What welding accessories should I get?

[Model A Fan]

I'm pretty certain I'll be buying a Miller 211 to learn how to weld on. They have a promotion for $200 off the price as one option or $400 off $400 worth of accessories and essentially I am just buying a welder at full price but get the value of the accessories. It also comes with the spool feeder as part of the offer before July 31st.

If I go the route of the $400 worth of accessories, what would be recommended to get if I am starting out with nothing but a welder and a spot in the garage for it? They have to be Miller brand and I'd like to keep it to as close to $400 so if I decide to go that route, I am not adding more cost to the package.

Thanks for your help.

Here is my initial thread referencing welders I was looking at and then I was steered toward the Miller 211.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291888

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

Depends on the markup on goods, you may be better off spending the $200 at a different store.

Spend the whole $400 on a nice auto darkening helmet! Your neck and eyes will thank you.

Or a $200 helmet, 1 replacement gun nozzle, 5 contact tips in the wire size you intend to use, a can of splatter spray, a pair of welding gloves, a pair of multi-angle welding magnets, a wire hand brush. As a minimum. Then if you have anything left grab a few pairs of the quick-adjust c-clamp vise grips, and normal c-clamps.

 

[countryroad82]

A good helmet is a must, but if I were to have the extra cash to blow for welding type stuff go ahead and invest in a good welding jacket (full leather) and a set of chaps. For the home guy they will be a lifetime investment. Mine are used quite often when I'm grinding, because if you can't be a good welder, be a good grinder!

 

[bobcatdan]

For starters, if a cart isn't your first project, I'd get one. A good auto helmet. Chipping hammer and a welpers. Wire brushes for cleaning. As a new welder, load up on tips and nozzles and you wreck a few learning. Good idea it have these on hand once you are good anyways.

 

[furbyj1]

-Very good cart with some good strong casters to make it mobile and last a lifetime
-helmet, gloves and chaps
Lastly I would spend cash on welding tips, spools of wire and other misc things.

 

[gungatim]

for sure an auto-darkening helmet, and of course you'll need wire and consumables, but you can get those anywhere cheaper. I would get a GOOD set of gloves that fit, and a nice leather apron. buy quality on those and they'll last a lifetime, the consumables will be used and you'll forget they were free...

 

[ATC]

For starters, if a cart isn't your first project, I'd get one. A good auto helmet. Chipping hammer and a welpers. Wire brushes for cleaning. As a new welder, load up on tips and nozzles and you wreck a few learning. Good idea it have these on hand once you are good anyways.

If you need a chipping hammer for a MIG....you're doing something wrong!

Definitely get a good set of welpers (pliers designed for use with a MIG welder). I like the Channellock 360

http://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.co...FXZ8D-4DgsROsnzDe9BT6fsNTcYWNyg_kLxoC4b_w_wcB


And like others have said...get the best auto-darkening helmet you can afford. Look for the larger viewing window and 4 sensors. I like Jackson brand helmets. Speedglass is great too.

Get a comfy set of gloves. I like using the thinner TIG gloves because it gives me more control and a better feel. Tillman is the brand you want there.

And of course, get extra tips (.023 & .030, I highly doubt you'll ever need .035+ wire), nozzles, nozzle dip, and clamps & magnets.

 

[bobcatdan]

I guess that's true about the chipping hammer. Probably explains why mine is overby the oil barrel to punch holes in filters most of the time and not by the welder. Still I consider it a handy tool so I'd still recommend getting one. They're what, $8?

 

[crewchief888]

personally id be looking at

AD welding hood ( i have a couple miller prohobby hoods)
pair of gloves or 2 (pair of heavy mig/stick & a lighter pair of tig gloves, or fabricator type gloves)
jacket
consumables, ie: tips & nozzles
safety glasses

other things you'll probably be looking to get

C clamps, vice grip type clamps, magnets, hand held wire brush, 4"-5" electric grinder, wire cup brush, grinding wheels, sanding disks/flap wheels, clear face shield....

not sure if miller has welder "packages" (lincoln calls them ready-pacs) with gloves, hood jacket, hat, sleeves and a carry bag

 

[nickelTwin]

I think the most important thing is a good auto dark helmet. Buy the best helmet you can afford. You will see more clearly with a good helmet and lens. When I got my first nice helmet my welding improved right away. It will make a huge difference when you are welding when you can see what you are doing when you can see better.

