WELDER TYPEt a

[rhandle]

Hey guys . I am interested in possibly building a sten Uzi and and Ak.

They all seem to require welding skills . . I was looking to purchase a welder but i didnt know which type to buy . Mig Tig etc . I bought a 90 AMP FLUX CORE arc welder. It was spur of the moment from Harbour Freight. Did I make a good purchase considering i am a novice and NEVER welded before?

 

[timkel]

I have used the same welder. I will do the job. Watch a few videos on youtube and try it out on scrap. The welds are not beautiful. But you can clean them up with a grinder.

 

[rhandle]

HEY .

thanks

 

[pjm204]

Personally I'd get a better welder. I've used harbor freight welders and it's really difficult to get a decent weld. It's even more difficult with a flux core welder vs. a gas setup. I bought the AHP AlphaTig 200. It will lay niiice beads and is cheap as far as tig welders go.

 

[Gaujo]

Gas setup is where you rent the tank?

 

[StooperZero]

with a FC welder like that with limited controls the metals have to be as clean as you can get them.
I went through 2 of those real quick , once i learned their tricks things got easy.
.30 wire is the way to go . Real wire too, not that cheap mystery wire HF sells.


I use a hobart handler 140 now. been lazy so i haven't got my tank filled for it yet but even with FC I've been able to fix/rebuild anything I've come across. the amount of splatter is minimal vs the excessive shit storm the HF welders produced.

 

[Villafuego]

The difference between gas shielded MIG, and FC is night and day........

I picked up one of the Lincoln 140 MIG setups, and started using it with FC wire. I found that despite the slag/nastiness, FC has great penetration...

The Lincoln "pack" from Home Despot includes regulators/hoses, and I picked up an 80 lb tank freshly filled with 75/25 on Craigslist for 125.00. Make sure used tanks are marked "customer owned", and have a recent hydro test.....otherwise it'll be difficult to find someone to refill them legally....

With the gas and good wire, it does whatever I want it to with very nice results....much easier than FC because you can actually see what you are doing!!..perfect for Uzi and other sheet metal firearms welding. The 110V Lincoln is only good for up to about 3/8"-1/4" of steel thickness.....so doing something like a Bren /Thompson / DSHK would probably be beyond its capabilities.....

For welding AK rails, might want to consider a 220V HF spot welder....get the AK builder tong set. The 110V Spot welder really doesn't have the "oomph" to do the job right.

You can get copper bar stock on Ebay in various lengths to cut/use as backing/alignment plates....they are good for parts alignment, dispersing heat, and really help keeping the backsides of your welds clean...

Good luck.......and practice, practice, practice.....I keep the non-rebuildable receiver scrap from all my parts kits to practice on...

 

[sniperdoc]

If you know someone who is a welder, try to get a lesson or two.
It will really help.

 

[greenpeas]

If you are wanting to do any welding work that looks decent you really need a TIG welder. A MIG will get the job done but the welds will look like shit on thin metals.

 

[Helmax]

I am going to be purchasing a TIG welder soon and am interested in what everyone is using. I've thought about picking up one of these: http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performa...eqxk7RlhVW3YnBZguuT01Gt5aTJdQrmRoC2sQQAvD_BwE
Only 180 amps, but for sheet metal receivers: Uzi, HK, etc. Should be fine. Of course the gas will also cost, but may go with a 250 amp Miller if I can find one used for a decent price. Luckily my father is a retired welder by trade and have his experience to fall back on. I'm now also in the process of collecting old receiver demill stubs to practice on.