Welding???

[KingPaul]

What is the best type of welding to use for Mini Bikes? Can a Mig welder be used?

KingPaul

 

[Big Boi]

MIG is perfect IMO.

TIG is for more intricate work, like gas tanks, aluminum, etc.. You could even use an arc welder, but there might be a lot of splatter and the welds arent as "pretty."

 

[jim fallon]

i agree mig welding is easier then tig and cleaner then stick tig is best for aluminum and very specific welds mig is great all round and it is affordable to buy and use ...

 

[Von Zipper]

Counting from best to not: Tig, Mig, Stick, oxy/act.
There is a reason why dragsters and aircraft are tigged.

 

[Oldsalt]

I suppose then that the answer to welding up 7/8 inch O.D. minibike tubing is to get a $3K TIG welder. Is that how minibikes are all built at the factory?

 

[Hent]

I suppose then that the answer to welding up 7/8 inch O.D. minibike tubing is to get a $3K TIG welder. Is that how minibikes are all built at the factory?

:laugh::laugh:

I'd go with a gas mig setup. :thumbsup:

 

[Fat Boy]

Counting from best to not: Tig, Mig, Stick, oxy/act.
There is a reason why dragsters and aircraft are tigged.

there is a lot of vintage airplanes still flying that were welded with oxy/act. it is a little more of a challenge to weld with but will do a fine job of frame building .

 

[mc73cromags]

Mig is great all around welder! Clean and fast for mild steel, It can also be used to weld aluminum if you get the proper gas and liner for your machine! Tig is great and super clean looking, but is extremely time consuming, and a tig set up big$$$$$. Mig is the way to go if your on a budget

 

[boristheblade]

Tig is best for control, it is also the most expensive - prohibitively so unless you can justify it for use in a business. Mig is the best all around - good control, reasonable maintainability and easy to learn. Oxy is the second lowest cost and takes some time to learn, but can do very good welding. Stick is dirt cheap, but sucks for control and small jobs - best left for construction.

 

[mxwelder]

There is a reason why dragsters and aircraft are tigged.

I know a retired Air Force General, former F-16 pilot. He has a Masters in aerospace engineering.

He tells me that the preferred method (per the FAA book) for homebuilt, experimental aircraft is oxy-acetylene.

How do I know this? I taught him how to gas weld so that he could work on his own airplanes.

Google "Meco Midget"...this is the preferred oxy/acetylene torch of aircraft frame welders.

FWIW, I have TIG welded on dragster frames, and I would have thought that TIG would be the preferred method for small home-built aircraft, until the General enlightened me.

Having said that...I agree with Hent and others...

A nice, smaller MIG, with gas capability, is probably all that most mini-bike guys need...:smile: