just bought a welder

[k1rodeoboater]

I just purchased a Hobart Handler 140. I've wanted to learn how to weld for a while now, and since I have rust repair to do on my truck it made sense to buy one.

There's no way I'm gonna just jump head first into rust repair never having welded before in my life. What are some good projects I can do that would be small/easy, and ultimately something useful if at all possible. I was thinking about making a small rolling stool as my first project. I'm limited by tools. The only things I have to cut metal with are a hacksaw, dremel, or grinder. I'm literally working out of my truck and a friends garage, so buying a chop saw isn't really a smart move for me.

At the moment I don't have a tank, it'll be purchased/rented soon but I first want to research my options from the local welding supply places so I'm getting the best bang for my buck.

<ETA> I just called around to the two local gas companies. The one leases tanks, the other sells them, and neither does a tank exchange so it's your tank you buy and get refilled. Machine and Welding Supply Co (NC, SC, FL, GA only) was $195 for a 90cu ft tank and $25 to fill it. Airgas (nationwide) was $195 for a 90cu ft tank and $45.44 to fill it. I'm leaning more towards going with Airgas even though they're more expensive...being military I could have to move anywhere in the country, so the ability to get refills anywhere is kind of a big plus even though the cost is higher. IDK how hard it is to sell tanks, or what sort of depreciation they have to them.

How heavy is a 90cu ft tank full and how big are they, and what about a 40cu ft tank? The guy said you've got about 3hrs of arc time on that size tank, and he even said that a 90cu ft tank would be way more than enough for my uses. He said that a 40cu ft tank would be more along the lines of the size that's ideal for right now, but I'd out grow the tank once I have a garage and I'm not forced to be mobile.

I'd love to get a 4ft tall tank, but practicality dictates that I get something smaller and along the lines of what I call a "knee knocker" size. Once I'm done with my truck I'll be using the welder to fix the rust on my dad's Miata, and after that it'll probably be infrequently used....until I get another restoration project started which won't happen till I have a house (and that's probably 2 years out if not longer.)

[Indian113]

I have the small tank and just refill it when it gets low. Build you a welding cart first.I bought pieces of metal from a welding shop and practiced butt welding and lap welding with scrap,then I took my jig saw and cut a circle out and welded it back in. practice,practice,practice

[vin63]

It sounds like you're on the right track. I would look to the smaller bottle, too, for mobility purposes, etc. I use the smaller bottle size for my MIG welder because I do a lot of off-site work and muscling around the larger bottles would get old fast. I do have a large tank for my TIG welder, but that's because it never leaves my shop and I do 10x more welding with that machine. Check also the gas mixture the suppliers are offering. I use an 85 argon/15 CO2 MIG mix that my supplier (Praxair) offers - I use Praxair because I had an account with them many years ago when I lived in NorCal, and it was convenient when I moved to SoCal...but, I also work with AirGas for other things that Praxair does not carry, etc.

[pockets]

i'm looking to get a welder sometime this summer and have been reading a lot about what others have and suggest. Anything in particular lead you to get that Hobart?

[k1rodeoboater]

Originally Posted by pockets

i'm looking to get a welder sometime this summer and have been reading a lot about what others have and suggest. Anything in particular lead you to get that Hobart?

Yeah three things.
[LIST=1]
I was originally looking at a Lincoln sold at Lowes, and on paper they looked exactly the same. The big difference, price aside, was that the Hobart had a variable adjustment for the wire speed vs the Lincolns click settings.
[LIST=2]
Hobart and Miller share parts compatibility and most of the welding supply places around here carry Miller parts. Some carry Lincoln, but I'd probably be "married" to Lowes to get most of the stuff since they're a lot close (15min vs 30+ drive time). I don't know how much of a seller welding stuff is for Lowes and if they'll end up dropping the line. Tractor Supply will likely keep selling Hobart for some time to come too.

1. Price wise the Hobart is cheaper. It doesn't come with the extra fluff that the Lincoln had but I really didn't care about their hand held face shield, hammer, or any of the other crap they tossed in. I plan on using a grinder with a wire brush/flap disc/grinding/cut off wheel for my cleanup anyways.

Either way you go you won't be buying crap, that's for sure.

[72chevy383]

I picked up a nice cart at Harbor Freight for 50 bucks, not bad I thought. I'll get a pic and post it in a few. They also have 20% coupons in the truck mags you can use.

[72chevy383]

Originally Posted by 72chevy383

I picked up a nice cart at Harbor Freight for 50 bucks, not bad I thought. I'll get a pic and post it in a few. They also have 20% coupons in the truck mags you can use.

Oh and when you do get a bottle, Northern Tool I think is the cheapest on filling them.

[k1rodeoboater]

Originally Posted by 72chevy383

Oh and when you do get a bottle, Northern Tool I think is the cheapest on filling them.

The nearest one is up in Raleigh, and that's about an hour away. TSC I know is a rip off.

[1malo68]

Just an FYI: I know a welder that used to work for Boeing and he told me not to buy a Lincoln from Lowes. For some reason, he said the quality of the ones that Lincoln ships to Lowes is not as good as the ones you buy from a welding supply house. They are cheaper but in this case you get what you pay for. I trust his judgment. Hobart is a good choice. Ya dun good.