Forum

[Norm]

Simon, only problem with oxy out here is the bottle rental, it costs $300 per year and about the same to refill them so unless you are doing a lot of paying work it is cost prohibitive.Most of my work I use arc because each time I go to use my mig it doesn't work for various reasons and I don't have time to mess with it. Learning to weld on bike frames is not a good way to start.

[simon]

I own my bottles but you're right it isn't cheap as they have to be tested every five years and a fill leaves a serious dent in the pocket but I wouldn't be without it.

[Norm]

Can't buy bottles in Aus Simon and if you do happen to have bottles you "found" you can't get them refilled unless you have an account with the bottle supplier and are paying the rental on at least a pair of bottles of the same size. Got you every way you try and turn

[Alan R]

Hi guys--------- I rent a BOC mini-pack from my previous self-employment days... I too suggest you learn the Oxy/Acetylene method first..Why?-- well because in all of the disciplines you will need hand / eye / feed rod co-ordination.....The problem with the electric methods is its' "instantaneous" nature....With gas you can take your time and adjust feed rates etc as you go...The MiG / Tig methods will then come quite naturally after that.....I strongly advise against any welding on a bike frame by an "Amateur"....Bronze Welding / Brazing however has been used by such names as Ken Sprayson on the famous Reynolds 531 tubed frames with great success..It being of a flexible nature allows for some "give" whereas welding can be too rigid and susceptible to vibration / fatigue cracking... SO, learn GAS at college and have a Mig (15??) for Christmas is how I would play that one..............

[simon]

It's an interesting phenomenon the world wide bastardy of the industrial gas supplier. NZIG (New Zealand Industrial Gas) over here had a massive fire in the 70's or 80's and lost all their records. At that stage there were quite a few owner sets out there but a majority of NZIG ones. Their response was to simply steal them all. If you dropped your owner bottles off to them they would attempt to get you to take a swap set and sign a quick contract that basically removed your rights of ownership. At the same time they started to refuse to refill owner bottles. They have now been bought out by BOC (an equally odious bunch IMHO). Fortunately for us there is another outfit that has sprung up who will fill and test owner bottles and simply get on with the job of selling very expensive gas with none of the BS.

[Norm]

BOC pretty much controls the market out here as well

[PeteF]

On the other hand Simon and Alan, I spent hours at a class trying to gas weld and just blew holes in everything, though brazing I found fairly straightforward. I taught myself MIG in a couple of hours.

[simon]

Perhaps best to stay clear of TIG then as that is even harder on the unsteady hand. Another variety of welding that seems to have almost disappeared is old fashion arc welding. I worked on the commissioning of a sail training ship as a callow youth and learnt how to arc weld on that. All these different types of welding are similar in that they are a bit like riding a bike. Once you've nailed it you never forget. You might get a bit rusty but five mins with a job to do and your back. After ten or fifteen years without touching an arc welder I had to weld up a steel beam framework for my house. I was gratified that I could still manage an overhead weld without too many issues. Learn em all I say but start with gas.

[ozwozere]

Mig is the answer for simple hobbying type stuff. BUT NOT GASLESS!

[grunda 12]

just read some of this number 1 don,t buy a clarke mig they are very poor 2 buy a mig that is fan cooled as the ones that arent loose welding power when they get hot 3 mig welding is very easy but to be able to do it correctly takes practice or training preferably training you can do a 3 day course at your local skill centre and gain a welding certificate after performing a weld test that passes the test dont buy gasless as this is also shite,at work i use argon or argon mixes at home i use co2 i am just buying a large oxford mig for the garage,on the tig front tig is superb but then again it takes practice or training to do it correctly ,ive seen loads of bike mags showing how to build handlebars etc but like i say any tom dick or harry can use a mig but will the weld be a good one or are you going to kill yourself around the corner when the birdshit holding the bracket on falls off?if in doubt leave the job to a certified proffesional welder atb paul