Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello; I’m looking on advice on a MIG machine. I used to have high pressure stick tickets but not for 30 years. I have some time on MIG, Dual Shield and TIG.

My 1966 sailboat has a mild steel rudder that is badly pitted with some holes. I have to repair in situ and am looking at at 110V Lincoln 140. Some of the weld will be done overhead (with my head in a hole so I can get to the underside while the boat sits in her cradle). Most will be vertical.

The plate, where sound, is about 1/4 inch but of course the holes (<1/4 dia) have feather edges. I see I have the option of a flux core or solid wire with gas.

Also: can these small machines be run like a dual shield?

Any thoughts will be much appreciated. Thanks.

no, they can't. About the smallest machine that will run a dual shield is a 200 amp class machine like the Lincoln 210MP, with 0.035 dual shield. The problem is that sometimes the 10 lb spools of 0.035 dual shield wire are expensive and can be difficult to come by

Thanks. The local Lincoln dealer sold me on the 140 and then sent me to Home Depot to save CAN$350. A few more plastic parts in the retail version.

Cheers

forgive me a bit here, but why mig?
the application is perfect for stick, it sounds like you have the skills for it and it certainly saves dragging gas bottles around.