Back to basics

[edteamslr]

With a bit of help from the forum I've put together my set up (temporary bench for the time being).

I measured the wirespeed etc and printed out the thickness/power settings from the DIY guide. With some trepidation I struck my first arc on a thick bit (6mm) of steel with .6mm wire.

Using 6m/min, Power3(min):

Using 6m/min, Power2(min):

2mm thickness. Using 6m/min, Power3(min):

2mm thickness. Using 6m/min, Power3(min):

In this last one I tried to stick some 1.5mm tube sections onto the sheet but I got no penetration, blew out the wall and did everything a complete newbie like me could be expected to do. I want to make motorbike pannierframes so this was my 'run before walking moment'...

 

[harry69koi]

Ive got a similar welder to urs m8ty and also just started learning,for 1-2mm thick stuff i find putting all the switches up and wire speed 5-6 works ok with argon/co2 mix
What gas are you using by the way?

lee

 

[Alistair]

argon mix is the bottle i see if im not wrong...

 

[Bsmith]

Bit more current and practice, maybe less wire feed on most weld samples there, remember to push the torch into the gas shield.
Looks like you know what your aiming for as the welds are improving.

 

[edteamslr]

Harry69Koi: The gas is the argoshield light (Ybottle Volkszone offer) with an ebay chinese reg, 5kg 0.6mm spool, new shroud and tip and a Clarke 150EN. I've upped the gas to 12lpm, I figured I'd turn it back towards 10 as I got better. Do you use the MAX button?

Thanks BSmith, although I haven't shown the underneath, the latter welds are the only ones with any penetration at all. I'll try more power and a bit less wire. Any idea how I weld tube to sheet? I'll try joining some more sheets first (butts and laps)

 

[Arsonista]

Be warned mate, this stuff is highly addictive. Your wallet will be constantly empty and next weeks wages will already be spent on some 'must have' accessory. All of your clothes (and some of your skin), will be covered in tiny burn holes and some of your eyebrows will probably go missing. Everyone that lives near you will be coming round at all hours of the day and night asking 'can you weld a bit on this, please'. You'll never have so many friends. Long term your hearing will go, your eyesight will weaken and your lungs will probably be clapped out, oh, and your partner will be a welding widow. Hope this helps.

 

[edteamslr]

True - I need a cap to go under my mask. I managed to get a spark on the top of my head while welding yesterday. Burnt some hair and gave me such a shock I touched the torch on the bench which produced another shower of sparks!

Hello? Health and Safety?

 

[Arsonista]

All perfectly normal. Oh, I forgot the bit about yer hair falling out.

 

[Sparkey]

All perfectly normal. Oh, I forgot the bit about yer hair falling out.

Ah! great peptalk that!
If you'd coach a football team Arsonista they would lose!


Don't worry! you will get used to the sparks Ed!

 

[Bsmith]

Any idea how I weld tube to sheet?
From the appearance of your samples, you need more current to fuse the weld into the base sheet. Direct the weld on the sheet, just a little bit on the tube. More practice. Your doing great!!

 

[busa]

Everyone that lives near you will be coming round at all hours of the day and night asking 'can you weld a bit on this, please'. You'll never have so many friends.

I endured that particular problem for many years until finding the cure, a large sign above the bench which says...

'First hour £30 - No Exceptions'

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

nice set up for starting out. Generally your first projects will be to build a bench and a welder trolley.

For a 150 amp welder, 6mm is the maximum that it'll handle, so you'd need power on 3 & Max with 0.8mm wire.

That'll blow holes in the pipe as the wall thickness is only around 1.6mm or 2mm so, you need to direct the wire at the 6mm plate and flick the weld up onto the thinner metal. It's all about practice and you can see where you're improving each time you do a bit more.

You may be better playing with thinner plate, say around 1.6 - 2mm. In that case with 0.6mm wire you can drop your power to 2 Min or 2 Max. Gas around 10 LPM to start with and maybe down to 7 or 8 LPM later.

Regards
Peter

 

[edteamslr]

Thanks, I'll give that a try then. I've got a pipebender coming to allow me to make the racks for the motorcycles so I only need to attach the tube ends to a couple of mm of steel. I need a load more practice and, as said above, this welding lark is addictive...

 

[londonsean69]

Thanks, I'll give that a try then. I've got a pipebender coming to allow me to make the racks for the motorcycles so I only need to attach the tube ends to a couple of mm of steel. I need a load more practice and, as said above, this welding lark is addictive...

What sort of pipe bender? Beware the machine mart type unless you are bending pipe (much thicker walls than tube)

If you intend to make the pannier frames from 1.6mm or even 2mm wall it will crush and get kinked by the hydraulic type benders. I know this because I have used one to mangle all sorts of tube.

And your right, welding is addictive, getting right is nice

Sean

 

[edteamslr]

Not gonna use a hydraulic one. I've got a 'hilmor conduit bender' that has a moving former wheel - it "spreads" the tube onto the wheel as the handle passes through its sweep rather than just pushing in one place in the middle. I'll let you know how I get on. Might even pack the tight turns with sand which is supposed to help the crushing. (I'm told - pictures of folded tubes to come) - closer to a plumbing copper pipe bender.

 

[londonsean69]

Not gonna use a hydraulic one. I've got a 'hilmor conduit bender' that has a moving former wheel - it "spreads" the tube onto the wheel as the handle passes through its sweep rather than just pushing in one place in the middle. I'll let you know how I get on. Might even pack the tight turns with sand which is supposed to help the crushing. (I'm told - pictures of folded tubes to come) - closer to a plumbing copper pipe bender.

Yeah, they are the ones to use.

I should really get one for myself, but don't do enough tube bending to justify it (never stopped me with any of my other tools)

Sean

 

[edteamslr]

Yeah, they are the ones to use.

I should really get one for myself, but don't do enough tube bending to justify it (never stopped me with any of my other tools)

Sean

That is exactly what I've found myself thinking. Hence the toys (sorry, serious tools)