[rocknthehawk]

just wondering, but how old are you?

I bought my welder in june( iwas 15) and i went with the Millermatic 175. It uses the bigger outlet, but it was worth the extra money. the variable voltage is SO much better. i've used a hobart handler 135, and the difference can really be felt. As for shielding gas or not, you will definetly want it if you are working on a car. the gas (most likely 70/30 or 75/25 Co2, Argon) will make the weld clean, and less pourus. Welding aluminium can be done fairly easily(it isnt THAT expensive) but it requires different wire, and a spool gun, and different gas( it costs toget started, but it is cheaper from there). Also, aluminium under 1/2" probably shouldnt be welded with a MIg, mainly because you dont have the heat settings like on a TIG welder. Also, ( i know at least with the millermatic 175) you can weld stainless steel.

As to doing it on your car, you'll want to have the shielding gas (i dont know if you know anything about bodywork), and after you weld the replacement panel or patch, you'll want ot grind your welds, and then use a fiberglass body filler (commonly refered to as 'tiger tail' or 'kitty fur') so as not to have it rot away. if you use a standard body filler(i.e. bondo), it can get wet and expand and ruin your fresh paint job. also, the fiberglass filler will prevent water from reaching your welds. use the fibergalss (let it set up, it will get warm and then it cools down) right after it cools, you'll want to rough it up with 80 grit sandpaper. if you wait it will be like sanding concrete, and you'll have to grind it, which means fiberglass on your skin, which equals painful red itchy bumps (trust me i found out the hard way). sand the filler until it is level with the rest of the car, or just a little low ( if you see metal, you'll want to stop, this means that is a high spot, so you have to fill to level the rest to that). if you sand it a little low (less than 1/8"), you can then use a regular body filler, doing just a skim coat, and then snading that with 180 grit paper. you may then want to use what is called "poly putty" a thick primer that mixes the same way as body filler, but is much thinner. if you are comfortable without using it, you can use roll on primer (slightly thicker than spray-on primer) and then go from there. Primer will fill 180 grit scratches, but nothing less than that. hope that helps a little bit!