving. Your advice has been very helpful, thanks!
I'm glad you say that about TIG welding. I learned how to oxy weld in the late 70's early 80's and was quite good at it. I have just bought a TIG welder so if after ~40 years of not touching an oxy welder I'll be happy if my TIG welding is half as good as my oxy welding was. On another note the anti spatter spray of which you talk is cheap and readily available in your local supermarket. It's otherwise known as Canola oil spray. It is about 1/3 the cost of anti spatter spray and seems to work just as well.
In the 70s most of us that welded had to learn the oxy/acetylene method. It wasn't that using a mig was less desirable, mig machines were too expensive.
I have one. Have no idea how to use it. Planning on using it for rocker panel and cab corner (etc) sheet metal repairs. Shared your vid with my three sons and a buddy. Same with your reliable survivable vehicle vid. Excited and inspired. Thank you!!
THANK YOU for making this video. I've watched a few on beginning welding (AvE's tutorial on stick welding is a must-see) but never have I seen a continual input of useful info in the first 10 minutes of the video AND answers to questions I would have asked. Good production values and a steady hand on that selfie stick is the other half of the greatness. And of course, no intro music no flashy title screen, no opening credits (we know who you are, it's in the video description) 👍😎👍
I bought small inverter stick machine over 10 years ago and that thing has seen so much use It is unreal. You can take it pretty much anywhere and weld absolutely anything. I grew up on a farm so stick was the default, flux core for sheet metal and mig on Sundays.
I have used that Titanium 125 on all the body panels on my nova. It takes some getting used to and technique but it works just fine for everything i have needed!!
My friend taught me how to weld with a mig about 20 years ago. I always wanted one for my own garage. Couldn't afford it. I bought that Chicago electric Flux welder about 10 years ago and I love it. Messy welds but strong. I've used it countless times. Everything from a motorcycle frame, rust repair patch panels and multiple exhaust systems all the way to a roll cage and harness bar. If I want it to look good I always remember what the professional welders say. "A grinder and some paint make a welder what he ain't" 😂
Most Newbies need to understand that you need to melt the metals so they bond. It's not like sewing metal with a bridge. You need to melt both lips so they bond together. After that, you can fill any holes you created from too much heat in beginning. 😊
For about 30 years have had 2 of the old Century MIG welders that can use either gas sheilding or flux core, and the tank is sitting in the corner and the gas regulator is in a drawer under the workbench because they don't get used. When I had to weld something I used either the flux core wire or a stick welder but rarely oxy/acetylene because it cost so much around here
Me being me, there's no excuse for my not knowing, it's shameful. My Uncle's life revolved around a welder, time were tough in NY and he could go find welding work. The most fun he had working was at a place where he just fixed whatever stuff people brought in. A welder, grinder, snips, and a hammer, plus box of wrenches gives me a-team vibes. Another XJ in my life would probably give me reason to learn
I'm a welder a good tack is a three count to take any weight until you figure it out the best welding is from all the prep you make the surface clean clean clean no rust or oil grease etc then figure out the set up of your machine and then your travel speed I love to teach this to people who think they know and those that are just getting started
I learned to weld with a flux core lincoln restoring my 72 chevy pick up. Built derby cars and rat rod frames using the same welder. Works great on rusty rough metal.
Have never used flux core, been welding for 35 years. HAVE had to repair a flux core mess more than once. TIG welding, can do it all. My MIG setup is very rarely used, haven't needed to repair or build a trailer for an age. If you need to weld in a hurricane, I am sorry. You have such a great point about learning to weld, I have made a good living TIG welding. I love welding, building, and repairing. LOVE IT!!
My daughter is taking up welding now and i was jist looking at small portable welders at harbor freight and northern tool. Welding is something i wanted to.learn back in the 90s as well but didnt have anyone to teach me. Might pick one up. The wifes car z28 has been needing a muffler for the last few years 😅. And with that running off 120v I think its time
YES INDEED! Fifty years ago, on the farm, it was either stick welds done with an AC buzz box or bronze. Several years ago my cousin, a welder/pipe fitter by trade, helped me build a new shop and shamed me into buying a MIG welding machine.
Tony, I've been using a Lincoln flux core welder since the late 90's and it's still going strong even after 5 frame off or rotisserie ground up builds. Works very well for thicker metal but care needs to be taken when welding thinner sheet metal body parts. It can be done but requires a bit of practice. Same Lincoln welder I started with and it just won't die. I have a gas MIG welder but very rarely use it.