 

[trackwelder]

A chipping hammer is nice for fluxcore. Fluxcore in a 211 powered by a generator would be nice for off site work.

I love this style chipping hammer.

http://store.cyberweld.com/chiphams...737472616931&gclid=CLLjivfql8YCFUuRHwod7PQE2g

 

[zkling]

To what crewchief said.

 

[Model A Fan]

Alright, so it looks like I should buy a cart (or weld one up), leather suit (chaps, jacket and gloves), and a good helmet. I have heard about auto-darkening ones where once they detect the light from a welder they darken on their own.

How does one cut the metal to make the cart? I imagine a hacksaw would take for ever and a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder might be a little inaccurate. Any ideas?

 

[trackwelder]

A used abrasive chop saw off craigslist.

 

[zkling]

Horizontal bandsaw, sooo much nicer than a abrasive chop saw mess wise.

 

[R.Anderson]

You have a gas bottle for it? You will need that if you are not running flux core. Extra contact tips for sure, extra nozzle, welpers, Chaps ?? is this a motor cycle we are talking about all the PPE mentioned in other posts, extra wire is nice just keep it sealed from moisture in the air.

If you don't have one a angle grinder with threaded wire, grinding and, flap wheels is very nice to have vs. the PITA arbor ones.

The clamping and holding gear as mentioned in other posts.

Its almost a rule for the first project to be a welding cart.

Second zling on the bandsaw if you have the scratch. Most people starting off in welding start with a abrasive saw, and if they get into it and move to larger fab jobs end up getting a horz. bandsaw and pending on the projects a portable bandsaw.

 

[crewchief888]

Alright, so it looks like I should buy a cart (or weld one up), leather suit (chaps, jacket and gloves), and a good helmet. I have heard about auto-darkening ones where once they detect the light from a welder they darken on their own.

How does one cut the metal to make the cart? I imagine a hacksaw would take for ever and a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder might be a little inaccurate. Any ideas?

Cut off wheel on an angle grinder can be as accurate or inaccurate as you want it to be.
I've done a LOT of cutting steel with one.

 

[engineer2]

I'm sure a welding table will be one of the first projects.
Anti-splatter spray to keep junk from sticking to the nozzle.
A 5 gallon bucket of water to quickly cool down small projects made of mild steel.
Welders apron and sleeves.
It's really annoying when your jeans smolder, so a spray bottle of water is handy.
Fire extinguisher in case something worse happens.
A welders blanket or screen if family members are going to be wandering about. Little kids don't know not to watch the arc.

 

[doojus]

I would honestly just get the welder and buy the accessories elsewhere, you're going to be paying full retail for the accessories and constrained to whatever miller says. Their auto dark helmet is good but their retail is probably $400 when you could get it for $200 via a third party.



Anyway... How far are you looking to expand the 'accessories' nomenclature? You could consider a set of pliers a welding accessory...


If you want to consider accessories stuff that either goes on the welding machine or your body, this is what I'd get:


Auto dark helmet
Good pair of gloves
Either sleeves (lincoln makes a good set of FR sleeves for 10 bucks) or a welding shirt

For the machine:

Regulator if it didn't come with one
Magswitch ground clamp



Other stuff that doesn't fit in that category but is nice:

A welding table (the stronghand nomad is about $160 and indispensable imo)
Clamps, magnets, squares
Silverstreak marking pen

 

[Major Ramifications]

A bottle with gas in it for sure, and a good helmet.

 

[Model A Fan]

Horizontal bandsaw, sooo much nicer than a abrasive chop saw mess wise.

Would one like this work?

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=11445

You have a gas bottle for it? You will need that if you are not running flux core. Extra contact tips for sure, extra nozzle, welpers, Chaps ?? is this a motor cycle we are talking about all the PPE mentioned in other posts, extra wire is nice just keep it sealed from moisture in the air.

If you don't have one a angle grinder with threaded wire, grinding and, flap wheels is very nice to have vs. the PITA arbor ones.

The clamping and holding gear as mentioned in other posts.

Its almost a rule for the first project to be a welding cart.

Second zling on the bandsaw if you have the scratch. Most people starting off in welding start with a abrasive saw, and if they get into it and move to larger fab jobs end up getting a horz. bandsaw and pending on the projects a portable bandsaw.

I have zero supplies right now, so it would basically be starting from the ground up.

