8 replies to this topic

[finch661]

Hello all, sorry if this has been covered before, but i came across this on amazon;

 

http://www.amazon.co...&pf_rd_i=468294

 

its a kit that allows you to do plug welds very easily using a standard mig welder?

 

there a few vids on youtube, but only from the manufacturer?

 

just wondering if anyone has used them before?

 

thanks

 

Rich

[newenglandmini]

I don't see the value of this kit.  You can use standard mole grips to clamp the material.  The only purpose of the special tip is to provide a stand-off distance for the welder.  You can do this easily by hand.

[finch661]

thats what i was thinking, it just looks so easy in the vids lol (and my plug welds are crap :) )

Edited by finch661, 12 February 2015 - 03:05 PM.

[mini13]

the money would be better spent on one of these I think.

 

http://www.frost.co....hole-punch.html

[sonikk4]

The only thing with the hole punch they are 5/32 and not really big enough. A 3/16th or 1/4" hole is better, the joggle part however is well worth having. 

[greenwheels]

I've got version of the special tip which is usefull when plug welding in an awkward place as you just press and squirt, usually with a gloved hand to shield, but this is a bit expensive!!

[newenglandmini]

This is even better.  I've made hundreds of spot weld holes with this.

 

http://www.harborfre...-tool-1110.html

[Mini Waco]

Hey Finch.. I asked the exact some question to more informative welding folk.  The answer I received made sense to me.  "The main problem is the amount of heat introduced when using a mig plug weld....this can result in panel warping and buckling.  A conventional spot welder introduces a lot less heat.  Also they mention how uniform the welds are, this is nothing to do with teh attachment but how neatly the holes are drilled to enable the plug weld....."

 

Hope that helps

[Ben_O]

thats what i was thinking, it just looks so easy in the vids lol (and my plug welds are crap :) )

If your plug welds are not working out, then it is more likely to be the way your machine is set up than what shroud you are using.

 

If the machine is set up well, the holes are not to big and you have the panels clamped tightly and cleaned up perfectly, you should get perfect results every time by holding the torch in the way you would using the special shroud.

 

Personally, i hold my torch a little further away and once the weld starts to pool, i move the torch round in a circle. That's the way i was taught to do it and it works every time. 

You can hold the shroud with your free hand (wearing a gauntlet obviously) and rest the side of your hand against the panel to keep it steady.

 

The only time it doesn't is if i have't got the welder set just right

 

Ben

Edited by Ben_O, 13 February 2015 - 08:00 AM.