Clarke Mig 100E - Recommended!

[Kieran]

Recently I've been spending as much time as I can get away with attacking my Coupe, and my little MIG welder has been working overtime - but it's not once thrown a wobbly in the 2 years I've had it.

Before I got the Clarke unit I had a SIP Turbo - and it really was rubbish. The wire feed jammed with irritating regularity despite having new rollers and a torch liner and it was nigh-on impossible to set it correctly. And it lasted through about 18 months of very light duty work before the transformer blew up.

Despite being a lower spec unit, the Clarke's been absolutely brilliant. It was reasonably cheap, it's easy to set up, it's never overheated despite not being fan cooled and the instruction manual gives accurate recommendations on what power levels to use depending on the thickness of the steel you're using. Best of all it will weld thin, frilly 1970s Japanese car bodywork without blowing holes in it (provided you're quick with the torch!).

So.... If you want a beginner-friendly welder for your projects... You could do a lot worse than one of these!:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...iy-mig-welders

[miller]

Hows that retro yellow one coming along now then? Pics pleae!!

Mike

[peter thomson]

Yes the Clarke welders are very reliable. We bought the 120E back in the late 80's and it's still going strong.

[Kieran]

Hows that retro yellow one coming along now then? Pics pleae!!

Mike

Well, the roof's back together and the nearside just needs a little more sanding and profiling and it'll be ready for paint. This afternoon I finished welding up the nearside inner wing and that's now ready for grinding and a skim of filler to make it look nice.

Also removed the rear screen today and managed to get a section of the rubber out without damaging it - it's the same as the front so getting a fresh one should be easy, though I'll have to buy a length of rubber and cut to fit.

The grot around the rear window was fortunately less severe than the rust bubbles suggested. There's a couple of sections that require plating but it not the major surgery that the front was. Seems that the reason they bubbled up in the first place is because they'd been badly repaired in the past - filler on one side and lead oxide on the other!

Once that's all done it'll be time to give the sills and such underneath a closer look. I think they'll be okay - The car does have a very good layer of underseal on it which I think it the main reason it's not rotted away before now. Hopefully the body won't take much longer before I can start putting it back together... Then it'll be time to fettle the mechanicals. All I'm missing on that front is bushings... I think I've got the rest....

[miller]

hmmmmm nice messing withe lead oxide....thats gonna be one cool motor when its doen. i just love the classic jap cars. Make sure it stays yellow


Mike

[Kieran]

Yep, it's staying yellow.

With a vinyl top.

And lots of '70s chrome.

And wing-mounted rear view mirrors.

And the cool "I can't believe it's not real wood' vinyl-covered dashboard.

And Original Galant hubcaps and wheel trims!

It's going to be so very, very !!!!!

[pitslayer]

ive used clarke welders before and in my opinion, waste of time. used a few and couldnt find one decent enough to do body work, so i spent 200 quid on a lincoln my mate was selling cost about 3 or 4k i think it was. not looked back since, will weld through pretty much anything, you can set it right down to do body work aswell..... perfect for cars
ceboras are good welders, and dont buy a snap on welder its just a cebora with snap on stuff written on it making it worth a few more notes
and if you want a really heavy duty welder, get a 3 phase jag welder, on max ive seen one burn through 50mm bit of plate and blow the main electric 3 phase line into a massive workshop...top stuff

but thats just my experiences with them

[Mark 4]

Pitslayer is right, you get what you pay for. I have the same one as Kieran and for the DIY jobs that I do it's fine. Just need to store it well away from cold/damp.

If anyone is interested I am a dealer for Clarke and for paid up club members I will do a good deal.

Cheers
Mark.

[Kieran]

If anyone is interested I am a dealer for Clarke and for paid up club members I will do a good deal.

Cheers
Mark.

Okay - Can you beat Machine Mart's prices on Clarke's welder consumables?

[pitslayer]

i usually just get given my welding stuff lol

[psbarham]

If anyone is interested I am a dealer for Clarke and for paid up club members I will do a good deal.

really? i need a new pillar drill, a floor mounted one, with MT2/3, a good price on this would do http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...1f-drill-press

or a very good price on this one

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...1f-drill-press

[Mark 4]

Keep posting guys and as soon as we have enough to build a decent order I'll let you know the prices. I get better discounts with bigger orders.