Take this as a third hand story off another forum. It is written there that gasless MIG wire will be unavailable shortly due to the danger of the fumes it gives off. If you are going to buy one it may be an idea to check with BOC or a reputable supplier first. Just a heads up to anyone thinking along these lines.

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Chris

Everything I like is either
illegal, immoral or fattening.

It is true that most gasless wires do give off some nasty stuff, including fluorine. Not that solid wire MIG and gas is much better for you..

Solid wire is much cheaper, but then you have to either pay $$/yr to rent the gas bottle, or use those toy throwaway ones that last 10 mins..

BTW the main benefit of gasless wires (on sheet steel anyway) is welding outdoors, IMO. Wind is less likely to blow the shielding away.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

that would suck.... I got one.. it seams to work quite well for small things..

hmmmm....stock up then??

If it is true, then surely stick welding would be outlawed? Same process as gasless mig wire.

Don't you love governments? They come up with all these ways to "save" us, and yet it's still legal to bolt a massive wing to the bootlid of a standard Honda Accord? There is NO justice in this world...

I was a boilermaker/welder for over 30 years and have used all sorts of welders and rods. Can't *cough* say it #splutter# effected me that much....

Some of the old stick rods gave off some horrible fumes and gasses, especially some of the hard facing rods, cyanide from one American rod even.

Yep I still have the 275A stick welder my dad bought me in 1964.. still works and I've got heaps of rods for it too- as a welding engineer for nearly 30 yrs I got lots of freebies...
Not much good for Mini welding though.. that's what the MIG is for!
<edit. It's a Kemppi Super Kempomat, 125A. V control is stepless..

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

With all the MIG experts in this thread, I thought I might hijack it. I was looking at buying a small MIG welder for home and the Minis. I saw a UNIMIG Panther 120 for around $580. Are these ok for welding floorpans and sills on the Mini?
Also are the Toolex MIGs any good?
Steve.

I have a Toolex MIG 140 Dual (but uses those 10 min gas bottles and could never get the gas setup to work properly). Use solely as gasless. I wear a mask and still get a little high is this normal?

As for the welder bullet proof. But can be a little tricky on very thing metals have to do some tricks... But once all dialled in works like a charm...

What's the minimum I would pay for a decent gas MIG with the big bottles that works...

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225hp atw on 14psi. 1/4 Mile no idea. Take one 1971 Mini Clubman, one Starlet GT Halfcut, Simmer over a warm MIG Welder, and Voila Minstar! www.mpdesign.id.au

Minstar, cant you hook up a big bottle to the Toolex MIG.
Steve.

Nah steve they have a little thin plastic pipe that goes into disposable gas bottles (SIG). And they a pretty much impossible to convert. To go to the Gas MiGs that take the hired large bottles you are going to pay possibly double...

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225hp atw on 14psi. 1/4 Mile no idea. Take one 1971 Mini Clubman, one Starlet GT Halfcut, Simmer over a warm MIG Welder, and Voila Minstar! www.mpdesign.id.au

IMO the best 2 240V MIG welders are the Lincoln SP170 and the WIA 150S.
Both are built good enough for site work, and if you ever need parts they will be available. Torches (guns) are industry standard.

Bad news is the Lincoln is around $1,000 and the WIA is even dearer.
Good news is the Lincoln has 3 years warranty.

There are lots of smaller ones about but you tend to get what you pay for. Some of the guns are toys and are specific to that machine.
Cigweld's 120 is not too bad.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I prolly just got lucky, but I bought the first welder I saw in the paper. WIA 160S for $300. Been good to me. WIA even has the manuals online complete with wiring diagrams.

Bought my second gas refil today. ~$65 for the gas, bottle about waist height. ~$10 per month rental from BOC.

Bought a new torch end a while back. Two tips, the shroud and the insulator between the two. $50. Pretty steep for what it is.

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"Life is not like a box of chocolates... it's more like a jar of jalapenos. Whatever you do today, may burn your arse tomorrow."

Bout Tem years ago I picked up a SIP migmate for $150 at a Swap meet the regulator was stuffed but I was given another reg by a mate. (I'm told you can use Oxy regs.
Blew A diode bout 6years ago. Then the torch over heated and the gass pass gog blocked, Ihave bodgied it up with a piece of coke can. But I should look for a new torch.
I have learnt a lesson in economics though a whent to buy a roll of std wire small one was bout $10 or $12 big one was bout $20 four or five times larger. so I got the big one. It didn't fit my machine. So I had to wind from the large spool to my old empty small spool. 8 years & a still haven't finished that large spool. The winding is a basted of a job. Next time i'll buy the small one.
The rental is bout $100 a year not good value for me but its there when I need to use it. Most of the time it works too. But I'm not good with it takes me an hour to get it set up & working propery & not blow holes in things every where.
ALWAYs weld on clean steel.
My 2c
Paul

Oh that reminds me, I did a quick mod to my welder. Made up a little removable piece to hold a mini spool. Supercrap sells mini spools and is open on a sunday

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"Life is not like a box of chocolates... it's more like a jar of jalapenos. Whatever you do today, may burn your arse tomorrow."