Not true, I built my locost out of 1.6mm wall tube, with CO2 using a dodgy
2nd hand mig welder with absolutely "no" experience of welding. It turned out great and in the 6 years it's been on the road, hardly anything's fallen off ;)
The welds are a bit taller, it runs a bit hotter but it's fine. Example pic
I thought the wire came in 0.6 and 0.8 mm, not 0.9. At least, what I buy round here does!
Re the gas, I originally went to a welding sales place (many years ago) which fitted me up with a regulator, pressure gauge, and appropriate connections to screw to a pub CO2 bottle. I simply went to the pub, they gave me one, and I re-cycled it when empty (paid for the gas itself, tho'). Then breweries got wise to this sort of thing and started putting nitrogen into the gas. OK for beer but not for welding. So I then bought a fire exinguisher, the screw fittings fitted it, and I just have it refilled from time to time (every couple of years or so. £15. So I own the 'bottle' and buy the gas. So so much cheaper than the little bottles that come with the welder. When the bottle's time comes up for pressure testing then I probably buy a new one.
Not strictly true, the are four gas mixes supplied to the pub trade, one is food grade pure Co2 for soft drinks, and some Lagers. then you have 30 50 and 70% N2 mixes for different ales and stouts. How do i know this as fact and not an OWT, i own a pub. A 14lb refill should cost no more then £10, don't know how much you are paying for fire extinguisher refills but i bet it's more then that.
Update on which welder and which gas I used up two disposable bottles practising, the co2 was usable but the argon/co2 was the better much easer to use so i have rented an argosheld bottle from boc which seems to be even better perhaps because you have to use a proper regulator. The Clark pro 90 works extremely well on thin car body metal, but 3mm is about its absolute limit so not so good if you later intend making gates, trailers, etc. Picture of my first repair on the VW
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