Stick Welding Newbie

[buffumjr]

I have a Miller 210 MIG. I think I may want to get into SMAW, but, is there any good reason to SMAW over MIG?

An additional issue is I now have a pacemaker. The MIG does not seem to interfere with it, but does a stick welder?

Love my 210.

[snoeproe]

Your econo tig will smaw.
I think the issue with your pacemaker is the continuous high frequency with AC tig.
You Dont use high frequency with mig or stick.

[FusionKing]

It depends on the brand of your pacemaker.
I sit through a meeting with my dad and a representative for the company that made his from Germany. It was a pretty fancy one that communicates to the company and updates and all that.
They said Tig, mig and stick were fine.
Their biggest concern was BIG magnets on boom box speakers etc. That was over ten years ago now.
My Uncle got a different brand and they wanted him away from welding altogether.
The main thing is don't lay your left hand on your work and weld with your right.

[ryanjones2150]

There are lots of good reasons to stick weld something over mig welding it. If you can't get it clean enough is a good reason. Old, dirty and rusty stuff doesn't fair too awfully well with mig. You can pretty much weld in a driving rain and wind storm with stick. If you need to weld something and need to really punch your weld in, stick is a sure bet. I use just about every process in my little ole shop out back, and a lot of times I use multiple processes on the same job. Just depends.

[buffumjr]

When I got my pacemaker, I sold my Econotig. Regrets, but, it's done, now. I still want a stick, and Thunderbolt XL does that. Thunderbolt XL does AC ad DC. Can I get away with AC only? If so, $150 buys any one of a dozen good welders on Craigslist.

I have a call in to my pacemaker rep to see what he says about MIG and stick, with transformers instead of inverters.

[ryanjones2150]

Of course you can get by with an AC only machine. It's been done for eons. You can get 7018AC and some 6011 and rock-n-roll. And no arc blow. Ever.

[snoeproe]

Once you stick weld with DC, you will never stick weld with AC again.

[ryanjones2150]

That is a pretty accurate statement.

[FusionKing]

DC with an inverter would be the safest to the best of my experience.
AC is a killer in damp/wet conditions. More likely to receive a deadly shock.
I know people who swim and weld with DC on boat docks. (for years)
I've heard of old men killing themselves welding with AC buzz boxes on boat docks. (just one time)
You could scratch start DC tig and be as safe as any other welding practice. It's the high frequency that will get you and AC/high frequency is even worse.
Most of this is simply basic welding knowledge.
Pacemaker reps will certainly error to the safe side. Smartest and safest would be take up acetylene welding and maybe play with blacksmithing/forge welding.
I started with acetylene and actually love it.
My Dad and I have the same heart doctor so I got a leg up on the good company to use for Dad. Uncle George has to leave the shop when we weld while Dad can hang out. We run AC tig all day.

[aametalmaster]

I know people who swim and weld with DC on boat docks. (for years)

I was a barge welder on (in) the Ohio River. It was common practice to put an aluminum ladder against the side of a barge and weld on it. The ladder being in the river. You got a tingle changing electrodes though...Bob

[buffumjr]

The unfortunate thing about DC is the expense. You can buy a Miller Thunderbolt 225 or a Lincoln tombstone on Craigslist for $100. For AC/DC, the price goes up dramatically. MIG is a DC process (I think), so should be safe. Still, I perhaps should keep looking for a good DC stick welder.

[Anarchy61187]

Check fleabay as well. Don't settle for an ac only machine. Having said that you can scratch start DC tig with an old buzz box if you wanted to stay into tig. Like wise a tig machine will also stick weld. Keep looking and you'll find a good deal.

[ryanjones2150]

You can get a rectifier for an AC only machine. That's how mine is set up. I should really sell mine since I never use it.

[buffumjr]

Well, tomorrow tells the tale. I know I can't TIG because of the pacemaker. The pacemaker rep will tell me if I can stick weld.

BTW, flea bay doesn't have any, right now.

There is a Miller AC/DC in Georgia, 220 miles from me. $200. May be worth the 10 hours on the road. The next candidate is a Thunderbolt XL I mentioned early on, for over $400. Not nearly so far.

Hmmm. a rectifier. Would a 200A simple bridge rectifier do, or would I need something more robust? There's a tinkerer's paradise near me, Sky Travel, that has surplus electronic stuff. I would guess the bridge rectifier would need a heat sink.

[buffumjr]

Went on Google. A welder bridge diode (400A) is $30. I see you can, by a video on YouTube, upgrade an AC welder to DC. Oh boy! Does this ever simplify things. AC welders are CHEEP! Get a tombstone, or a Miller Thunderbolt and convert it to AC/DC with some clever switching.