I have a Hynade 140 flux core welder from Amazon, about $240 Canadian. It has adjustable power and automatic wire feed that can also be adjusted. Light weight, portable and produces and excellent weld. Hynade also has very good wire that I've purchased many times because is produces very little spatter. Go get one for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Very good welder had mine for years. I just welded a bar in my car so I could use a 4 ton jack to push the door striker area and quarter out 2 inches. bacon frying
The little titanium is a great little welder. I have a lincoln mig, an old tombstone and the titanium. Use the titanium 90% of the time for small stuff. Love the blue demon e71t-11 multipass wire with it. I dont use any single pass GS wire with it; that way its less limited.
Your welding with hangers brought back this memory to me. Bobby Lagana was Champion Auto Engineering and mostly used coat hangers and ox acetylene for welding most everything. He welded thousands of distributor points plates to the cast housing of the distributor, eliminating any movement or distortion. He timed everything by ear. I finally gave him a nice Miller tig machine after our long anger period and it patched things up between us.
I worked with Bobby for years and even partnered with him on a T/F car. And yeah, there were many times when it seemed we were trying to out-crude eachother.
@@UncleTonysGarage I know you did. I shared a shop with him and we're great friends until our falling out over Ron Leaf. All the best this New Year. The old school guys are few and far between.
Ah, Frank...I didn't realize who you were until I looked at your profile. Good to see you're around and appear to be doing well. Best to you and yours this New Year!
Tony your gonna love the titanium... lifelong career in collision repair started pre mig with torches but when high strength steel became the thing we had to have migs an I was partial to lincolns. After I retired I bought a Lincoln mini to hobby with, unfortunately it was stolen so i picked up a titanium... very impressed an it was often loaned out to buddies who were also very impressed . That one was lost when my buddies shop was burned down by his old lady so I bought another. The inverter tech makes em a pleasure to use as they are so light. I also hear of a similar unit called the EZ welder which I guess has a little more duty cycle..similer price.
Flux core can make nice welds. Just need to clean off the flux afterwards, similar to stick weld. I've used primer in place of anti-spatter spray. I prime the parts all over and then remove the primer where the weld is going to be. Most of the spatter comes off pretty easily.
Boilermaker welder here from New Zealand Uncle Tony and I will tell you the Splatter you get with flux core is actually called ' Spatter ' ,,,,, Spat , not Splat 'Spatter' Mate as in I spat on the ground , LOL . Just a little training for you as we know , you are never to old to learn something new , all the best for 2025 Mate and keep up the good work . ps. Look at the Duty cycle on both , the Chicago would probably be 50% at Max setting ( 10 minutes welding 10 minutes cool down ) and the little green one probably 20% at Max setting ( 10 minutes welding 30 minutes cool down ) , look out for that as you will burn it out real fast going too hard on it .
Cool video, I could almost ditto your gas to flux story. I bought a 125 flux-core back in 2017. I'm a home hobbyist and also work on my own motorcycle, so far, the flux-core has done all I need it to.
Spot on, Tony. I’ve had my head in a bucket, staring at a puddle of molten metal for near as dammit, 50 years. Nothing wrong with flux core and in some cases, (especially with gal) it’s actually better. If you need good penetration, it’s a lot easier to run a vertical up with the flux core wire.
I agree a flux core welder is a great tool to have in the garage for sure. Next up is a plasma cutter. Total game changer. 👍
I agree the Plasma cutters are awesome but angle grinders and cutting wheels work excellent too if that's all you got
Absolutely agree plasma cutter is just fast no warping and no metal sliver slung in 360° trying to find it's way into your eyeballs
I have plasma cutter bit i lostly use angle grinder with cut of wheel. Less cables, it is faster to get some small job done and the cut is cleaner as there is no slag. In my opinion plasma cutters are overrated. Note: that's just my opinion. Your results may vary
@JukkaVaan cutting speed just right and there is no slag....I know it's not easy to cut perfectly each time but most of the time it's clean enough to not need hit with even a roloc disc
I used to use a plasma cutter many years ago at work. Awesome tool, so I bought one about 5 years ago, with great plans and intentions. So far, I've unboxed it and put it on the heavy tools shelf 😒
You actually helped me out a lot! I was told not to bother with flux core..something about crappy welds. This person does do really nice work, so he probably is talking about really nice looking, clean welds. I have just never got started welding,..and it has hindered me with so many projects. I would rather have a simple set up, so this is the way to go for me.
Yes!
Also, see if you can find Bondo Billy. He loves flux core and he does body work all the time and does good work.
@@Monaco-BuilditFixitDriveitEverThanks for the info!
The better you learn to weld the nicer your Flux core welds will look. Just like any form of welding you need to practice to reduce the splatter. Plus there's a spray you can get that will reduced the ability of the splatter to stick to your work piece.
