Wow! That's a lot of questions all at once! Well thanks for attempting any answers at all. I am getting ahead of myself as usual since I haven't even chosen a welding machine to buy yet. If you try to weld that in one go, the metal will expand ahead of you and the gap will grow. You'll want to do i...

As a fellow Scotsman (born Brechin/Forfarshire) I've passed that way a fair bit as I live in Aberdeen and have family in Fife. What's it like trying to rent workshop premises in that part of the country? You don't live there now? Aberdeen is the most expensive place in Scotland to rent property. We...

Peter, my response was aimed at the idea of the capacity to do aluminum at some future date, so I didn't hit at the task at hand. Talking of which I've produced this image to show the welding task required. http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9696/as44.jpg So the task (in imperial units) is to weld ...

I've never figured out how to appropriately apply "duty cycle" to a hobby/small scale situation. I look from a productivity side... If what I'm welding will take seven minutes, then three minutes to set up the next weld (hypthetical example), and requires 120A to weld, then my machine mus...

I am across the pond from you, and am unable to comment on the specific brands available to you, but I'll offer the following general comments. Understood Steve and thanks. Pulsed TIG is an excellent solution for the task at hand. A very tightly and squarely fitted joint will not require filler met...

I've done a bit of gas oxy-acetylene welding years ago. I was doing DIY repairs to my car rusty-sheet-metal body-work, bought the O/A kit and taught myself how to use it, after a fashion. The welds were OK for my purpose at the time but in no way "invisible", in no way forming a smooth joi...