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I'm trying to get my forge welded together to no avail. Either people say they can't do the steel part or they tell me to come back......the one place that has said they will do want £200 to weld it together. I'm being particularly Scottish about this because I've always wanted to learn to weld so sort of figure this is a good time to do it.

Any suggestions? I've tried the local college, their course starts in Septemeber each year but I want to use the forge before then.

Been reading up a bit and think a MIG is the way to go but I'm pants at electrics.........what wattage/ampage/voltage etc should i go for? And any other helpful suggestions. In the meantime I'm off looking for another training establishment.

I'm sure an expert will be along shortly but I spect you're right about MIG being the way to go in which case if it is remote from the house make sure the supply to it is hefty enough.

An 180 amp MIG should be more than enough for most home jobs, welding up to 5mm thick steel and can be run off domestic 13a supply ..unless it's used on high settings for long periods! then a dedicated 16a supply should be installed, plus they are set up for a large size co2 / argoshield bottle instead of the crap small things.
But with all things you get what you pay for so buy the best your money will get...have a word with your local welding supplies shop I'm sure they will have some good advice and maybe do a good deal on a small machine ...many shops will let you try them out in house before you buy.

Why not fix your forge with straps of 5x25mm steel bar drilled and bolted ..a classic blacksmiths bodge ha ha.

someones just suggested an MMA welder as being a better option. Thicker sheets can be welded but messier........slag to be removed. Ho hum, I have enough trouble making up my mind when I know what I'm doing......

as okamoto says a 180 amp mig is plenty big enough for diy, machine mart do a good range,try and get one with a cooling fan and once you've got your wire speed right and keep the tip clean it's a doddle.

By forge what do you mean.

The best forges use charcoal, ie making forged steel products.

Or do you mean the modern equivalent?

Tig, Mig, which are used to join things together.

They are cheaper to buy and run but harder to use, regarding slag to remove...if its's welded properly the slag peels itself off mostly.

you could get both! ...a good mig for ease of use on light gauge steel etc, then a cheap stick one for hefty jobs.

Forge Gio !!.....some of the horses out of his falco need re-shoeing

*snigger* his *snigger*

Gio, Forge. Based on an american design, it is a proper blacksmithing forge [albeit in bits] with a blower to change the intensity of the fire. It will use coke to produce the fire and rather than firebricks around the outside you can use compacted coom [sp?] used for making tools and varying other items from scratch from plain bars of metal. I'm not sure what you mean by a modern equivalent unless you mean a gas forge?

Thanks Okamoto, from what you've said it sounds like a stick welder is going to be the way to go, I can go down to thinnish metals but for the heftier furniture work I will still be able to fix things safely.

Okamoto wrote:Forge Gio !!.....some of the horses out of his falco need re-shoeing

His?

I think you should rephrase that

ah, so that's what Gio has been in hossie for........... gender realignment

Myrkk wrote:ah, so that's what Gio has been in hossie for........... gender realignment

Peter says :

yeah got a clit and fanny now

actually I think it was for a total frontal lobotomy Myrkk..... he's almost unrecgonisable in his smutty ways now

he's almost as dirtily humourous as the rest of us now

soz Myrkk, nice to see he can derail a thread about welding as well as he can about 3 piece suites