Guldstrand catalog

[chufham]

I just got my guldstrand catalog and I'm excited.I start welding classes in a couple of weeks and I'm also waiting for 1 more thing.Then the engine and trans and work on the mods as I go.
If anyone has suggestions please tell me.Thanks,Cliff

[David Pozzi]

Don't do your first welds on suspension pieces.
What kind of welding? stick, TIG or MIG?

[chufham]

What would you recommend?

[David Pozzi]

That's tough, I absolutely LOVE my mig, use it a lot, have one at home and one at work.
For general work the MIG is quick and pretty easy, they weld a little too fast for beginners but you just pull the trigger and go. MIG isn't good on welding dirty or painted steel, or for outside in the wind, it blows the shielding gas away.

Don't use flux core wire, use a shielding gas like Argon and Co2 mix and get a welder with good amperage (220V) and the highest "duty cycle" you can find. I like the Miller welders, I have a Miller 250 which is overkill for car work but I sometimes get into heavy stuff on the farm.

For welding aluminum or fine work on steel like building oil pans, tubular A arms, TIG is best, it makes the best appearing welds and has the best penetration for strength. You can't weld thin hot rolled steel very well with TIG, you get pits in the weld. You have to use a low fuming bronze rod which is like brazing, thicker hot rolled can be ground and welded OK. TIG works best on cold rolled steel.

Hopefully your class will teach you gas welding, TIG, MIG and stick welding. You will find stick is dirty and hard to see, TIG is precise and very slow, gas (torch) welding is close to TIG but you heat the area more and it's less precise, MIG is fast, clean, and hard to be precise with.

Search the archives here and of the old site on welding types and on welding tips.

Don't make a welder selection until you have learned as much as you can about all of them.

What kinds of jobs do you want to do?
I may move this to the fabrication section.
David

[chufham]

David,Thanks I will wait to buy a welder until I am finishes with the classes I talked with the instructor and he understands that I am in a wheelchair cause I can't walk long distances, he also told me that we will be learning stick,tig,mig welding and how to weld stainless steel,aluminum,magnesium along with steel and cast iron too. I will start reading in the fab section also.Thanks,Cliff

[David Pozzi]

Think up some things you may need for your shop, like a cart for your torch set, a work table, maybe an engine stand. They make good welding projects but usually you can buy a harbor freight engine stand for less than you can buy the materials for!

What are your goals for your Camaro? Street, Track, Drag?

[chufham]

David,Thanks for the idea's for class projects.

I plan a street approach to my Ventura,I wish I had a camaro but they are high here for rust buckets LOL.Cliff

[David Pozzi]

I forgot it's a Ventura, same suspension as a Camaro though!
If you want to save a lot of money, I know some cheaper ways to go with suspension parts and springs, etc.
You can also get by with stock A arms and there are cheaper brake upgrades.

[chufham]

Thanks,David I welcome any and all suggestions this will mainly be a street driven car but once I get my legs back (reflexes) I would like to learn to drive on a track.Cliff