Welding in the field - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

KayJay · 03-02-2009, 04:14 PM

Anyone occasionally have to do any type of welding or torch cutting in the field?
If so, what kind of equipment do you have or like to use?
These days my equipment definitely spends more time gathering dust than anything else, which makes it hard to stay sharp with the welding skills.

I have one of those little Gentec portable oxy/ace torch outfits that has really come in handy at times along with a small Hobart 140 MIG unit that I bought to make repairs on stainless hoods and other kitchen equipment. Mostly tack or stitch welds.
I rarely use solid wire and shielding gas with it though, mostly just flux core, even for stainless now. The stainless flux core wire is expensive and sometimes hard to find in small spools. It also leaves the usual flux core spatter too, but as long as the weld is hidden... no big deal.

azsly1 · 03-02-2009, 05:52 PM

my company has 3 miller bobcats. i think the 225's but i'm not sure. regular stick welding... we use them to assemble hangers, brackets, stands, bracing, things of the such.

randomkiller · 03-02-2009, 05:59 PM

We have an assortment of the stuff in the crib as we have a whole other half of the company full of fitters, etc. I often have a small oxy-ace kit on the truck for cutting and a small Snap-on mig for brackets and that type of thing.

MDShunk · 03-02-2009, 06:21 PM

I have a Lincoln buzz box, and it's perfect for all the more I ever need it. Mostly for making a bracket or transformer shelf in the field. Saves from needing to buy so many weird Kindorf fittings. I can cut with it too, with a stout rod and wing the current all the way up. Anything precise or multiples of something and I hire a welder or take a napkin drawing to a welding shop.

electro916 · 03-02-2009, 06:52 PM

I have a Lincoln Electric Pro-core 100, a little 120v flux core welder. Mainly gets used for transformer brackets and welding plate to I-beams, was around $400 but works great for what electricians need it for.