6 replies to this topic

[fishy1]

Basically, I want to build a go cart, pedalled by two people with an electirc motor optional. Any advice appricatited. BTW, just how dangerous/hard is welding? I plan to get a few lessons and then get a welder. I will use this as my personal thread to post how it goes.

[ProfHawking]

2 people?
You are probably better off getting a couple of old bikes, and welding them together than trying to adapt a go-kart.

As for welding, its easy enough, you need to choose a type if you are going to get lessons.

Arc-Welding machines are cheap but dont do a very clean job

Oxy-Acetaline welding uses gas which is sometimes hard to order, the welds can be very neat, but best suited to smaller work. Other tools like a "gas axe" or cutting tool are also handy.

Mig-welding is similar to arc welding, but automatically fed. (you also need a small gas bottle) I'd say this is the most popular type of welding, due to the quality of the welds it produces and the ease of use.

TIG-Welding is mainly for aluminium, and quite specialist. This is the only one ive not tried, and its prob not a good place to start.

If i had the space to get one, i'd prob go mig.

[fishy1]

2 people?
You are probably better off getting a couple of old bikes, and welding them together than trying to adapt a go-kart.

As for welding, its easy enough, you need to choose a type if you are going to get lessons.

Arc-Welding machines are cheap but dont do a very clean job

Oxy-Acetaline welding uses gas which is sometimes hard to order, the welds can be very neat, but best suited to smaller work. Other tools like a "gas axe" or cutting tool are also handy.

Mig-welding is similar to arc welding, but automatically fed. (you also need a small gas bottle) I'd say this is the most popular type of welding, due to the quality of the welds it produces and the ease of use.

TIG-Welding is mainly for aluminium, and quite specialist. This is the only one ive not tried, and its prob not a good place to start.

If i had the space to get one, i'd prob go mig.

I'm building rather than adopting a go-kart.

[dr thrust]

mig weldings your best bet for thin walled tube, sheet metal ect your best buying a book on welding to understand wire speeds, gases ,torch position, ect and i'am afraid there is no subsitute for pratice,i got the" book",the "mig"a fan cooled one the best,and totaly restored a 1970 mustang!, two full floor pans,rear quarters, outer wheel wells boot floor,rear panel, front inner wings,chassis rails,torque boxes,sills,radiator support, and never mig welded before,also it depends where your welding if migging your best inside they dont like drafts,wind ect it blows away the sheilding gas,arc welding is better suited to thicker metals,it just blows holes it thinner stuff!

[digger]

I agree that mig is prob the best for your application, mainly because it is very fast and relatively easy. I have a MIG and a TIG (that can also do arc). By far and away the best weld is with the TIG and contrary to common misconception it is very easy to use. It is a bit like hot soldering and incredibly controllable for penetration etc and if it looks a bit of a mess simply go back over it without using a filler rod and smooth it out. But the draw back is that it is much slower than mig and you have to use both of your hands so welding clamps become very useful as a third hand when offering tubes up to each other.

P.S. don't just buy the cheapest welder from B&Q, do a little research and buy something half decent and you will be surprised how much you will use it over the coming years. I even knocked out the frame for my ball mill with the ARC welder (when you just got to lay allot of metal down fast without having to do any setup of gas wire feed etc its great).

Get the welder get the video and do a load of test welds and you will be doing decent welds in no time at all.

Good luck

P.S. books such as this may be of some help building a beach buggy

Edited by digger, 11 July 2007 - 10:15 PM.

[EnigmaticBiker]

Basically, I want to build a go cart, pedalled by two people with an electirc motor optional. Any advice appricatited. BTW, just how dangerous/hard is welding? I plan to get a few lessons and then get a welder. I will use this as my personal thread to post how it goes.

It is dangerous if you aren't careful, you are dealing with vaporised/molten steel and high intensity UV light!
How hard depends how practical you are really and what you want to weld.

This site and its forum have helped me a great deal recently (I rebuild motorcycles) and has good tutorials.

www.mig-welding.co.uk/

[dr thrust]

anybody tried migging ali,phew i found it hard work, i had to weld up a crack in a 37 year old cast ali part,hmm wonder if theres any magnesium in it