Nice welds are ground
I am so surprised that you never mentioned stick welding, Tony. I'm still running a 60-year old Lincoln tombstone AC welder, the old copper-wound gem. 6011 rod for farm work, burns thru paint and rust; 7018 low-hydrogen rod for the serious work. I recently had to fabricate a quick-connect mount for a grapple-shear head that my boss purchased for his 22-year old Volvo excavator. The mount was NLA from Volvo, so I bought some 1.5" cold-rolled shaft and some 1-1/4" plate and made a new one. Many years ago I worked for the boss's father, and hand-built a firewood processor that would turn a 2-foot diameter hardwood tree into stove wood using a harvester head chain saw bar and a 5-way wedge driven by a 5" X 30" hydraulic cylinder, all run by a PTO-driven pump on our Deutz-Allis 60hp tractor. I also used 11018 rod on that one, but had a Miller Thunderbolt AC-DC welder at the time. Just bought one of those Titanium machines, and intend to practice with it this winter. Thanks for the great content!
I wondered too. Almost "Abby-Normal".
Mechanics don't grow into sticks naturally.
The natural way was Tony's.
If you had to switch from flame, the MAG, Metal Active Gas, process already was widely established - and you cannot beat wire fed welders with stick welders on cars.
Farm equipment is built from hefty metal plates, cars are built out of thin sheets, remind that!
@@werner.x I guess the wire takes less juice to fire, so it is less likely to burn through, is that right? I'm almost set to try some TIG but never have gotten the Argon bottle to try it out. Cheapie Northern inverter stick welder, with the Tig torch attachment.
Solid machine I had one I let go. I wish I kept it. Didn't realize it's superiority
I have done all sorts of welding including structural welding on things that could get someone killed if a weld fails. Ladders, platforms the people walk and work on, etc. 7018 was the most common rod we used for structural but we also kept 6011 on hand for scab welding something that's not critical and needs to go back in service ASAP. More than once we had newbies come in and they wanted to weld with 6011 on everything "because it's easy". We laid down the law DO NOT USE 6011 FOR STRUCTURAL WELDING LIKE I BEAMS, C-CHANNEL OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MUST HOLD A LOT OF WEIGHT! Of course we had guys who would ignore the rule and use 6011 all the time so we had to constantly check on them out in the field to make sure they were following the rule.
I learned flux core welding when I was doing my coyote swap in 2012 - necessity is the mother of invention - I used it for a ton of sheet metal repair but eventually found myself making a ton of custom brackets and now can't live without one.
My first mig machine was a small 110v Miller. I always have some flux core wire on hand but don't use it often, it's mainly for small mobile jobs. Sometimes you don't want to lug that co2/argon tank around.
@@craighansen7594I have a Lincoln Handy MiG. It started life as a flux core but came with a kit to flip it over to MiG. I picked up a small argon tank and have been using it ever since. The only part that sucks is the lack of a dual heat range (it only has 2 switches for heat and a dual for wire feed speed). Still, I'll never go back to flux core unless it's for bull work.
I've seen plenty of instances where a flux core will perform better than a gas-shielded MIG setup. There are a few things you can do with a flux core that are not possible with GMAW. the first being able to control heat of the weld by increasing wire stick-out. This is very helpful if you are trying to fill pinholes in thin sheetmetal. Tony, I realize you are basing the content on your channel to cater to the common man with common tools in a common garage, but I bit the bullet and bought a Hobart Handler 210 from Tractor Supply a couple years ago when they were 25% off. The cool thing about this welder is I can switch polarity with it and run flux core wire for situations where it is best suited. Best of both worlds! Keep up the good work, man!
For those interested, total price with welder, regulator, gas bottle, spool of .023" diameter wire and a new auto-darkening welding hood was just under $1000, but that was 2 years ago. I'm sure with inflation, it's well over a grand these days.
Great advice...I've had one for bout 10 years. Been through about 4 rolls of the .30 and 1 of the .35. The .30 works best for me. Also a can of the cheapest PAM type product, provides superior clean up. Love the videos and personalized perspective.
I bought that exact Titanium welder with a coupon. The thing sat for a year because I had no 20 amp outlets at the time lol. Just made my very first welds a few weeks ago. It's addicting.
I learned how to weld back in the early '80s with a Lincoln AC-225 arc welder, commonly called a scratchbox, which used welding rods held in a clamp. Different size rods for different jobs. Only adjustment was the amp setting. No gas. I don't have a 50 amp circuit to use one of those at home, and I don't have that much interest in welding anyway. I now have that same $150 Harbor Freight Titanium flux core 125 amp welder you have. I only weld small stuff with it. The last thing I welded was a fender washer to the center of an air cleaner lid, because the original hole was rusted. If I need any serious welding done, I get a shop to do it. I would never trust welding a frame, or engine mounts, etc. Dan at DD Speed Shop is about the best welder I have ever seen. I will never be that good. Being a couple years older than you, I definitely remember Jungle Jim, and especially Jungle Pam. Those were the days.
