Well, the other day i went out and bought myself a 85 amp wire feed arc welder, and I am damn proud of myself lol. I bought a new muffler (Magnaflow 5"x11"x26" Oval [2.5" in/out]) because my pacesetter without a cat was much too loud.

Unfortunately noone would install the muffler, saying it was too large to fit, and one guy at a muffler shop said it would "hit my rear control arm" (pointing at my Torque Forward Rear Stabilizer). As much as i fought with them they refused to put it on, so I went out and got my own welder, which i do not regret at all.

I installed and welded the muffler myself with absolutely no experience or guidance from anyone else. Here's what it looks like:

(It's pretty damn obvious my welding skills suck, but i think for my first time without help I did good.)

 

looks like you could have used a little more heat on that weld....but none the less....its your first time, and if it works...what more could you want, its not like ne one is gonna see that thing!!!

 

Yeah, no leaks either!

 

what.....you dont want leaks.....but thats how civics get all their "bad ass" tone....and everyone knows that the first rule of rice is......

1. if it sounds loud, annoying, and makes the car rattle.....thats a 100 hp boost (5055059 hp if your talking civic)

 

yikes.. a little more heat next time

 

I had it on as high as it went lol

Maybe i should trade for a higher model?

 

welll.....we are obviously talking MIG here....and by the looks of that weld, and the fact that it was on high....if you plan on doing alot of steel work, then trade it up......if you sticking to aluminum and other lower melting point metals then keep what you have

 

how's it sound man?

 

That is a welder without gas right? If you trade up, make sure you get one that is a gas MIG welder.

 

Its half as loud, and has a LOT deeper tone now

 

that welder cost me $150, arent gas welders like $500? lol

 

you can get some small wire feed gas MIG's for like 300...............but if you plan on doing alot of high gauge steel like your exaust, then its a must!!!

 

Depends on brand, but then you would have to find a place to rent a gas tank and fill it, which can sometimes be expensive.

You wouldn't need an expensive one for just exhaust and other thin metals.

 

I have a Miller millermatic 115V with gas that i bought for $400, Which is one of the better brands of welders. but i mainly use mine for fabrication and some exhaust work.

 

i love that little welder...i kicks some serious Azz...i use the same one

 

They are pretty good little welders, ive gotten good use out of mine. made a full exhaust for my old cavy, and charge piping for when it was turbo'd.

 

you should go back to the guys who said it couldn't be done and be like "Woot bitch, I got that **** done myself!"

Also, sound clips?

 

I know, I should!

I'll get sound clips up if I ever get a chance

 

Not bad for a first time...I finally tacked up my rear tip of my Silverado after over a year of letting it hang. I paid 2 people $20 to fix it and it broke again. Finally, just went up to the father-in-law's and did my thing. Damn axel will break before the tips come off.

Pile it on man, that's why we have grinders to remove the excess.

 

Hakabuse,

If you have ANY welding questions, send me a note. The advice you've received thus far (too put it mildly) is...... well......... horseshit.
I'm a Red Seal journyman pressure welder by day, and your welding photo is akin to looking at dismembered babies as far as I'm concerned. You can do much better.
Let me know what kind of metal your dealing with, and we could go from there. Your "machine" is limited in it's capabilities but HEAT isn't one of them when it comes to lightwall tubing. 85 AMPS is TOO MUCH jam!
Drop me a line. jmarinerhorn@hotmail.com

 

I'm not even a welder and that weld job looks a little ragged. But hey, For your first time, it's amazing that you got the thing on there and it stayed. Welding aint an easy job.
I would definitely ask someone with lots of welding experience. JMH sounds like he knows his stuff. You might also consider running it down to a local high school, vo-tech or college shop. They might be cool enough to look at it. They've got the equipment, they know how to use it, and they're usually pretty open about custom work.

 

It's on there good, trust me. I had to leave it hanging by only the exhaust pipe for a few days while I worked on some hangars for it, and it didnt fall off, and that muffler weighs 25 pounds!

Today I was able to finish my hangars, and it looks great! It looks like stock, and has a good tone, and it also is still a straight through 2.5" muffler, without the insane sound levels of not having a cat!

I just wish I had some more room to work with because I want a tip. Right now I have about 3" of space to add a tip, anyone know where I can find a tip thats 3"? lol

 

Yea man i would definetly trade up to a bigger welder with the gas hookup. Its a must. I would go with a lincoln but thats just what i use at school and are great little welders. Miller and Hobart are great also. Talk to JMH he seems like he knows his ****.

 

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be an a-hole It's an amazing first effort! Most people would have blown holes though it, and made a larger problem for themselves.
None the less, if you have any questions for future projects let me know.

All the best.

 

I agree with JMH, it looks to me like the just had the wire feed way too high. also welding with flux core can be a little more challenging. Theres more factors too, maybe what you where welding to was a little rusty or dirty. It takes practice i remember when i first started welding. Its a fine balance of amperage and wire feed, and having sheilding gas helps a lot too. (less weld spatter) Also welding up a butt joint like that is much harder than making a lap weld or a T joint. Its easier to burn thru, and nevermind the fact that you where also welding upside down which adds to the degree of difficulty because of gravity. Anyways nice job lets hear some sound! ;-)