pay a welder or buy a welder?

[djzphotos]

Im finally starting to get the ball rolling on my 65 c10. I need some advice on how difficult it would be for a first time welder to weld in some floor pans, rocker panel, and two exterior cab corners. I had found a mobile welder on craigslist who said he would come out and charge me $350 for an 8 hour days of work. Is there any way that someone could knock out that kind of a job in one day or would I be looking at a few more trips and a few more bucks. Depending on the cost for someone to do it, I was kind of thinking of just using that money to buy myself a welder and give it a go. If I could get some advice that would be awesome.

Thanks

The first two pictures are of the holes in the floors, the last pic is the passenger floor after I stripped the flooring and sanded out some of the rust.

[Chevy Fleetside]

You can get a cheap welder at Harbor Freight that might last the time of welding. You can always practice on scrap before you acually do something to the truck. I really don't know much about the harbor freight welders but I probably would not buy one. I bought a Lincoln Welder used with Gas for $200 about 10 years ago and is still serving me but I don't use it much. When you weld on sheetmetal you shoudl just hit spots but spred them out so you don't heat the metal to much and make it warp.
Also. Check and see if there are any welding classes you can take at a local College or somthing. I know here in SF at SF City they have welding classes and even body work classes.

[kieth]

Ask a welder friend to see if he knows of some good inexpensive mig with gas.....That is the trick on the sheet metal. also if yo get a cheap harbor freight one, turn it way down. you are really going to be using it as a spot welder not laying heavy beads......Kieth

[shortbed70]

You have more than a few days of work there! I would go buy a welder. U can get a miller or Hobart or Lincoln welder 110 volt for 4-500 and the labor he will charge your probably looking at 3-4 days at 8 hrs to get everything fit and welded in. Also speaking from experience, rust will be further and deeper than you think... My vote buy a welder.
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[geezer#99]

Buy your own. Surf around on here for one.

http://www.eastwood.com/

[djzphotos]

Thank you guys on your advice. I was thinking about doing the harbor freight welder, I found this one for $199. Its a 120amp mig/flux wire welder. It looks like you guys are leaning more toward me doing it myself. I will have to look into the local community college for some welding classes (maybe I can use the credits to go toward my business degree, major in business with a minor in welding )

[BR3W CITY]

If you buy your own, PLEASE find something that uses gas shielding, and get small bottle of gas. Its 10000000x easier when your learning, especially on only 120v.
The biggest thing is just to start welding. Get a check of decent scrap (not painted or nasty) and lay beads. Grab different thicnkess stuff and get used to heat and wire speeds. Once you can "feel" how you need to move to get the pool to move, and get a few good beads your confidence level will go way up. I'm not an amazing welder, but I taught myself enough to function, and now I only have to outsource a few things here and there for stuff I can't to (aluminum)

[wc63]

Originally Posted by djzphotos

Thank you guys on your advice. I was thinking about doing the harbor freight welder, I found this one for $199. Its a 120amp mig/flux wire welder. It looks like you guys are leaning more toward me doing it myself. I will have to look into the local community college for some welding classes (maybe I can use the credits to go toward my business degree, major in business with a minor in welding )

i bought a similar welder off of craigslist for 30 bucks, the old man just wanted it gone. it was old and dirty and it was apparent the guy had left it out in the rain. but i bought a lead cable for a 220 outlet and its worked fine. i redid my exhaust 3 times. went from straight pipe to flowmasters to glasspacks (i like the glasspacks best). i didnt know how to weld so i kind of taught myself. it was easier with the 220 volt hf welder than the 110 volt hf sells (i bought that one first almost new of craigslist also). but the 220 volt has a lower setting. i kept blowing through exhuast pipe at 50 amps. the 30 amp setting on the 220 made it alot easier. im also gonna use the 220 for the sheet metal work i have to do. im not a expert, but for sheet metal and exhuast the hf welder should do fine. chasis mods is a different story, but i believe the 110 amp setting on the 220 welder should cover that. i may be wrong.

[72freak]

Originally Posted by br3w city

if you buy your own, please find something that uses gas shielding, and get small bottle of gas. Its 10000000x easier when your learning, especially on only 120v.)

yes yes yes

[Chevy Fleetside]

I did this with mine. I have only welded a few things but like other I taught myself with some advice from a pro. Was getting really good at it and then no more welding. i am sure I am rusty again. This is where the batterybox used to sit on the inner fender. I cut piece off of an extra left one I had and tried to make it look factory.

[Hottrucks]

ok best advice I can give is buy a name brand welder NOT CHEAP CRAP...you will always get parts for it and it will last a life time...if you can take a class take it!!!!! if not practice on some scrap....after that cut out ALL the rust fit your panals so they fit nice and learn to spot weld...

[daverod]

X2 on the gas. I used mine for about a year and half with out it. Should have switch right away. Also get a auto dark helmet.

[steverino66]

find a good deal on a used good brand, get the gas bottle; you'll also need an angle grinder for cleaning welds and something to cut metal, a decent auto-darkening helmet -
new toys, new skills, it's a no-brainer; just takes some practice and patience

[heeroyue2002]

find a better condition cab for cheaper.

[djzphotos]

Thanks for all the advice. Im gonna shop around and see what I can find. I'm excited for new toys, luckily the guy I bought the truck from had already bought all the patch panels; so that will save me a few bucks. Im sure Ill be back on here in a few weeks asking you guys were the hell I went wrong

[daverod]

Originally Posted by heeroyue2002

find a better condition cab for cheaper.