I first bought a stick welder. Anything that was 1/8 thickness or less, was easy to burn through. I bought a flux core welder like the green one you have. Makes my life lots easier. And , I can hook it to a generator and weld in the middle of the woods if I want to. Love it!! Thanks for the video!
Great to hear someone speak postpositively about these cheap welders, tried one years agio but never got on with it. The reason I only have arc is due to not wanting to invest in a gas bottle for my occasional use as its very expensive in the UK (£250 for a decent size no rent bottle). I have some thinner work I need to weld for the first time and been trying 1.6mm rod in the arc welder and its hard on thin stuff. Will give one of these a second chance.
Just purchased the titanium recently. Never welded before but taking everything to the local welding shop has gotten expensive and time consuming. Looking forward to learning how to use it.
Skill is more important than money!
Ok Tony, I’m doing this. Welding is the one skill I’ve been wanting to add to my abilities and this video pushed me over the edge. I’m not looking to build a bridge but I do have some “light” welding I want to do to my Fairlane, beefing up where spot welds alone sit as too add a few gussets to the sway bar mounts as I’ve got a larger sway bar and I risk tearing it and the few welds retaining it. I was going to hire a guy but after watching thought, to heck with it, for the money I’d pay the guy I can buy the equipment, train myself and get it done. Great video and thanks for the incentive, as push, I needed.
Best to you & yours!
@@tomberan1282 Tom, lots of guys can make a pretty weld, but a lot of them don't understand the physics involved. A community college course would be best, and you learn all types of welding.
I'm sure there's tons of stuff online about technic, but knowing weld root and boundary areas and when to pre heat is where I'd start. 👍☮️
Thanks for the advice and encouragement, Uncle Tony!
Same harbor freight welder saved money on almost every vehicle I’ve bought since the welder. Right now there’s 3 cars in my dads driveway with new flex pipes welded on.
I've always regretted not learning how to weld. We had a very limited introduction to welding in metal shop in high school, but that was it. Throughout my life, I can't count how many times I could have fixed something broken, or made something I needed, if I knew how to weld. Not to mention all the job possibilities there are for welders out there! Whenever I talk to teenagers about their job outlook or future plans, I suggest for them to learn welding. Even if they don't go into that profession, there will be times when they will use it in their own garage or basement - or a friend's!
I took a local class here in Philadelphia to learn welding and it was only around $100. It was run by a hobbyist-type organization. Look up welding classes in your area.
@IndependenceCityMotoring awww, I'm too old now to worry about it. But you're right, I should have had more initiative to do something about it back when I could have taken advantage of it.
I encourage everyone middle aged and younger to look into your suggestion! 👍
Thanks for sharing your experience and making this video that I needed to see . Now I will know what to buy when I'm ready to start a welding hobby . Thanks !
The flux core was a game changer for me back in the day and when I showed my hot rod father in law he was sold!
Oxyacetylene is so overlooked which is a shame because its so damn good. Its becoming a lost art but you can weld with it, you can cut, you can braze, you can shrink metal with it, you can use to soften metal to bend it, it can free up rusted together fasteners, can use it to harden, temper, or anneal
It’s only downside is expensive for gas
Thats true. I got lucky cause I bought the tanks, cart, hoses, regulators, with 2 torch handles with regular and cutting tips at a swap meet for 50 bucks like 8 years ago now and the tanks still haven't needed a refill. Crazy good deal when the cost to refill the argon for the tig welders is almost double that entire set up now and that argon will probably make it 6 months at best
At our shop, the boss got different tips for the gas welder and switched to propane. It's cheaper than acetylene, readily available and doesn't blow soot into the air when you fire it up. Oh... I also recommend using propane compatible hoses for the welder. In the long run, it'll pay off.
Very true but too few people know how to do it.
I always wanted to hydrogen weld...read about it somewhere and it fascinates me
I'm a certified welder but I own my own mechanic shop nowadays. i have several expensive machines but 9/10 if its something small I grab my old beat up $100 flux core and it always gets the job done quick and easy. Ive welded non stainless exhaust like that for years without issues. poor things paid for its self over and over again who knows how many times. Hands down the best all around machine for a hobbyist or beginner.
The UTG Glue Gun
Lol 😂
🤣🤣🤣
And about as messy with all those "glue hairs"....perfect comparison
I have the titanium welder and have never welded before this summer. Let me just say it's a great purchase. The only thing that I don't like about it is it takes a lot of practice to use it on rusty(prepped) sheet metal but you get the hang of it. I've found it your new take a piece of scrap from what your working on and practice on that first before touching your project
@@michaelwilliams6922 You can't weld rust.
