What welder will do this

[rickyb01]

I bought a 1/2 plate shop table and want to weld two 12" receivers to it. Now the receivers are about 3/16 sq tubbing and weld them to 1/2" steel plate. Anyway this can be done with a 110 volt? Don't have 50 amp 240 ran anywhere. I can run it to shop and will but that will take a few weeks. I see a few old Ac welders for sale on CL but also read they are hard to weld with. I have no experience but can learn. Would like to be able to weld up lawn mowers, boat trailers and small things around the house. Would never attempt a structural weld that would get someone hurt but would like to help out neighborhood friends with small weld jobs like mentioned. What do you guys think would be a good fit? Thanks ricky

 

[Shield Arc]

I would see what kind of a deal Mark with Everlast could make you for a PowerArc 200ST. Then buy a Tig rig, and flow meter for the thin metal welding.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I bought a 1/2 plate shop table and want to weld two 12" receivers to it. Now the receivers are about 3/16 sq tubbing and weld them to 1/2" steel plate. Anyway this can be done with a 110 volt? Don't have 50 amp 240 ran anywhere. I can run it to shop and will but that will take a few weeks. I see a few old Ac welders for sale on CL but also read they are hard to weld with. I have no experience but can learn. Would like to be able to weld up lawn mowers, boat trailers and small things around the house. Would never attempt a structural weld that would get someone hurt but would like to help out neighborhood friends with small weld jobs like mentioned. What do you guys think would be a good fit? Thanks ricky

As long as the welder will burn the rod or wire and get good fusion on thin metal, it should weld the thicker stuff also. A good idea is to preheat thicker metal when using a light duty welder. A oxy/fuel torch or even a plumbers butane torch is sufficient to heat the metal prior to welding. 200F minimum preheat is what I would use and hotter would be better for a 110 volt machine.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Oh, and make multiple passes, don't try to put a 1/2" of fillet weld on in one pass.

 

[rickyb01]

While cleaning my garage I was looking right at my water heater so I have 220. I can wire a plug for that connection. Can get 220 to my shop in a couple of weeks. I have a friend that is going to loan me his 110 welder to practice with and weld up hitches so I can preheat metal to weld to. Now I have 220 I want to buy a welder I can stick or mig with.

 

[Bigfoot62]

. . . I see a few old Ac welders for sale on CL but also read they are hard to weld with. I have no experience but can learn. . .

Nothing really wrong with a straight A/C welder. I have one that my dad bought new in 1949. Used it yesterday. Just remember that if you're using an A/C only welder, you need to burn A/C rods. They still make them, and they work great.
And, remember, the way to learn to weld is practice, practice, practice. If you find a cheap A/C machine that still works, it leaves more money for rods that you can practice with.

 

[Big Barn]

Having access to 220v will make your options much better.

Not certain how your table is configured, but if possible, it may be better to weld your receiver tube(s) to the table frame or legs. This would eliminate any heat distortion to your table top.

Here's 24" lengths of receiver tube welded to my BASE. BukitCase could possibly provide details on "notching" the tops of your receivers to make insertion of your tools easier.



Terry

 

[Shield Arc]

I wouldn't weld hitches with a 120-volt welder! :thumbdown::thumbdown:

 

[yomax4]

Please don't weld a 1/2" table top with a 115V Mig. There are some cheap 130 amp 115V Sick units out there that will burn 1/8 rod but I wouldn't want my toes under that table.

 

[rickyb01]

No sir now that I got 220 to my garage I'm only going to practice with the 110 Make that weld with 220. I have been looking at the 3 in 1 welders and do think that's the way to go for me. I have never mig or tig welded but would like option to try. There are a lot of welders out there today and it can get confusing to choose one. Always a safe play to go with Miller or Lincoln but have seen Tweco211 mentioned a lot for price point. Some have mentioned everlast and esab so again a lot to choose from.

 

[Shield Arc]

No sir now that I got 220 to my garage I'm only going to practice with the 110 Make that weld with 220.

Good man!
Hitches are well above my pay grade.

 

[dragoneggs]

Good man!
Hitches are well above my pay grade.

Lifting my boots... the chit is flowing now.

 

[rickyb01]

This is late in this thread but can someone tell me what wire I need to run for a miller 215. I need to run 160' from breaker box to shop. I can't upload the chart off miller website but it looks like the most it will pull is 27amps with the stick. The unit comes with a 50amp receptacle so looks like 6 ga wire but can I run that 160'. Thanks Ricky

 

[Shield Arc]

Maybe this will help.
Wire Size Calculator

 

[yomax4]

Some of it will depend on what your source of power is. If It's only 40 amps you will be marginal. If you are pulling off of 100 or 200 amp service you should be fine. Just make the breaker in you shop, less than the one from the source. I ran 6ga 120' and I run pretty high voltages with a 320 amp Mig. The 211 is really only about 180 amps. Go for it.

 

[BHD]

take the plate and receiver hitches to a shop and pay to have it welded properly, (this is not a time/place to learn to weld)

if your running wire to the shop run at least a heavy enough wire to get 100 amps, to the shop, If your getting into the shop and shop tools, you will not be sorry to have enough to minimize voltage drop, and for future expansions, (tool wise), if you get a old AC buzz box, or even a Ac/dc buzz box, most want a 50 amp breaker, mine says 60 amp, if you get a good air compressor that will take 20+ amps, add some more machine tools and depending on what you get, you would not be sorry to have a 100 amp 220 coming in to the shop.

many would say it should be more than 100 amp in today's world,

 

[rickyb01]

All good advice and I appreciate all of it. It's a small shop 24x20. I already have 110 ran with a 20 amp breaker. Will be coming off house box which is 200 amp and I got room. I got an electrician in the neighborhood and will talk with him and see what he thinks. Really don't see going any bigger than a welder but if I rent a trencher and bury cable I will run 6/3 with ground just in case I need the extra for the futher.

 

[hturner12]

Would it be cheaper to have the power company set a meter for the shop

 

[GaryM]

Would it be cheaper to have the power company set a meter for the shop

I just built a 30x40 barn/shop and chose a new transformer and meter for this location. I have 200A because the price difference between 100/200 was negligible. Both required buried PVC conduit so that's a toss up. Electric Co-Op charged $400 for 250' of 4/0 three conductor hooked to the meter base they supplied. They also hung a 15KVA transformer on the pole.

I don't think I'll be short of power.

 

[kenmac]

Would it be cheaper to have the power company set a meter for the shop

He may pay more in the long run. Here they charge for setting xtra pole, transformer, and $20.00 per month flat fee just to have a meter, in addition to any power used. I would come out better to run wire from my home to garage