First Mig welding efforts

[Aberdeen Angus]

Well.....set up the welder tonight, think I have done it all ok. not sure if I got the tension right.

Not really sure what settings I am supposed to be using so I tried loads. I am using gas-less (at the moment) with 0.9 fluxed cor and welding beeds on a 3mm piece of steel.

These are my attempts, not very impressed.com .......Feedback and advice very much needed.

 

[Aberdeen Angus]

ooooops,

Can a Mod move this to Learning Mig Welding.......Note to self, read the sticky first!!

Sorry

 

[Paul.]

Moved

 

[cumbriasteve]

For first attempts they are not bad at all, Gasless is not the easiest to use, you have a couple of half decent runs, perhaps go a bit slower to allow more heat into the pool..but I am no expert, I am sure others will offer better advice....most of us were downhearted when we started..it gets easier and better.

 

[Aberdeen Angus]

Cheers Steve. I am going to enrol on a evening class for welding hopefully in the spring so should really improve then but until that happens I will be doing lots or practising. I am really lucky because i am a buyer for a Oil and Gas company and one of the suppliers i use a lot is a big welding company so they are going to give me as much scrap steel as I want.

Would the tension effect the way my weld is coming out?

 

[Richiew]

Definately move slower. The beads look a bit stringy, you can take your time and slow down as you will find it very hard to blow though on 3mm plate. Welds shows promise for a first attempt though.

For tension you just need it tight enough so that the wire doesn't slip on the rollers when drawing it through.

 

[Aberdeen Angus]

Cheers Rich, I will try that tomorrow. I really want ot go over to gas welding as soon as poss but don't want to spent £10 on a CO2 gas canister that will last 1 hour and then be bined. Need to do some research on getting CO2. I am pals with a local landlord, maybe he can sort me out.

Is there a tip that is 8mm and are they a universal thread??

 

[Wozzaaah]

3mm plate, forget the min settings, all you'll do is pile weld up on the surface.
Use max settings and slow down a heck of a lot.

 

[Aberdeen Angus]

3mm plate, forget the min settings, all you'll do is pile weld up on the surface.
Use max settings and slow down a heck of a lot.

Cheers Wozz......keep the wire speed at about 5??

I have been looking at the tip and it is not central within the shroud. After unscrewing it, it appears to be bent at the thread....good of Sealy to supply a new welder with a bent tip. Will this effect my welding at all??

 

[Wozzaaah]

New tips are only a few pence each so no reason not to swap it, the bend could affect the smooth feeding of the wire.
Try this; run a continuous bead and turn the wire feed up slowly until you start to feel the torch being pushed away then back the feed control off just enough to stop that feeling and you should be about right for the power setting you're on.

 

[Aberdeen Angus]

New tips are only a few pence each so no reason not to swap it, the bend could affect the smooth feeding of the wire.
Try this; run a continuous bead and turn the wire feed up slowly until you start to feel the torch being pushed away then back the feed control off just enough to stop that feeling and you should be about right for the power setting you're on.

Perfect, i felt the push you are talking about when I had the feed up to 7 with a med power. Will try that tomorrow....cheers Wozz.

 

[Aberdeen Angus]

My local store do a 0.8 wire but only 0.6 or 1mm tips

 

[Wozzaaah]

Obviously 0.6mm tips won't be any good but 1mm will do you until you can get some 0.8.
Halfrauds usually sell blister packs of tips but they're quite pricey.
Weldequip shop or Ebay would be better. The clarke tips should fit your torch but best to ask before ordering.

 

[Aberdeen Angus]

Obviously 0.6mm tips won't be any good but 1mm will do you until you can get some 0.8.
Halfrauds usually sell blister packs of tips but they're quite pricey.
Weldequip shop or Ebay would be better. The clarke tips should fit your torch but best to ask before ordering.

Its a flipping mine field, just looked at the sealy tips on a web site and what they recomend is not the one that is in my new welder, they recomend this for a Mightymig... http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Contact-Tip-0-8mm-Single-Sealey-120-722667

But the tip in the torch thya they supplied is one of these!!! http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Contact-Tip-0-8mm-Single-Sealey-120-722416