@@RobertBrown-e4c I'm talking about thinner sheet metal that was rusty but cleaned with a wire wheel
I was fortunate, I took welding at a vocational institute, the instructor worked at a local shipyard, I love all the forms of welding, all are good to have ,for my needs I got a welder that can be used Flux core or gas
I’ve taught my 5 and 7 year old how to weld some stuff already. The 5 year old was actually pretty decent too, gotta start them young. Lol
That's the best way, as humans we arise to the situation we're in so whatever situation you put them in they'll rise to it or say I want no part of this, I know a 18yr old never been put in any situation and mowed a 3 acre yard with the back tire flat on a zero turn the whole yard was stripped up, on the other hand another friend has a 18yr old same grade school and everything and that boy will out work 95% of experienced mechanics, he's doing timing chain and intake jobs on modern engines
Good timing. I'm in the market. Picked up a Cybertruck out of Las Vegas cheap. Going to need some welding. Once the FBI gives me the okay.
Too Soon....?
No, the one I had about the Ford in New Orleans is too soon. Something about "how many people does it take.." kinda thing.
That cybertruck mostly held together. Actualy that itself saved others from being hurt. The windows of the building were not even.broken that truck literaly held the blast and shaped it upward .
It had fireworks that went off .
Yeah, good luck with that cyber garbage...
I wasn’t a good classroom student back in high school in the late seventies early eighties but when I took shop I delved into the welding section with fervor. There were only a couple of guys that were better than me, I really loved the skill and patience it took to gas weld….and not just on a flat surface, mixed thickness or the proverbial scary cast metal! Only got a taste of MIG welding in 1980 as our school didn’t have an instructor that knew much about it! Then after just dabbling at work occasionally I bought almost the same exact Chicago welder to turn an old, very old boat trailer into a lawnmower trailer. I struggled a bit but eventually I put together a nice tilt bed that will self lower then flatten out once the mower gets just past the center pin! Ohhh….that splatter drove me crazy, didn’t understand it was the flux core until I did some TH-caming!
I have a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 I bought back in 1996. Installed the MIG conversion kit, and never looked back. Still works great, and I've used the heck out of it. It pays to buy a name brand.
If you have been using that cheap flux core you are going to be impressed with that inverter based unit
DC vs AC, the old HF box is AC and it spatters like crazy. (there are mods for them to put in a rectifier and caps, but get the Green one)
The green one is leaps and bounds better than the other one. I went from man that looks like 💩 to decent. Seems to me the old one worked but with very limited settings it was always in between that I needed lmao
Gas is a quantum leap always feel bad for people that avoid it just because you have to fill a bottle every few months or years
Good video i totally agree. Have been using a fluxy for 20 plus years and built everything from race cars / trailers / rust repairs and exhaust systems you name it. Totally a must have for the home workshop
Picking up a welder was easily one of the biggest game changers to my repair game. I started with a chicago electric flux welder and it got me going, but I've since upgraded to that Titanium 125. I've made many repairs with it and even welded up a driveway gate out of angle iron. Absolutely an amazing skill to have.
The titanium is a great little welder. I keep one in my race trailer. Small light and easy to use.
The small tank OXY/MAPP gas set up for brazing is also a good investment for frozen bolts and simple repairs . 70's body work was done with brazing
It is a neat set up for cutting and brazing but the disposable O2 cylinders are pricey, mainly plain propane works for stuck bolts.
I weld outside all the time doing security gates with a Lincoln 125 Flux core off a 5000 watt generator works great 😊
Tony, you'll retire your Chicago Electric once you get the hang of the 125. The inverter makes the difference. I'm a certified welder and have been for 20+ years. I have a sweet Miller mig/tig 220V combo and I use the Titanium 125 way more often on my car projects. ESPECIALLY on thin steel/sheet metal! One of the few good tools from Harbor Freight. I recommend it bigtime.
Great video Uncle Tony a man’s great informative channel
Thank you for this video man. As a young man in his 20's I wish I would've took welding in tech school. I could tear a car down to nothing, tear a motor apart and put it back together, never attempted to weld. I'm sure my day is coming lol
I love my little harbor freight welder. I think the biggest thing people overlook is how effective it is to weld a nut on broken or stripped hardware and use that to get stuff done
Yessiree- a 41/2 inch angle grinder with a slitting disc, and a welder, you can do about anything. I use my oxy/acetylene now more for heating and bending than welding.
Excellent sir! I have the flux 125 and you made me want to learn it now. I got more understanding from you in a short time than any other person.
I absolutely loved oxy acetylene welding and cutting back in the 70s 80s. You are right, it's a zen thing that will make you forget about the world around you. I did mostly sheet metal so it requires full concentration. Wild to see how much the equipment has advanced in the last few decades.
Hello Tony Happy new Year to you and your family Thanks!
Thank you, and Happy New Year to you as well!
