Today's junkyard find.

[Gearbox]

Drive wheel is changed for wire diameter . every thing else works same . You want to be able to stop the spool with light hand pressure and just enough tension on the spring so it doesn't unwrap the wire . I don't use mine much except for light work . I prefer stick only because I grew up with it .

[DelawhereJoe]

Now looks like the best time for a K vs K junkyard wars, who can find the oldest, most unique,  expensive or just plain crazy junkyard items.....this sounds like the next reality show. Next time on Scavenger Wars who will get the next greatest find will it be  Kbeitz or Kwill !!!!

[Kbeitz]

Question for Kbeitz!

When you visit the junkyard, and find stuff you want/need, do you pay for it by the pound?

It depends on what it is. Metal or plastic is a good example. I get a lot of
stuff like relays, contactors and breakers. Most of the time I just say
"will you take twenty bucks for this". I help the boss out a lot with welding
and electrical so I get really good deals. Right now I'm making the yard a
can  conveyor. Best part is the yard guys don't want to keep anything. I
could never work there. My pile would be bigger than the the pile going
to the smelter.

[jcbrotz]

This welder is made to take both. Your right it's set up for a tank and
it has solid wire on it right now. I would like to change it to flux core.
Do I need to change the drive wheel and liner to do this ?

Nope most just need to change the wiring around and the tip and your off welding.

[pinefeller]

I could never work there. My pile would be bigger than the the pile going
to the smelter.
[/quote]

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D i have that same problem! this summer im going going to start thinning the pile though.....i think....maybe....  :D agh! its so hard to let it go though.... i might need that ''someday'' and if i dont, its a good insurance policy to prevent me from needing it. ;D

[dave hummell]

My last job that caused my retirement was at a trash transfer station i got a lot off good things out of the containers. Sears was always throwing out good stuff, We have a jobcor center up the mountain and me and the welder loaded up on drills and grinders that someone cut the cords off. the most usefull thing i got was a pooper scupper being i have 5 dogs to clean up after.

[Magicman]

Kwill, here is a short video that I made of a motor like yours, I think.   
https://youtu.be/3EFtoFGqkd8

[Crusarius]

On my welder I have 2 grooves on the drive wheel. one groove has serrations one is smooth. I always forget which is which but all I have to do is flip the wheel over.

[isawlogs]

I would like to change it to flux core.
Do I need to change the drive wheel and liner to do this ?

On some you need to lighten up the pressure of the drive wheel on the wire. You will also have to change the tip. if using .30 wire  use .35 tip opening. As the coreflux wire is pushed through the wheels, it is crushed some, it will make your life a lot easier if the tip can alow for this wider wire to go through!!   :P   ;)

Marcel.

[Kbeitz]

The reason I would like to change it is that I already have a really good
MiG welder and I use co2mix. I never had or used a flux core welder.

[sandhills]

Dad has a small 90 amp one that works good for light stuff out of the shop where wind can be a factor but for heavy stuff I still go to the old buzz box.  I have a small 140 amp gas and as was stated you just turn the wires and change the tip to go to flux core welding.

[pinefeller]

unless you are welding in remote areas or windy conditions dont bother. it will weld just fine, but the cost of flux core will overrun the cost of gas shielded and it is also smokey like stick. so no real benefit. if i had 2 welders i would setup one on like .025 for sheet metal work then the other on .035 for heavy duty work.

[Kwill]

yeah  magicman that looks like this one. I stuck it and couple other in the shop to check out.

[Kbeitz]

My choice is also stick.

[starmac]

When I just had a 140 amp wire machine I still used a stick a lot. I bought a 300 amp wire welder with a suitcase and 75 feet of cable, and eventually gave my old buzz box away. I still used stick on portable jobs.

If I had a large job to do outside in the eastern New Mexico wind, and by large I am talking about a day to a weeks worth of welding, I would change over to flux core wire, but generally would just use a wind break and gas.

I got rid of my small wire welder, when I bought the large one, and as time went on, wished I had kept it for light weight welding, so I second the idea to keep it and stay with gas and small wire on it.

[Al_Smith]

Gas wire feeds are okay I guess .I once worked at Baldwin -Lima -Hamilton as a welder .This company was where the original Shay locomotive was built .Later the world famous Lima cranes .
Some time in the 60's they had some wire welders normally used for thinner metal of which they did excellent .However being rather old school I prefer good old electric arc stick welding for most things except sheet metal . I don't have a wire welder but it would be handy at times .

[pinefeller]

you say that but its only cuz you got 50# of welding rods to use up :D. migs is a dream to use and fast! they both have a place and application though.

[Kwill]

I like my stick welder to. I have a mig but seems like I get those gobbed up welds with it.

[pinefeller]

turn on the gas! no seriously theres a ton of good you tube videos on setting up your mig if your having problems.
even the cheapos can lay down a good bead in knowing hands.

[Kwill]

Gas is on. Hard to beat 7018

[Darrel]

I learned to weld on a Lincoln 225 amp buzz box and could weld just about anything.  And while I was a nurse, I didn't weld a single thing. Then one day my son asked me if I'd weld spades on 50,000 end posts for his blueberry farm and I sad sure, why not. I learned mig in a hurry. The first day, they brought back a few posts that the spades had broken off of but after that I figured out how to do it. Now for tough jobs I still prefer good old stick but for most things, wire is quick and easy. I have both at this time and wouldn't want to be without either. Although , I did go through a period of time that if I wasn't welding a spade on a 9' piece of pipe from the oil fields I couldn't mig weld to save my soul.  :D

[jason.weir]

this summer im going going to start thinning the pile though.....i think....maybe....  :D agh! its so hard to let it go though.... i might need that ''someday'' and if i dont, its a good insurance policy to prevent me from needing it. ;D

Hey neighbor - how about I come get some of your junk & you can come get some of my junk - At least that way I can tell my wife I got rid of some of the pile...

Jason

[Kbeitz]

When you work with dirty rusty junkyard metals you learn to like stick.
I paid $2800.00 for my mig and it just sits most of the time.
My stick welder has a DC attachment and I have been using it since
I was 16 years old. Mig welders work great on new metals or clean
metals.

[thecfarm]

I guess I don't know what I am doing. My metal sits outside and I have a mig with flux core. Does run off 220,I had one that ran off 110 but when I moved here I need more power. Duty time was bad with the 110 unit too. I have built a few things,they are still together,no repairs needed,so I must be doing something right. All my welding is done outside,that's why the flux core. I don't weld much stuff thicker than ¼" either.
I also buy wire by the 10 pound spools,those 2 pounders don't last me no time.

[coxy]

stick welders you can stick them     and yes with mig the metal needs to be good and clean don't know much about the flux core but jmop if your going to use it may as well use a stick   I like the fact that with gas you can weld over your weld with out stopping and chipping  ;D