Port and polish

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

yeah that all makes sense just trying to work out whether i should get my stock gpx125 head ported and polished or just get the tb head and be down with it. to be honest i dont have the confidence to port it myself as i really dont wanna f@ck anything up lol

 

[zwebx]

Honestly you wont if you use a dremel with a floppy disk or a sand paper dremel bit (diamond bits can go crazy some times to it takes a prepared and a little practice to use them)
just don't touch the 45 angle and you will be fine

 

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

and i dont have the tools mentioned lol so i guess im weighing up the cost to tool up as well... its not a urgent thing either im just trying to be prepared for when my eldest son decides he needs more power lol. maybe i should buy the tools and have a play with the stuffed type r head just to get the practice..

 

[zwebx]

Yeah for sure, i weighed up the cost also for larger valve seats and whatnot.. it ended up being a little cheaper to just buy the head and alot less work
still want to buy the tools and diy though

 

[Cordogs]

IMO a man can never have too many tools, it'll pay for itself eventually! Unless your 70 of coarse. learning to work with metal is a great skill to have. Welding, turning, linishing, polishing. It helps to have some one who's in the know to guide you, but the time you put in will be an investment in future endeavours.

 

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

yeah cheers cordogs i really need to learn to weld but dont have the cash for a mig... what is linishing? i am generally pretty good with my hands just like to have some one thats done it before run me through it once before i dive in.

 

[Blender]

yeah, weldings awesome, it really opens you up to the whole custom fab work that is sometimes involved with pitbikes. just recently my exhaust mount snapped off, so i took my bike home a welded it back on and realised i would of had to pay 10+ bucks to get that done, but i was lucky enough to be able to do it myself

 

[Cordogs]

Linishing=sanding !
This is a hand linisher,

I prefer a pneumatic tools, IMO there better only because if you have a shed with a decent compressor, pretty well all your tools are plug n play with no power cords. Providing you oil them from time to time!
Hence why I don't have an Lxr! Saving for a shed!
There's plenty of support on here mate as far as fabrication goes, Craig (my67xr) myself, Brendo, Nick, plus others ( in now particular order) that can point you In the right direction.

Give it a go mate, it's a passion after all. Might as well learn!

 

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

thanks for clearing that one up mate...il def have a go at it will research the threads on the site... and yeah ive noticed theres a few good fabricators on here.

 

[Cordogs]

There's a lot of stigma against cheap welders, it completely depends on what you want to use it for.

 

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

well im into cars as well and want to learn how to weld panels as i got a flat tray that needs some body work thats why i havent gone out and got a cheapy

 

[Cordogs]

Ok so stick is outa the question, so your after a mig. I've got some panel work that I need to do on my Jeep so I got myself a Gas/gasless mig that's more than enough to do the job. Gas itself is expensive to hire, you can get disposable bottles but there supper expensive for what they are and if you don't have then dialled in properly the gas runs out super quick! Trust me!

I was a little impatient for advise on buying mine, even though it's worked a treat for me I'm sure you could find a better one for the price if your patient! I payed $300 for mine.

 

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

yeah i actually have a stick welder just havnt played with it yet a mate gave it to me lol... il hunt around and see what i can find as far as mig goes... do i need a gas/gasless one or could i skip the gas? as i said im a noob when it comes to welding did wood work instead of metal work at school rather stupidly considering how much i need metal work skills now.

 

[Cordogs]

I'm in the building trade now mate, honestly being in the know with timber is no disadvantage! It all comes down to saving yourself cash as far as I'm concerned, wether it be timber or steel, you will eventually get the ****s with it so pleasure is out the door!

My words of wisdom! (Could be wrong too)
Don't cheap to much on tools - you get what you pay for. Be patient learn to save!

 

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

yeah im glad i can work the timber but it would look pretty funny bolting all my **** up to a wooden frame lmao...
and i learnt that good tools are everything in my time as a roofer, i dropped a dewalt screw gun about a 120 ft onto a concrete floor picked it up bent the battery tab back over and away it went so yeah definately get what u pay for

 

[Blender]

There's a lot of stigma against cheap welders, it completely depends on what you want to use it for.

At my school they bought a cheap ebay welder for 220 a gasless mig and they didnt really know what they were buying, so it was kinda a waste of money. the thing to look out for when buying a welder is the "duty" time, or the amount of time it will run until overheating and switching off. on expensive/decent welders the duty time is higher, but on the one we had at school, it was like 5 mins max, and when you cranked it up to weld real thick steel, it would last for like 1-2 minutes and u'd have to wait like 10 minutes for it to cool. so thats what i always look for when buying all forms of power tools

 

[my67xr]

with the cheap welders, a high cfm fan set up to blow through the vents of the welders' case can do wonders.
my first Mig was a 130A gas/gasless, i mainly used the gasless flux cored wire for the first year.
it'd only really over heat with the voltage/feed turned up, and also was quick to turn off on days over 35 degrees.
the biggest problem using it was splatter, and the heat of the weld, it buckled thin stuff to quick.
the gasless welds dont look too nice either!


i have a 180A CIG Mig now, and use .6 wire with argoshield light gas.
the bottle costs me close on $200 per year just for rental, (has doubled in 13 years) then the $100 odd for a refill
i have used 4 bottles now since december last year.


the flux cored .8 wire is expensive too, a 5kg roll was $80 iirc,
my .6 gas wire is about $35 for a 15kg roll when on special

 

[gottagetacheaperhobby]

can u recommend a good mig to buy at a reasonable price? or any particular brands to steer clear of?

 

[my67xr]

i would go for a decent brand, CIG/BOC, Lincoln, and get the biggest Amperage one you can afford.

a mate has an older version of this, best thing is it is portable (size of a small suitcase)
Lincoln Power MIG 180C MIG Welder | eBay

this one is a basic, Gassless only mig, would be a cheapish first/learning mig for you.
NEW Dynamic Power 130Amp MIG Gasless Welder Welding Machine Tool | eBay


buying a better Mig, in years to come you will still be able to buy parts for it, if it needs repairs.
mine has only needed a new liner for the gun which was about $20, and a heap of tips for it too, @ $5 each
being a Panel Beater/Fabricator i have given my Mig quite a hard time over the last 13 years.


don't forget to buy a decent helmet,
i have a few Automatic Darkening helmets (available new now from $50)
and buy some spare Tips for your gun, a pair of pliers, and a set of Welding tips cleaners.

 

[lil_fmx_kid]

Personally I'd stay away from gasless migs and gassless wire. For easy to use I'd go wia or Lincoln.