Great video, getting older I was fed up with this heavy mixed gas bottles. I recently bought a small synergic 120 A and a bigger 160A Flux core welder only (designed by the factory for this purpose only) We use in Germany the removable connection package in the "professional" range. Very good machines brand "Stahlwerk". (no paid advertising).
Having just welded my YJs' sheered-off lower rear shock mounts in the middle of a snowstorm, flux works great!
That little titan easy flux 125 has gotten me out of alot of binds and made me some good $... paid for itself many times over
The titanium welder is awesome! I'm not advertising for them just saying I've used countless different welders and it's an amazing bang for the buck!
Great vid! Funny story...
10 years or so ago I was looking for a used one. Old guy had one for sale $75. with the box and welding cheapo mask included. Like new. Said he was an experienced welder but didn't like it cuz it was crummy doing exhaust work underneath cars.
I read the instructions and he missed it saying the wire spool it came with was no good for vertical welding. So I bought the normal spools and use it for everything no problems. 😊
My Miller 215 is a multi process welder. It will do mig tig stick and flux. 240 and 120 volt
Nice machine!
That little titanium flux welder is a fine machine it works great but works even better with quality wire and a direct plug to a 30 amp for example dryer plug is where it really shines
I built an entire small front end loader on a 210 John Deere garden tractor with the HF titanium 125 fluxcore , your right it needs 30 amps and good ground clamp and don't over work it .
Dex is one of my favorite channels .
Welding class was part of my tech school degree for automotive. Made it through the whole welding portion with only a stick welder and oxygen acetylene torch. Gas welding is really relaxing just like you said
I used the Chicago electric One the one on the left for about 3 years. Went to a mig 180 Eastwood and on the flux core setting without gas holey smokes. So much better. Yes the cheap one you have works fine(ish) the Eastwood is night and day better. Now the Eastwood is $300 more but if ya got the money it is well worth it.
Amazon has flux core only welders for less than $100.00. I have a Yeswelder that is a combination welder for $225.00 and I like it. It does Flux Core, Mig, Touch Tig, and stick welding. 110 or 220 Volt capable machine.
I actally just bought one my self the Chicago Flex core one and got it cheap it was on sale as a helmet and gloves . Gonna do exhaust on my projects and etc and I've never welded anything before so wish me luck I feel better now seeing what it can do cause alot say they are junk welders but hey gotta start somewhere
I too learned to braze weld, did floor boards and rust repair on my old junk back then. Learned stick on an old buzz box AC welder. Now I have a couple of flux core welders and there’s no comparison between the inverter and older welder. I had budgeted a MIG welder for a recent project but haven’t purchased it as my welding is all done outside. Flux core is so versatile and portable
My neighbor built a helicopter using an oxyacetylene torch. Very nice welds.
What could go wrong?
I had the same experience with TIG I took to it very quickly thanks to gas welding.
I don’t do it often but it’s nice to have the skill set.
I learned welding with a buzz box . About the same time you did I came across flux core . It is a little different for me but not much . I am retired and do not need to use the big buzz box . I have a harber freight cheap fix core in my garage. Works well .
Funny you should mention puppy sitting and welding, Last summer my wife asked me to repair a folding dog crate. She thought I would use zip ties. I told her welding would be just as fast and just as strong as new. Three tacks with a flux core welder and it was done. Welding is like hot glue for steel.
This is what is holding me up on my 70 GTX. I have all the parts. I have prepped and primed the body. I just need the floor pan behind the driver welded in and the two piece trunk pan welded. I have the trunk pan and floor pan. I have also cot everything out. I even have a welder. And I have tried my hand. But have not been successful yet. I am waiting on a guy to come by and give me an estimate. The car needs to be rolled back to the shop. And I sure do want to know the cost. I might try my hand at this again. Thanks Uncle Tony for another very useful lesson in Auto University.
What part of the country are you in? I've installed 4 complete B-body floor pans from AMD. The hardest part about the whole job is the prep work. Cleaning the surfaces, drilling holes for plug welds, trimming, tucking, etc. The welding itself is gravy!
@ I am not a welder. I am mechanical and I can spray primer and paint. I live in North Carolina and have access to many fine body shops. I even have a 220 bolt welder. Just no training. I have been watching videos and will try my hand at it again. Prior attempt have been unsuccessful. So we shall see😂
Start practicing on scrap metal
Of same thickness and stick with it till you get it.
@@mikeheggem9488 thank you. I will give it a try. I know that is a good way to become familiar with our tools of the trade. I guess I will knock off the dust and give it a try.
Great timing! I'm looking for a cheap welder for body panel and exhaust pipe repairs, and a few other small jobs. I've only done stick, years ago, and have no real welding skills, so I need something a bit forgiving. Your advice has been very helpful, thanks!
