I recently picked up a Millermatic 211 and and very impressed with it so far. I’ve even started making my welding cart. The thing that makes it more of a PIA to use is that I don’t have any decent squares or clamps.

What types are the welders in the forum using? I saw the squares at Fireball Tools; they look pretty nice, but are a bit pricey. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind paying for quality and don’t have a problem with a “buy once, cry once” mentality (I DID get a Miller), but I’m just not familiar with what is out there.

Clamps especially appear to be all over the place on type and price. Only the magnetic ones don’t seem to appeal to me- seems like a crappy way to securely align metal parts for welding.

The magnets are good to have, more of a "help me hold this while I tack it" thing than a clamp thing. They're cheap enough to get a variety of sizes.

I've fairly recently re-started welding after a 30+ year gap. It seems "what clamp you need" is EVERYTHING, because what I have never seems to be quite what I need.


I really don't have much in the way of "welding clamps". A bunch of antique C clamps. I did buy a bunch of large Strong Hand vice grip type C clamps this spring while doing frame repair, and they've worked out well enough, quality seems good for the price. Better than the Irwin/Vice grip ones I have IMO.

Those squares/fixtures look nice, but lordy I'm not doing anything that would justify that cost. If you used them daily/weekly, sure.

My dad always used us kids as clamps or helpers when he was welding. He built his first well drilling rig right in the back yard of our house. As a well driller and then focusing on pumps, he did a lot of welding, mostly he had things like https://store.cyberweld.com/ho...4&utm_content=Hobart

And a few magnets.

I'd go down to some local welding shops and talk to them. What do most of the pro welders buy, and why, and what the shop store likes.

This also gives you a chance to play touchy-feely with the clamps or anything else, etc, before you lay out your hard earned money.

I used to sell welders and plasma cutters and related stuff, once upon a time when I was younger, so I don't believe I have any up to date particular recommendations.

Enjoy your new hobby, and best wishes to you.

I have a flat iron table and use a variety of machinist squares that I've picked up used in most cases.
Unless you are doing a lot of other angles some simple 90 degree items work fine with C clamps or vice grips to hold the parts in place.

A couple of Bessey ClassiX clamps. They aren't cheap. They're made in Germany, IIRC, but they will last a lifetime.

Fireball tools are great but I couldn't justify the cost. I am a DIY welder so I get by with the cheap Menards magnets, c clamps, and vice clamps for most things. I use my metal pony clamps for bigger stuff if need be.

Yeah "what and where" will play a big part in what you buy. If you're welding in a shop/garage and make/build a welding table, you can get clamps that work in conjunction with your table top.

I'm a driveway welder, 80% of my welding is automotive, probably half of that is on vehicle, so clamps and jigs don't help me much. Not to say I don't want them. To under car driveway welders I say buy duplicates of everything. Pliers, brushes, chipper/hammers. Then bring them all with you, because invariably I find myself in some position where I can't find or reach something I need.

I would start saving for a TIG welder. Wire feed is great for many projects, but for intricate welding nothing beats a TIG. LOTS of used welders around, some for great prices.

A friend recently bought an older Lincoln TIG/stick welder with High Frequency, so he can do aluminum, stainless, everything. Paid $200 for everything but the argon bottle. It is a heavy, older unit but works great.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
I would start saving for a TIG welder. Wire feed is great for many projects, but for intricate welding nothing beats a TIG. LOTS of used welders around, some for great prices.

I thought about getting an all-in-one type welder that can do MIG/TIG/stick, but it seems like a lot of those end up doing all of those OK, rather than a dedicated machine doing its job really well. Plus, most of my work isn't fine detail.

His does all types of TIG and stick, but not MIG. Very reliable, that one was probably 40 years old. Very smooth to weld with.

IMO, a TIG/stick welder, plus a separate MIG would be best.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:

IMO, a TIG/stick welder, plus a separate MIG would be best.

Don't tempt me! This is getting expensive enough already. I already caught myself eyeballing a plasma cutter.

IF you want TIG, get a dedicated TIG, IMO. The MIG/TIG all-in-ones are usually lift or strike TIG, no pedal, no HF start & DC-only.

I was in the market for a light-duty MIG and found Yeswelder. In researching their MIG205, I found they they had a kickstarter for basically Their MIG205 + a plasma cutter for $500. I should have one before the end of the year, depending on the slow boat from China (or more likely, how long the port delay is). It comes with a lift-tig setup, but I doubt I will use it much, if at all.

Better a used old model than a scratch start TIG. Old ones work very well, they are just not portable. Also you will eventually want to weld aluminum, which requires AC and high frequency. A quality new welder for aluminum would cost a lot.

Only trouble with ones built in the last 10-20 years is that sometimes a circuit board goes out, and they can be expensive. One should do research before buying a used welder.

My friend bought one of these for $200:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/30415...7&LH_ItemCondition=4

The seller had only used it for stick welding, and he did not have an argon bottle for testing. So he sold it for $200 rather than $400-$500 which would be a more typical price. Craigslist is where I would look for a used unit.

Used clamps are cheaper than new. I use vise-grips with the deep throat and reach, like two capital “C” facing each other. Some have swivel pads that work as well. Magnets hold for tacking, but then take them off. Mine will actually distort the arc when it gets close.
Clamps that have copper colored threads are made for welding. The copper plating is supposed to keep weld spatter from sticking to the threads. With some success….
Don’t think about a TIG yet. Spend time and money mastering MIG. MIG will do an awful lot of what you need. Probably 90% or more. Think about TIG after you master MIG and stick welding.
C-clamps are good for welding too, just try to keep them away from the spatter as mentioned before. Heavily greasing the threads will help them, but now they are a mess to handle.
Practice. Get scrap metal from the Scrap Yard or recycle stuff. After welding all of that stuff take it to the yard, sell it back and get some more.
Miller makes good welders. Mine is a 251. Great machine. I used a rag to keep airflow from going into the spool area, keeping the spool wire clean and rust free. Rust on the wire is bad. Get as big a gas cylinder as you can. Bigger is cheaper for gas and it lasts longer. Buy or rent, but know that the supplier makes his money renting.