Question about mig welder and plasma cutter

[texasrecurve]

I have always wanted to learn how to use both a mig welder and a plasma cutter and buy quality examples of each. I have a project in mind, a metal gate for a driveway entrance. Instead of paying someone to build it, I thought why not buy a mig and a plasma cutter and design/build it yourself. (A plasma cutter is needed because part of the gate will have a cut out design). Doable? What size/thickness square tubing should I look at, what size/model/brand of mig and cutter? I don't mind spending the money to buy quality that will last me for years and I don't want to start out with stuff I will want to upgrade any time soon. I want to buy it once and be done with it.

Anyone have any pictures of custom gates you have designed and built? How about a source for a simple dependable automatic opener? Thanks for the help!

[Joe H]

I have a miller 250...current model is 252 I believe...excellent welder....also have a thermal.dynamics plasma...also nice....buy one rated to cut thicker than you think you need....mine is a 3/4 cut and handles 1/2 like butter

[Ol Thumper]

I say go for it but cutting designs with a plasma free handed is an art form. Dont expect to buy one and be cutting pretty's at first, it will take practice and then some more. You could buy the welder and have the desings cut out and then weld it all together. Ive been playing with Plasma's a long time and I still cant cut out designs to my satisfaction.
Im running Miller 252's but a 212 is cheaper and do pretty much anything you want or need to do unless your planning on welding a lot or plan on running a spool gun for welding aluminum or stainless.

Ive build several gates but google is your friend for design ideas and openers. Go overkill on the opener to save frustrations down the road as well.

[big_smith]

I have 2 hobart migs and they are just fine for what you are talking about doing. I would love a plasma, but they are just too expensive for me to get one. I will tell you that you could have a heck of a gate custom made for what a plasma is going to cost you.

[Draco]

Instead of a plasma, you should get a torch set up and a chop saw. The price for these two would be about the same for a reasonable plasma. For free hand cutting on steel, a torch is about as good as a plasma. It's really not about which one you use but about your skill level with it. However, a plasma will not heat metal up to bend and form it so the torch is much more versatile to own.

Here is some pictures of gates I've built that have scenes cut with a torch. Most of this is 12 gauge and a couple are 11 ga.

[Draco]

While I am a pretty fair hand with a torch, I do know my limitations. Where there are many small cuts that need to be exact to look good, I will take it to a place that has a cnc plasma cutter. This gate has a wine glass and a beer stein on it that I thought needed that exact look to appear right. I had them done on a cnc plasma cutter and I did the middle and top with a torch.

[Draco]

For gate openers I would suggest an Apollo. They are made in San Antonio, have great customer service and are very dependable and easy to install.

When you design your gate, be sure to have a cross bar to hook the opener to that will not detract from the looks of the gate. You can see that this one is attached to the lower piece of the gate. If it needs to be higher then design the gate with a middle bar. You should also try to put the opener box onto the gate supports so that it will show up as little as possible.

Good luck on your gate project and PM me if you have any questions. Bob

[hotdog]

Have a Miller Mig & Miller cutmate plasma Use the heck out of both of them!!! Havent had any problems.

[mharris1]

On the welder, get a 220 volt, or you will be mad later. As said above , get a cutter rated for thicker than you want to cut. I have a hypotherm rated for 3/4 and love it. Remember--- you can do small stuff with a big machine, but you cant do big stuff with a small one.

[F250DSLPWR]

I have been welding a long time. I have both mig welders and also a plasma cutter. If the materials you are going to be welding are going to be thin such as tubing .25 or less, you can buy a 110v Lincoln mig welder and have great results with it. Some hard core welders will say to avoid the 110v machines, but these little welders have their place and actually work quite well. I have welded a ton with the it and never had a weld break. They are also really convenient since you may not always have 220v available. Now if you want the ability to weld heavier matherial absolutely go with 220v mig or a stick welder. I personally have different different machines setup to do different types of welding. You can also weld successfully using the flux core wire, you don't have to have the added expense of sheilding gas. The little 110v Lincoln has been one of my best and least expensive investments. I have used it everywhere including running it off a generator to weld fence braces out in the field. Miller and Hobart also make good machines, I have and use their brands also, they are very good machines.
For plasma cutting, go with a name brand such as hypertherm. You can make .125" masonite patterns and use them as a guide to cut with the plasma cutter especially if you want to produce multiple of the same metal art. For plasma cutting you will need a good air compressor with an air/water separator and an air dryer to get the best results. If you are in the Austin area, let me know and you can stop by, I can let you test out some welding.

[texasrecurve]

Hey thanks a lot, that's some good information and some very impressive work. I think this is something I'm going to try.

[Stan R]

I took a class from Leasure Learning in Houston several years ago. I have never looked back. I started with a Hobart 125.... I also have a Hobart 210. It came with a spool gun. I have welded everything from a hog traps, hunting blind mounted on a trailer, wine glass holders, audio racks, overhead pot rack, business card holders, coffee tables, end tables, and more.

I also have a generic 220 Plasma Cutter. I have only used it for one project but need to get it out again.

Also have a small set of bottles ... but have not used those much, so not that comfortable with those.

You will never regret learning!

[bwssr]

Can I borrow the plasma cutter?

[Doublelung]

I thinking of getting the same equipment. My research shows that Miller is some of the best equipment. I like the new Millermatic 211 with Auto set it will do both 110 and 220.
Also the Miller Plasma cutter Spectrum 375 x -treme will also do 110 and 220
here is link

[Stan R]

Can I borrow the plasma cutter?

You talking to me?