This is my welding machine. It's just a little 110vac mig welder. Made in Italy with the fantastic name "Powermig Astro Power". I got it back in college when I was still racing cars. I had never welded before, but I had a racecar that wouldn't pass technical inspection without having something welded, and I couldn't find a welder. I decided then and there to learn how to weld. I bought this little guy in 1991, and learned. Well, I think I killed it this past weekend while working on my frame. I had been welding for about 30 minutes straight when it suddenly started making some horrible noises, like plastic gears that had stripped and were running past each other. Just terrible. The wire would still feed, but I could not strike an arc. No spark, no heat, no melting metal. Sad. I'm going to see if I can figure it out, but I fear it may be time to look for a new little welding machine.
Here's the last thing we were working on together. I had cut the frame to level it, then I welded it back together. I decided to weld a steel plate across the cut, just to add more strength since I've had to do so much cutting and welding on this area. The weld on the right was done first, and it looked pretty ugly, so I turned the wire feed speed up a hair and layed that pretty weld on the left. What a shame. I was finally starting to get the hang of welding with my little red buddy.
This is my welding machine. It's just a little 110vac mig welder. Made in Italy with the fantastic name "Powermig Astro Power". I got it back in college when I was still racing cars. I had never welded before, but I had a racecar that wouldn't pass technical inspection without having something welded, and I couldn't find a welder. I decided then and there to learn how to weld. I bought this little guy in 1991, and learned. Well, I think I killed it this past weekend while working on my frame. I had been welding for about 30 minutes straight when it suddenly started making some horrible noises, like plastic gears that had stripped and were running past each other. Just terrible. The wire would still feed, but I could not strike an arc. No spark, no heat, no melting metal. Sad. I'm going to see if I can figure it out, but I fear it may be time to look for a new little welding machine.
Here's the last thing we were working on together. I had cut the frame to level it, then I welded it back together. I decided to weld a steel plate across the cut, just to add more strength since I've had to do so much cutting and welding on this area. The weld on the right was done first, and it looked pretty ugly, so I turned the wire feed speed up a hair and layed that pretty weld on the left. What a shame. I was finally starting to get the hang of welding with my little red buddy.
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2 comments:
RIP, little red buddy. I'm sure happy with my little red one. When you are looking for a replacement check out the Lincoln Power-Mig 140C.
Steve,
Thanks. I'll check it out. I want to stay with a 110 welder since my garage doesn't have 220, and I think since my garage power lines are run underground, it might be difficult to convert. I don't have a breaker box in the garage, either. Maybe one of those trailer mounted ex-military welder / generators would be nice. You never know when you might need to weld inch thick boiler plate.
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