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welding - Ford Consul Capri
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heathelect



Joined: 30 Nov 2008
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:45 pm    Post subject: welding - Ford Consul Capri Reply with quote

just purchased a consul capri, needs lots of welding, can anyone recommend a good cheap easy to use mig welder, pics to follow
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buzzy bee



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 3382
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

Buy one that uses big bottles, and replaceable lances, euro fitting. Don't go gassless either! We have miller, not the greates, but we do hammer ours!

Be prepared to spend abit more than you think, you will not regret it long term.

Cheers

Dave
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heathelect



Joined: 30 Nov 2008
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:02 pm    Post subject: pics of my consul capri Reply with quote






this is what it should look like !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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heathelect



Joined: 30 Nov 2008
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:03 pm    Post subject: welder Reply with quote

thanks buzzy bee will bear that in mind when i buy
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Richard H



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 2148
Location: Lincolnshire, UK

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rotten like only a Ford can be!

SIP's range of welders seem good in my experience, and very affordable too. My dad bought a HandyMig Migmate new in 1995 and it's still going strong!
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Last edited by Richard H on Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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heathelect



Joined: 30 Nov 2008
Posts: 85

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:06 pm    Post subject: welding Reply with quote

The gas ones seem the way too go !!!
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Salopian



Joined: 05 Jan 2010
Posts: 354
Location: Newport Shropshire

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Richard H wrote:
Rotten just like a Ford can be!

SIP's range of welders seem good in my experience, and very affordable too. My dad bought a HandyMig Migmate new in 1995 and it's still going strong!


Actually does not look any worse than my sons 9 year old Transit! The chassis on that has already had the welders touch.

Anyway I have a had SIP for some years - its been fine. Although I've an account with BOC used for my oxy acetylene bottles I use the throwaway bottles for the Mig as I don't use it overmuch and it is with clean metal surprising how much you can do with on one. Shop around for them - prices vary quite some.
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michael1703



Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 349
Location: suffolk

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

something up to 130-150 amp for thicker bits

sealey/clarke,sip if you find the right one.

if you want to push the budget to £250-£400 (ebay 2nd hand)a good sheet metal mig is a migatronic rally 166, lincoln 185,murex tradesmig,esab

avoid maypole/wolf

you want a nice quality wire feed, avoid the ones where there are no braces between rollers and the tensioner is a bit of bent metal

one big thing too... find out the machines minimum ampage, some are 40 amp on their lowest setting, others go as low as 30amp, more expensive go down to 20amp

avoid gasless

dont be tempted to use co2 or pub gas

get a medium sized argoshield from boc, £47 from memory, the disposable bottles are about a tenner and last for approx ten minutes worth of welding

for a home restoration you might get a years worth of work from a medium sized boc bottle

try http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php for more info, its a very helpful forum
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buzzy bee



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 3382
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 11:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I think ours are about 300amp and the smaller ones about 200. The 300 amp won't go much less than 40amp, but the duty cycle is good, and only cuts out after runs of about 10 minutes long. (By which time the gun is getting warm, and so is my hand! hehe

Also alot of the smaller welders use 0.6mm wire, I would try to get it 0.8mm as this will be more usefull all round, for chassis/heavier and body, but that is just my oppinion. Then again I work on tractors and fabrication agricultural machinery, so I may be biased towards heavier kit.

To finish off the tidy welding, buy a auto darkening helmet, so you have both hands free, one for holding, one for the gun. I use speedglas, but you can find them on ebay.

The car looks good, with a bit of welding, and finishing work it will be better than the one you showed by the sea! Keep us posted!

Cheers

Dave
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victor 101



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 446
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Had one of these about 30 years ago, a real head turner, look forward to following your progress reports.
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Nic Jarman



Joined: 05 Oct 2008
Posts: 1031
Location: Stoke by Clare, Suffolk

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought a SIP and could not get it to weld properly so I asked an expert welder to have a go and he could not use it either. I have got an old Cebora pocket MIG, new sleeve gas and wire, Bobs your uncle.
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Kelsham



Joined: 18 Jan 2009
Posts: 349
Location: Llandrindod Wells Powys

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 5:10 pm    Post subject: capri welding Reply with quote

I think you should google for the weldequipe site, they dont rate SIP and recommend clarke for hobby welders.
They have tutorials that you can watch. I have learnt a lot from them. My Sip always had erratic wire feed problems.

My replacement Clarke welds smoothly. Buy at least a 130 amp machine.

If you want to make a career out of welding they advise the purchase of a Portamig.

Regards Kels.
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michael1703



Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Posts: 349
Location: suffolk

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ive bought a new portamig 215 last year, its not actually the best welder for 20 gauge.

its good on 0.8 reels but not as good on 0.6

migatronic and lincoln are better than portamig for light stuff

the 215 goes as low as 20 amp

i used to weld all day long with a migatronic on thin sheet for extraction hoods and control boxes etc, the machine had 6.5 years worth of 50 hours a week without trouble when i left that job, presumably still going strong
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