Spot welder recommendations
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rolesyboy
- 1275 Cooper S
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Spot welder recommendations
Hi All. I own a MIG welder but fancy a spot welder for my next project. Can i buy an attachment for my MIG or is there a stand alone unit that is suited to Mini resto? No ideas on price or practicality but I guess it will make a nicer job of future cars. Advice welcomed. Cheers. Mark
Rolesyboy
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InimiaD
- 1275 Cooper S
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Re: Spot welder recommendations
Spot Welders are an absolute godsend when restoring Minis.
I was lucky enough to find one (brand new in box) in the Free Ads, and had to do an emergency 140 mile round trip to pick it up.
Well worth the effort though coz the seller threw in a sykes Pickavant engine lifting bracket.
Machine Mart still sell Spot Welders and all the different arms, but the arms are very expensive.
To get the full use out of the Spot welders you need the different arms to be able get the most out of them rather than just being able to weld the outer seams.
I bought lengths of copper rod and with the aid of my mate and his lathe made extra arms for my spot welder which made it even more practical.
The Machine Mart welders run on 240 v standard 16 amp, but i run mine through a 30 amp circuit.
Do your homework before buying.
You can also buy an attachment for Arc welders which enables you to do spot welds, but only from one side of the join. Haven't used one of those so can't really comment on them.
I was lucky enough to find one (brand new in box) in the Free Ads, and had to do an emergency 140 mile round trip to pick it up.
Well worth the effort though coz the seller threw in a sykes Pickavant engine lifting bracket.
Machine Mart still sell Spot Welders and all the different arms, but the arms are very expensive.
To get the full use out of the Spot welders you need the different arms to be able get the most out of them rather than just being able to weld the outer seams.
I bought lengths of copper rod and with the aid of my mate and his lathe made extra arms for my spot welder which made it even more practical.
The Machine Mart welders run on 240 v standard 16 amp, but i run mine through a 30 amp circuit.
Do your homework before buying.
You can also buy an attachment for Arc welders which enables you to do spot welds, but only from one side of the join. Haven't used one of those so can't really comment on them.
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Matty
- 998 Cooper
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Re: Spot welder recommendations
I just bought on second hand (blackhawk) and its been brilliant, paid for itself already!
I'd recommend getting one with a built in timer, at least you can guarantee all the welds will be consistant.
I'd recommend getting one with a built in timer, at least you can guarantee all the welds will be consistant.
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mk1
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Re: Spot welder recommendations
When I used to body work (I'm to old & lazy nowadays) I bought a Machine Mart welder like the one described above.
I wouldn't consider doing any mini bodywork without one!
Brilliant bit of kit.
There are some fantastic bargains to be had on ebay, I know a couple of people who have bought bits of kit worth at least 2 or 3 thousand pounds for a few hundred, but I suspect that this is not the way to go for a novice.
Oh & finally, the 16A supply required by the Machine Mart one is bearly adequate, I too installed a 30A supply in the garage when I was using it regularly.
I wouldn't consider doing any mini bodywork without one!
Brilliant bit of kit.
There are some fantastic bargains to be had on ebay, I know a couple of people who have bought bits of kit worth at least 2 or 3 thousand pounds for a few hundred, but I suspect that this is not the way to go for a novice.
Oh & finally, the 16A supply required by the Machine Mart one is bearly adequate, I too installed a 30A supply in the garage when I was using it regularly.