blackrose Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 I'm in Lidl and noticed these for £39.99 including shield (is that a handheld mask?) wire brush, chipping hammer and 5 rods. I wouldn't mind learning to weld but is this kit likely to be crap? Some Parkside tools are ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 You would be better waiting for the Inverter welders from Lidl and Aldi, approx £70 last time, they usually come a few weeks after the simple welding kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 (edited) I am no welder, especially arc but I have had one of those for some time now and have "welded" up the metalwork for the back rubber fender on the boat when the end fell out. Not weld in inverted commas. It seems secure enough after several years but I am still not sure if its weld blobs or flux holding it together. I have never got it to strike anything thicker than a 1.5mm rod and its duty cycle is not very long so with multiple weld passes you have to keep stopping to let it cool down. Agree with matty, and inverter welder should bee easier. Edited May 18, 2019 by Tony Brooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 Ok thanks chaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NB Esk Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 Yes it's likely to be crap but it is only £40. Most likely an AC machine, the one and only advantage it has is it won't suffer from an annoying condition known as "arc blow". Unfortunately it's performance will be so lacking, it would probably be enough to put a novice off. It would be better to go for an invertor welder, around £150-200, then you'll learn properly without wasting the £40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 And that hand-held mask will drive you dippy. Within seconds you'll be wanting an automatic mask you wear on your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 It will produce "dog turd welds" . Having said that theyr'e all I can produce with slightly better kit so give it a try. As someone said it's only 40 quid. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave moore Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 I bought a second hand inverter welder some years ago, just to get a feel for the arc welding process, inspired by the experts at Norton Canes Boatbuilders. Graham Edgson started me off and gave me a box of rods and lots of scrap offcuts to play with. Sometimes I could produce a decent fillet, sometimes one l likened to pigeon crap....without knowing what I’d done differently. The welder was fine, said Graham....must have been me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrybsmith Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 While incredibly frustrating to learn with, you can produce decent welds with these, I have one that I taught myself with and after hours of practice /entertainment I can get a pretty decent weld from it, all the way up to 10mm thick with a couple of passes, will try to find photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 16 minutes ago, harrybsmith said: While incredibly frustrating to learn with, you can produce decent welds with these, I have one that I taught myself with and after hours of practice /entertainment I can get a pretty decent weld from it, all the way up to 10mm thick with a couple of passes, will try to find photos Including vertical and upside down welds?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CompairHolman Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 Mike the boilerman giving us the benefit of his sage advice on another subject he has absolutely no experience or knowledge of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 17 minutes ago, CompairHolman said: Mike the boilerman giving us the benefit of his sage advice on another subject he has absolutely no experience or knowledge of. CompairHolman talking out of his arse again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 Well I won't be buying that welder, I'd decided that after the first two responses. So no need for any more sage advice whether based on experience and knowledge or otherwise. Thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 Take notice of NB Esk, he's one of the best welders in the weld. 3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said: Including vertical and upside down welds?? There are special rods that help with that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyG Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, CompairHolman said: Mike the boilerman giving us the benefit of his sage advice on another subject he has absolutely no experience or knowledge of. of which he has absolutely no experience or knowledge. Corrected that for you. People who end sentences with a preposition are to be regarded with suspicion. 7 hours ago, bizzard said: Take notice of NB Esk, he's one of the best welders in the weld. There are special rods that help with that. There is obviously more to welding than meets the eye. I do know someone who has made his welding an art form, his boat is still floating level after two years on it's mooring, Edited May 19, 2019 by LadyG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 1 hour ago, LadyG said: Corrected that for you. People who end sentences with a preposition are to be regarded with suspicion. Both forms are correct. Surely it's the people who patronise others and unnecessarily correct their English that should be regarded with suspicion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 22 minutes ago, blackrose said: Both forms are correct. Well, Churchill described it as the type of grammar “up with which he would not put” but it’s all a bit of harmless fun, surely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stilllearning Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, LadyG said: Corrected that for you. People who end sentences with a preposition are to be regarded with suspicion. There is obviously more to welding than meets the eye. I do know someone who has made his welding an art form, his boat is still floating level after two years on it's mooring, Or as Mr Alban my English teacher said, a preposition is a very bad thing to end a sentence with. And on the subject of welding, even using a real grown up professional welding kit there were days when my work looked almost professional, and other days when I was happy to stick on anodes, as at least my work was hidden under water. Edited May 19, 2019 by Stilllearning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Bob Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 3 hours ago, LadyG said: There is obviously more to welding than meets the eye. It is important that the welding does not meet the eye. Please use the correct PPE. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stilllearning Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 3 minutes ago, Dr Bob said: It is important that the welding does not meet the eye. Please use the correct PPE. And definitely one of the automatic helmets, a hand held mask is a pain in the eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 53 minutes ago, Stilllearning said: And definitely one of the automatic helmets, a hand held mask is a pain in the eye. Having used hand held masks for donkeys years I once tried an automatic one. Nearly disaster as you now have a free hand when before were both occupied. That free hand wanders about and can wander into the heat Ow!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 1 hour ago, Stilllearning said: And definitely one of the automatic helmets, a hand held mask is a pain in the eye. Which is basically what I said, and Complairman irrationally objected to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 2 hours ago, WotEver said: Well, Churchill described it as the type of grammar “up with which he would not put” but it’s all a bit of harmless fun, surely. Indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Bob Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 I never end a sentance with a preposition. Usually I use a full stop, maybe a question mark and on the odd occasion have been known to use an exclamation mark! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 5 hours ago, Dr Bob said: ... on the odd occasion have been known to use an exclamation mark! Or as they’re known in copywriting, ‘screamers’. 7 hours ago, blackrose said: “There are times when trying to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition creates unnecessary and awkward phrasing” I’m not sure I’d agree with the author there. I’d like to see an example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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