And PLEASE don't use brake clean to clean prior to welding.
Pretty please.
And PLEASE don't use brake clean to clean prior to welding.
Pretty please.
In reply to alfadriver:
Spoilsport. 
Should I get some type of respirator? Or would the open or cracked garage door (on windy days) be enough?
In reply to alfadriver:
No brake clean . . .
In reply to KyAllroad:
Yous guys . . .
An old man once told me he could weld the crack of dawn with a Mahogany rod 
I've got the same welder. I don't do a bunch of work with it, but it's served every purpose I've needed. I need to come up with a few scrap metal projects to practice rather than trying to do something I need and learning (or re-learning) at the same time.
Regarding gas, I get mine from the local Tractor Supply. I had to pay for the bottle originally (I got the smaller one), but only have to trade it in for refills after the fact. It's probably more expensive than a welding shop, but they're open on nights and weekends and about 2 miles from the house. The welding supply places around here are 20+ miles away and only seem to be open M-F and close around 5:00.....
Tractor Supply, Home Depot and Lowes all carry steel for projects. Again, probably more expensive, but very convenient with their hours.
-Rob
I got a flux core from HD several years back. I'd like to try something with the gas shielding, the welds just seem to be better. That or I suck at welding, which is true in any case.
Having spent years with a cheap 130 amp import welder before getting a blue one, I'd offer that if you can possibly swap "good" for "fast" in the "good/fast/cheap; you get to pick any two", troll craigslist for a while and get a Miller/Lincoln/Hobart 175-225 amp unit, and put a 220 dryer outlet in the garage.
You won't believe the difference, and it's way cheaper in the long run to do it right rather than doing it twice.
Clean mild steel with gas shielded wire doesn't put off much in the way of fumes. Cracked door is plenty.
To clarify, chlorinated brake cleaner (the good stuff), in the presence of an arc, produces phosgene gas. That was a popular one in the first world war. Only takes a drop of brake cleaner to really mess you up in that situation.
You don't want any airflow near your welding area if you're using shielding gas.(So, no open garage door on a windy day) With flux core it doesn't matter.
I have the Eastwood 135, does exactly what I think it should do (tacking and thin stuff) very well. If you want to do thicker materials, ever, think about the 175. I almost wish I went with it, but then I'd be even lazier and do all my alum tacks with the spool gun 
Picked up about 11lbs of scrap from the metal man to start practicing . . . No shielding gas to be found on the weekends. The closest TSC that MAY have gas is about 30 mi away 
So instead, I loaded up flux and tried it out . . .
A few things so far:
I should've picked this up sooner . . .
friend of mine ( a pretty good fabricator) says ... "if you buy something that doesn't come with a bottle, don't bother"
I'll get a bottle soon! I didn't want the absence of shelding gas to stop me from practicing (trying to get away from "everything has to be perfect" to do it).
You'll find welding with the gas is MUCH easier that that flux stuff. Don't stop practicing, though-- if you can weld reasonably well with the flux, you'll be good with gas.
I use TSC for my bottles, as well. Buying in is expensive-- about $200 IIRC for a short one. After that, exchanging an empty for a full bottle is about $40. Get the 75/25 stuff.
How far over budget did I go?
$520 
I don't think I blew it too bad . . .
Still have to get shielding gas.
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