So.....apparently I can (or will be able to) weld?
I don't remember seeing my dad ever use it, it always just sat on the shelf in the basp00get, this weird blue box as I remember it from being about 5 years old. He always stuck to his oxy-acet torch, he could braze real well. It's a 20 some-odd year old Chicago Electric "DUE MIG", 120 volts. With this y little hose out the back, apparently called a "4mm argon hose".
I finally after a few years of being curious, got around to searching, and today in the mail I got the adapter I needed, went and got a regulator, hooked the dusty argon tank in the corner of the basp00get up, and for the first time in my life, tried to weld. I successfully put together two short pieces of 2" exhaust adapter pipe. Plenty of "birdshiznit" weld, and some beads that actually look correct I guess, but I smashed it on the floor and tugged on it so many times and it just won't come apart.
My friend's dad said 14-20 psi for the argon, that seemed to work well. The lowest heat setting seemed good too, as did "3" on the wire speed. (Goes from 0 to 10). I do realize these are for different thicknesses of metal.
I guess I'd just love to hear any suggestions anyone has to offer. Someday I'll obviously buy myself a GOOD welder, but I can't imagine the convenience this will be once I'm proficient. The amount of things I'll now be able to build/fix. I'm pretty pumped. A few friends have told me that mig isn't too hard to just pick up and play with, so I'm happy that it worked out that way.