One with cool looking patina so you don't have to spend hours and hours and$$$$ painting it. Some things you just have learn the hard way. Least you'll know how to weld.

[lakeroadster]

As has been previously discussed don't buy a "cheap" off brand welding machine. Go with a Lincoln, Miller, Esab or Hobart. A welding machine that you cannot find parts for makes a nice boat anchor. And for welding body panels there is simply no substitute for gas shielding.

Check your local welding supply shops. They often have refurbished machines with some type of warranty. I got a nice used Esab Multi-Matic Stick-Mig-Tig machine that way.

Also, there are some excellent welding videos on You Tube, be sure and check those out, search using "GMAW" (Gas Metal Arc Welding). And the suggestion above to buy an auto-darkening helemt is also good advice.

Good luck to ya!

John

[Blue Heeler]

Buy a good welder with ajustment dial not the tap A.B.C.D or taps as they are also called. check craigs list, just type miller welder or lincoln welder a bunch of guys need money these days.

[newagecustom]

I have done lots of rocker/floor replacements and it is never a one day job. Usually 3-4 days because there is almost always damage you can't see. DO NOT buy a harbor freight welder, they are crap! I have been welding for 15 years and never had good results with cheap welders. I have a Miller 251 digital display, bought it used and have had it for 4 years, couldn't tell you how many trucks i have built with it.

[rcrahn]

I know from your previous posts this is your first truck and your fiance gave you the go ahead to buy it. I see no reason not to buy the welder. First, you'll be learning something and gain bragging rights with all your buddies. It will also look good on your resume (in addition to that business degree) when you show - welding stud! Second, you'll send the right signal to the fiance who's in command.
Lastly, I can tell from looking at your truck your new welder is going to get a real workout. In the long run you are going to save money. Buy a quality unit with a brand name. Good luck!

[Hubscrub]

I could not agree more with spending alittle more money and getting a name brand welder. I use a 110volt hobart here at home, and a miller tig at work. You will find soooo many uses for a welder that you will find yourself useing it time after time. As far as learning just pick it up and do it, when i first started welding i was tig welding stainless steel and i sucked but you will get better and better as you DO IT the only way you can learn anything is to try. Also i find that i like using a helmet with the bigger lense on it not the samll rectangle ones.

[pockets]

i got an eastwood welder myself, specifically for the reason of doing things on my own. In the not-so-long run it will more than pay for itself. My first job will be my exhaust on my 87, but next in line is a lot of work on a 65 SWB that I'm acquiring from my brother-in-law.

I think I paid 450 or so for the welder, auto-dark helmet and cart. Picked up a bottle from Airgas for 240. You can rent the bottles as well. With Airgas anyway you can rent for .30 a day, lease for $55 a year or buy for $211 + 30 for gas. That was for a Q size bottle (just under 3 feet tall). I was going to lease but they wanted a $200 deposit for the life of the account so I said screw it and just bought it.

Yes, I could build a cart but didn't want to. Yes it isn't miller or lincoln. They had a warranty I was happy with, use standard Tweco consumables and even have infinite adjustable nobs (not click settings).

[Scot_Douglas]

I had once asked myself the same question you asked here - only 18 months ago - you can see what having a welder allows you to do as a novice by looking at my build thread.

My advice:
Buy a welder; the suggestions here are spot-on. Get a reputable brand name in 220V - pick the best one you can afford. Also - try to find one that doesn't have detents on the wire feed and voltage knobs; a good friend that welds for a living told me you can fine tune the settings much better that way. Shield gas is a must - look for bottles on craigslist - sometimes, even Ebay.

Grab all the scrap metal you can find and get to welding. Start out with thick stuff first, clean as you can get it and just play around based on anything you can pick up from welding vids online. Once you can do a decent weld on the thick stuff (1/4" or so), try varying the speed and voltage - one at a time - so you can see what happens when one is wrong.

Next, to help your development and fab skills - IT IS A UNIVERSAL REQUIREMENT THAT YOU MUST BUILD A CART FOR YOUR WELDER. It is a fun first project and a rite of passage for a lot of us. Plus, as an added benefit, it freezes your "beginner" skills in time and reminds you of your first days welding - and how much you've improved! Do not pass on this requirement - it doesn't have to be fancy, just functional.

When you get comfortable, move to thin wire (0.025") and grab some 22 gauge sheet from home despot or similar. Practice your sheetmetal welding skills on that first - this is only my opinion: You get good at sticking 22ga sheet together without blowing holes in it or warping the heck out of it, 18ga body panels are a breeze.

Heat buildup is your enemy, so don't forget - after you've spent 2 hours tacking a seam on a panel, go easy on the grinding - you can warp the panel with that too.

And most of all - relax and enjoy yourself! I'm not ashamed to admit that my perfect evening involves a few cold "sodas" and sitting in front of a welding project.
One last thing - after a few months of ownership, you'll wonder how you ever lived without one!

[djzphotos]

Your right rcrhan, the fiance is in charge, so when I told her it would be cheaper to buy the welder and do it myself, she was stoked (I didnt mention with all the patches I screw up it might end up costing more ).

And thanks for the heads up Scot, I will avoid buying a cart and make that one of my first projects.

[rcrahn]

Originally Posted by djzphotos

Your right rcrhan, the fiance is in charge, so when I told her it would be cheaper to buy the welder and do it myself, she was stoked (I didnt mention with all the patches I screw up it might end up costing more ).

And thanks for the heads up Scot, I will avoid buying a cart and make that one of my first projects.

Your are welcome kid. I like your style. Now get moving and hunt down a good welding rig. Bargains are out there. Report back when you do and include pics....