I am thinking clamps, PPE, stuff for a welding cart, a bottle for the gas, wire and tips. I've been looking around and it seems bottle set ups are about $300...is there a cheaper way to source them?

Cut off wheel on an angle grinder can be as accurate or inaccurate as you want it to be.
I've done a LOT of cutting steel with one.

I can be accurate with my angle grinder, so I might use that til I absolutely need to bump up my cutting abilities. My main goal is to be able to weld sheet metal on my Model A project car and various other cool projects.

I'm sure a welding table will be one of the first projects.
Anti-splatter spray to keep junk from sticking to the nozzle.
A 5 gallon bucket of water to quickly cool down small projects made of mild steel.
Welders apron and sleeves.
It's really annoying when your jeans smolder, so a spray bottle of water is handy.
Fire extinguisher in case something worse happens.
A welders blanket or screen if family members are going to be wandering about. Little kids don't know not to watch the arc.

No room for a welding table in my small garage. I'm going to stick with small projects and sheet metal for now.

I would honestly just get the welder and buy the accessories elsewhere, you're going to be paying full retail for the accessories and constrained to whatever miller says. Their auto dark helmet is good but their retail is probably $400 when you could get it for $200 via a third party.

Anyway... How far are you looking to expand the 'accessories' nomenclature? You could consider a set of pliers a welding accessory...

If you want to consider accessories stuff that either goes on the welding machine or your body, this is what I'd get:


Auto dark helmet
Good pair of gloves
Either sleeves (lincoln makes a good set of FR sleeves for 10 bucks) or a welding shirt

For the machine:

Regulator if it didn't come with one
Magswitch ground clamp

Other stuff that doesn't fit in that category but is nice:

A welding table (the stronghand nomad is about $160 and indispensable imo)
Clamps, magnets, squares
Silverstreak marking pen

I'll probably go with the basics for now.

A bottle with gas in it for sure, and a good helmet.

Sounds good

Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm looking at a horizontal hacksaw like this one here:

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=11445

Would that work? I like the tools of that vintage and they're usually cheap too

 

[bobcatdan]

As for a welding bench, to keep it simple have a good steel main work bench that you keep the flamable clutter to a minimum around it to weld on. This is what I did in my shop too small for a purly stand alone welding bench. Miller and strongarm both offer potable welding tables also. One other thing to think about to complement your welder is a good oxy/acyclene torch for rough cutting and heating. To me a welder and torch go hand in hand.

 

[R.Anderson]

"I am thinking clamps, PPE, stuff for a welding cart, a bottle for the gas, wire and tips. I've been looking around and it seems bottle set ups are about $300...is there a cheaper way to source them?"

About the cheapest you can get for shielding gas is straight CO2, this is what I run with my mig setup. 20lb bottles are common (just like the ones used for Pepsi/Coke foutain soda stations) and take less room than a 80cf argon/CO2 bottle takes. Any welder supply store should have em. You get deeper weld penetration as a plus too. The only down side is splatter build up in the nozzle is a little faster, which does not bother me one bit just have to clean it out more often and that is not hard to do and takes very little time.



"I'm looking at a horizontal hacksaw like this one here:

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoind....aspx?id=11445

Would that work? I like the tools of that vintage and they're usually cheap too "

Yup for cutting steel stock that cant fit in it and that is cool looking.



"No room for a welding table in my small garage. I'm going to stick with small projects and sheet metal for now."

If space is limited one like this may be something you want. It folds up and takes little room to store.

http://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-steel-welding-table-61369.html

 

[glen12]

Make Safety a Priority don't forget to buy a helmet. Second is get a cutting torch.

For helmet and cutting torch you can check http://www.roarksupply.com/, they are having wide range of welding products

 

[ilovevocs]

Unless you have a huge budget and a ton of space I would start with a port-a-band with stand and a rage evolution 3.

Now that you can weld your going to want to cut. Do you have an angle grinder? I like Metabo. Buy good quality cutting discs, they are worth it.

Also buy a few nice cheap pairs of basic clear safety glasses.

Buy replacement lenses for your helmet and keep it clean. Its hard to weld when you cant see the arc.

I have a pair of thesehttp://www.millerwelds.com/products/welding_protection/hand_body/apparel/weldx/ sleeves and mig gloves. They have different grades of mig gloves, I prefer the lightest lined ones.