Welders???

[Dorky_D]

Anybody have a welder for prep stuff? I can see some value in being able to weld stuff together for repairs and fabrication. I could see it having some value just to have, but I wanted to see other opinions.

 

[LEaSH]

Some of the big ones (gasoline powered) are suitable for using as generators also. It's pretty common to see generators/welder combos for sale. Just get the right connectors and cable to have on hand so you can power most things in a pinch.

 

[jeremy]

I have Welders, but not as a SHTF Prep. It is far cheaper for me to do my own Repairs as needed or Fabrication...

 

[J man]

I am the same as Jeremy. I have the welders, just not for prep.

 

[dukeboy_318]

Ive got 3 different ones but not as a shtf though my generator will run them

 

[Jason R. Bruce]

I have welders but as mentioned, the only one of value would be the one that doubles as a generator. I wouldn't count on the "Grid" at that point.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I recently took a welding class to improve my skills. I could stick metal together before but it wasn't pretty. I am much more competent now, and during the class I concentrated on those skills that are most useful for someone out in the sticks without grid power (since I generate my own). What surprised me was how much better at torch welding I was able to become and how versatile it was, something I'd never understood before. In absolute worst case scenario I can rig an electrolyzer and hydrogen weld if need be. Years ago I'd been off-road with some folks who rigged several car batteries together to do a frame repair, and I now understand how to go about it if necessary.

Everything one has to be self-sufficient on a farm is stuff that is useful if SHTF, but what is most useful is collecting skills that can be used when modern technology is not available.

 

[Butch627]

You can stick weld with 2 car batteries ganged together, leads, and welding rod. To be more sophisicated google Readywelder. It is a spoolgun that can weld with solid core wire and gas, or flux core wire without gas. Again all you need are 2 car batteries. They have a number of different models but they all come in Pelican cases.

 

[sbsg2005]

How many people in here have the ability to weld with out modern day welding equipment? While I do have both gas powered and electric welders I also realize that that one day electricity or fuel may not be available to run these pieces of equipment you will have to revert to ways that have not been in common practice for a century or more. Forge welding and blacksmithing is becoming a lost art yet is also a skill that could be really desirable to have when SHTF and modern day equipment is not able to be used or readily available.

 

[Ted]

Ya mean that I can't just JB Weld two pieces of metal together?

 

[justjoe]

Forge welding just takes lots of practice and good clean sand, and lots of practice, and lots of practice. Works best with malleable iron but will work with steel, with lots of practice. You can build a forge with the most basic of hand tools. If you have a hammer and some skill you can build all of the other tools you need. I was a farrier at one time and kinda got interested in blacksmithing, fun hobby, but one that is dying out. And not to be old fashioned I can stick, tig, mig, heliarc and gas weld.

 

[churchmouse]

Yes we have welders. Stick, mig and tig. I have thought they would be handy as prep but I use them constantly anyway.

 

[Kmcinnes]

yes welders are on hand however I use mine at least twice a week, Sure I have thought about its uses in SHTF but its not really the reason why I have them, you can weld with two car batteries, leads and a coat hangger if needed but not sure if I would trust that I am getting good penatration with the welds.

 

[Dorky_D]

Yeah, do not laugh, but watching the show 'The Colony' makes me wonder if this is something to play with. It is certainly not at the top of my list. It is something I would like to learn, but not a top priority.

 

[churchmouse]

yes welders are on hand however I use mine at least twice a week, Sure I have thought about its uses in SHTF but its not really the reason why I have them, you can weld with two car batteries, leads and a coat hangger if needed but not sure if I would trust that I am getting good penatration with the welds.

This method (battery's) is good for tacking or very light gauge material. With no shield on the arc it would be better to braze. A decent 115V wire feed with flux core wire would be the way to go. It does not draw high amps so an average genny would support it. You could run it off of a battery bank with a 50 A inducer.

 

[jeremy]

yes welders are on hand however I use mine at least twice a week, Sure I have thought about its uses in SHTF but its not really the reason why I have them, you can weld with two car batteries, leads and a coat hangger if needed but not sure if I would trust that I am getting good penatration with the welds.

This method (battery's) is good for tacking or very light gauge material. With no shield on the arc it would be better to braze. A decent 115V wire feed with flux core wire would be the way to go. It does not draw high amps so an average genny would support it. You could run it off of a battery bank with a 50 A inducer.

Back in the '90's when a group of us went crawling at Big Bend we used this method to weld the Yoke back onto a drive shaft. Went though almost all the change we had in the rigs to do it though. We wheeled 3 more days to get back out of the park with it too...

If I was building another "I am dumber than you" rig, I would definitely include a 110VAC Flux Wire Welder on it. Even with a cheap Century one you should be able to stick up to 1/4" materials together...

 

[Butch627]

Ive used 110v mig welders run off of generators. They did not perform well. I have also heard many stories about the control panels on the welders frying out while on a generator. If your going to run off a generator your much safer with a stick welder. If you don't want something big like a Miller Bobcat, both Honda and Hobart sell generators with built in stick welders. They are quite pricy, but it might be something to look for on craigslist or ebay.

 

[churchmouse]

Ive used 110v mig welders run off of generators. They did not perform well. I have also heard many stories about the control panels on the welders frying out while on a generator. If your going to run off a generator your much safer with a stick welder. If you don't want something big like a Miller Bobcat, both Honda and Hobart sell generators with built in stick welders. They are quite pricy, but it might be something to look for on craigslist or ebay.

The trick is to spool up the genny with a load before you squeeze the trigger on the welder. Another thing to remember about a 115V unit is the short duty cycle. You can not just lay into the work and run a continuous bead. I have used these small units to do 1/4 inch metal fab on remote site's with a genny and had no issues. We used a drill to put a load on the genny and then ran the welder. May be doing that again soon.

 

[jeremy]

The trick is to spool up the genny with a load before you squeeze the trigger on the welder. Another thing to remember about a 115V unit is the short duty cycle. You can not just lay into the work and run a continuous bead. I have used these small units to do 1/4 inch metal fab on remote site's with a genny and had no issues. We used a drill to put a load on the genny and then ran the welder. May be doing that again soon.

Exactly!

Another thing to do is endure the HZ are in the proper range. My little Century Unit that I have been playing with is sensitive to that for some reason.

 

[Butch627]

Lower priced generators are known to have poor frequency control which can fry out circuit boards. What are you going to do in an emergency situation if your circuit board frys out. It seems to me like in a SHTF situation that gas may be old or of poor quality, you may need to travel light, or to a remote area. A couple of car batteries and jumper cables or a ready welder have a lot less things to go wrong and are a lot more portable. A ready welder is also a great addition to a home shop to augment a stick welder for mig, or as a spool gun for aluminum. Readywelder.com | There's nothing like it!