I'm glad you say that about TIG welding. I learned how to oxy weld in the late 70's early 80's and was quite good at it. I have just bought a TIG welder so if after ~40 years of not touching an oxy welder I'll be happy if my TIG welding is half as good as my oxy welding was.
On another note the anti spatter spray of which you talk is cheap and readily available in your local supermarket. It's otherwise known as Canola oil spray. It is about 1/3 the cost of anti spatter spray and seems to work just as well.
In the 70s most of us that welded had to learn the oxy/acetylene method. It wasn't that using a mig was less desirable, mig machines were too expensive.
HF titanium flux core (115v) has been awesome. Night wrencher helped me a ton, also an auto darkening helmet.
I have one. Have no idea how to use it. Planning on using it for rocker panel and cab corner (etc) sheet metal repairs.
Shared your vid with my three sons and a buddy.
Same with your reliable survivable vehicle vid.
Excited and inspired. Thank you!!
THANK YOU for making this video. I've watched a few on beginning welding (AvE's tutorial on stick welding is a must-see) but never have I seen a continual input of useful info in the first 10 minutes of the video AND answers to questions I would have asked. Good production values and a steady hand on that selfie stick is the other half of the greatness. And of course, no intro music no flashy title screen, no opening credits (we know who you are, it's in the video description) 👍😎👍
I bought small inverter stick machine over 10 years ago and that thing has seen so much use It is unreal. You can take it pretty much anywhere and weld absolutely anything. I grew up on a farm so stick was the default, flux core for sheet metal and mig on Sundays.
Never heard of Sundays being mig day. Lol
I agree! The inverter is the best part of the 125. It makes for much more power while reducing the overall weight of the welder itself.
Excellent video, I needed to hear this from an experienced view. I'm only doing stick welding now but will get a flux core setup, thanks.
Great vid! Thanks Uncle Tony.
thanks Tony.. I needed some reassurance about flux core bodywork.... besides the demurrage on the cylinder was breaking the bank.
I have used that Titanium 125 on all the body panels on my nova. It takes some getting used to and technique but it works just fine for everything i have needed!!
My friend taught me how to weld with a mig about 20 years ago. I always wanted one for my own garage. Couldn't afford it. I bought that Chicago electric Flux welder about 10 years ago and I love it. Messy welds but strong. I've used it countless times. Everything from a motorcycle frame, rust repair patch panels and multiple exhaust systems all the way to a roll cage and harness bar. If I want it to look good I always remember what the professional welders say. "A grinder and some paint make a welder what he ain't" 😂
Most Newbies need to understand that you need to melt the metals so they bond. It's not like sewing metal with a bridge. You need to melt both lips so they bond together. After that, you can fill any holes you created from too much heat in beginning. 😊
For about 30 years have had 2 of the old Century MIG welders that can use either gas sheilding or flux core, and the tank is sitting in the corner and the gas regulator is in a drawer under the workbench because they don't get used. When I had to weld something I used either the flux core wire or a stick welder but rarely oxy/acetylene because it cost so much around here
Me being me, there's no excuse for my not knowing, it's shameful. My Uncle's life revolved around a welder, time were tough in NY and he could go find welding work. The most fun he had working was at a place where he just fixed whatever stuff people brought in. A welder, grinder, snips, and a hammer, plus box of wrenches gives me a-team vibes. Another XJ in my life would probably give me reason to learn
I'm a welder a good tack is a three count to take any weight until you figure it out the best welding is from all the prep you make the surface clean clean clean no rust or oil grease etc then figure out the set up of your machine and then your travel speed I love to teach this to people who think they know and those that are just getting started
Just taking up welding now, prep, like many trades, seems to be huge in getting a proper weld
I learned to weld with a flux core lincoln restoring my 72 chevy pick up. Built derby cars and rat rod frames using the same welder. Works great on rusty rough metal.
Have never used flux core, been welding for 35 years. HAVE had to repair a flux core mess more than once.
TIG welding, can do it all. My MIG setup is very rarely used, haven't needed to repair or build a trailer for an age. If you need to weld in a hurricane, I am sorry.
You have such a great point about learning to weld, I have made a good living TIG welding. I love welding, building, and repairing. LOVE IT!!
Great vid! I agree with you on Dexj, he and his brother are probably the most knowledgeable dudes when it comes to XJ’s, WJ’s, and ZJ’s
My daughter is taking up welding now and i was jist looking at small portable welders at harbor freight and northern tool. Welding is something i wanted to.learn back in the 90s as well but didnt have anyone to teach me. Might pick one up. The wifes car z28 has been needing a muffler for the last few years 😅. And with that running off 120v I think its time
YES INDEED! Fifty years ago, on the farm, it was either stick welds done with an AC buzz box or bronze. Several years ago my cousin, a welder/pipe fitter by trade, helped me build a new shop and shamed me into buying a MIG welding machine.
Tony, I've been using a Lincoln flux core welder since the late 90's and it's still going strong even after 5 frame off or rotisserie ground up builds. Works very well for thicker metal but care needs to be taken when welding thinner sheet metal body parts. It can be done but requires a bit of practice. Same Lincoln welder I started with and it just won't die. I have a gas MIG welder but very rarely use it.
I have a Hynade 140 flux core welder from Amazon, about $240 Canadian. It has adjustable power and automatic wire feed that can also be adjusted. Light weight, portable and produces and excellent weld. Hynade also has very good wire that I've purchased many times because is produces very little spatter.
Go get one for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
You and Bondo Billy, the flux core mafia! Got both and like mig better.
I liked that Titanium so much in the shop I bought a second one for my house when it was on sale for $125.
Very good welder had mine for years. I just welded a bar in my car so I could use a 4 ton jack to push the door striker area and quarter out 2 inches. bacon frying
The little titanium is a great little welder. I have a lincoln mig, an old tombstone and the titanium. Use the titanium 90% of the time for small stuff. Love the blue demon e71t-11 multipass wire with it. I dont use any single pass GS wire with it; that way its less limited.
Your welding with hangers brought back this memory to me. Bobby Lagana was Champion Auto Engineering and mostly used coat hangers and ox acetylene for welding most everything. He welded thousands of distributor points plates to the cast housing of the distributor, eliminating any movement or distortion. He timed everything by ear. I finally gave him a nice Miller tig machine after our long anger period and it patched things up between us.
I worked with Bobby for years and even partnered with him on a T/F car. And yeah, there were many times when it seemed we were trying to out-crude eachother.
I practiced with nails and some vise grips to hold them.😊
@@UncleTonysGarage I know you did. I shared a shop with him and we're great friends until our falling out over Ron Leaf. All the best this New Year. The old school guys are few and far between.
Ah, Frank...I didn't realize who you were until I looked at your profile.
Good to see you're around and appear to be doing well. Best to you and yours this New Year!
I've had a flux core Lincoln welder for about 15 years. Yes, it's the way to go.
Been thinking about a flux core welder for a while. You pushed me over the edge. I will get one.
My grand father was acetylene welding aluminum in the 50's.
Yes it can be done.
It was being done before the 50's but finding someone who could do it was rare
@@todddenio3200 Lots of WWII aircraft incurred gas-welded aluminum in thier structure. It's an art, for sure.
@mostlyoldparts exactly. My dad was U.S.A.A.C. during WWII so I was very aware of gas welding aluminum
I agree also I have a cambel hausfield mig welder these were DC machines sold at most stores 20 yrs ago 🎉🎉🎉🎉
If you need anti splatter spray for whatever reason The non stick cooking spray works great ! Like Pam or equivalent
Tony your gonna love the titanium... lifelong career in collision repair started pre mig with torches but when high strength steel became the thing we had to have migs an I was partial to lincolns. After I retired I bought a Lincoln mini to hobby with, unfortunately it was stolen so i picked up a titanium... very impressed an it was often loaned out to buddies who were also very impressed . That one was lost when my buddies shop was burned down by his old lady so I bought another. The inverter tech makes em a pleasure to use as they are so light. I also hear of a similar unit called the EZ welder which I guess has a little more duty cycle..similer price.
Flux core can make nice welds. Just need to clean off the flux afterwards, similar to stick weld. I've used primer in place of anti-spatter spray. I prime the parts all over and then remove the primer where the weld is going to be. Most of the spatter comes off pretty easily.
Boilermaker welder here from New Zealand Uncle Tony and I will tell you the Splatter you get with flux core is actually called ' Spatter ' ,,,,, Spat , not Splat
'Spatter' Mate as in I spat on the ground , LOL .
Just a little training for you as we know , you are never to old to learn something new , all the best for 2025 Mate and keep up the good work .
ps. Look at the Duty cycle on both , the Chicago would probably be 50% at Max setting ( 10 minutes welding 10 minutes cool down ) and the little green one probably 20% at Max setting ( 10 minutes welding 30 minutes cool down ) , look out for that as you will burn it out real fast going too hard on it .
Very useful skill. That's how I made my living.
Cool video, I could almost ditto your gas to flux story. I bought a 125 flux-core back in 2017. I'm a home hobbyist and also work on my own motorcycle, so far, the flux-core has done all I need it to.
I agree with you 100% Uncle Tony love watching your videos you're the man
Spot on, Tony. I’ve had my head in a bucket, staring at a puddle of molten metal for near as dammit, 50 years. Nothing wrong with flux core and in some cases, (especially with gal) it’s actually better. If you need good penetration, it’s a lot easier to run a vertical up with the flux core wire.
It's great that affordable mig welders came into the scene several years ago. It's really not hard to learn and, I agree, everybody should have one.