Fancy judging my welds?

[Stevey J]

Hi all.
Ok started my first attempts at welding today, and would appreciate your advice as I really want to get started on the car!!!

I tried experimenting with different wire speeds, and amps and thought these were the best combo, only thing I've noticed is there not looking very smooth or as you guys I think say look like pools of welds??

I could get it smoother by adding more amps I think but distorted the metal, or blew holes in the tin?

Any advice
Thanks Steve

 

[dstealth]

What thickness/type of metal is that? What gas are you using and whatever it is, there is a lack of it because the welds are porous in appearance. You aren't getting anywhere near enough penetration - that's why your welds are sitting sky high above the surface of the metal. So you need to increase your volts and adjust your wire speed accordingly. And for a decent, neat looking proper weld, it should flow nice and give the appearance of lots of coins overlaping each other. Alot like mine:

Chris

 

[malcolm]

The little holes in the weld are caused by a lack of shielding gas. Either torch too far away or more likely the regulator needs to be turned up more.

The weld at the bottom looks OK for amps. Try welding a butt joint on 2 pieces and see what the penetration looks like - you shouldn't be able to see the edges of the original metal on the reverse side.

Don't worry about distortion from too much heat. Get the amps right and then sort out distortion by welding only an inch at a time before leaving everything to cool.

 

[Stevey J]

What thickness/type of metal is that? What gas are you using and whatever it is, there is a lack of it because the welds are porous in appearance. You aren't getting anywhere near enough penetration - that's why your welds are sitting sky high above the surface of the metal. So you need to increase your amps and adjust your wire speed accordingly.
Chris

Hey Thanks Chris, Yeah thats how I want them to look
The metal I think is just some car panal repair sheet which I picked up from the auto factors. Gas is a large canistor argon mixed is it from memory?? So do I increase the amps and drop wire speed?

 

[Stevey J]

The little holes in the weld are caused by a lack of shielding gas. Either torch too far away or more likely the regulator needs to be turned up more.

The weld at the bottom looks OK for amps. Try welding a butt joint on 2 pieces and see what the penetration looks like - you shouldn't be able to see the edges of the original metal on the reverse side.

Don't worry about distortion from too much heat. Get the amps right and then sort out distortion by welding only an inch at a time before leaving everything to cool.

Malcolm the torch was on the metal or really close. Is there a setting on the regulator the gas shold sit at for optimum performance? As the regulator has 2 gauges. As I said this is all new to me, but I'm one of those people who has to do it otherwise I don't learn anything!!

As for your idea on butt joints, that sounds good, but at the moment I'm not loving the cold snowy conditions so had enough for today!!

 

[Justme]

The wire speed is the amps. The other control is voltage.

Justme

 

[storm monkey]

Are you using disposable gas tins? If so, the regs can be next to useless. Turn it up to full, and make sure there are no drafts that may be blowing the shielding gas away.

As Malcolm says, bottom weld looks good for amps. Is the reverse side showing any signs of penetration?

Phil

 

[dstealth]

Hey Thanks Chris, Yeah thats how I want them to look
The metal I think is just some car panal repair sheet which I picked up from the auto factors. Gas is a large canistor argon mixed is it from memory?? So do I increase the amps and drop wire speed?

Well then I'm guessing its around 0.8mm mild steel you're working with? And yes, CO2/Argon mix is the right gas to use for mild steel.

Firstly, I would sort your gas problem out first as, already mentioned previously your welds are porous (meaning lack of or no gas).

Once you have your gas sorted, start increasing your volts until your welds are much flatter and you're actually penetrating the metal. Just use your initiative when adjusting the wire speed - you don't want the welder sounding like a machine gun flying spatter everywhere (too high) and you don't want it dropping out globs of metal evry second or so (too slow). Just common sense really.

Chris.

 

[Stevey J]

Well then I'm guessing its around 0.8mm mild steel you're working with? And yes, CO2/Argon mix is the right gas to use for mild steel.

Firstly, I would sort your gas problem out first as, already mentioned previously your welds are porous (meaning lack of or no gas).

Once you have your gas sorted, start increasing your volts until your welds are much flatter and you're actually penetrating the metal. Just use your initiative when adjusting the wire speed - you don't want the welder sounding like a machine gun flying spatter everywhere (too high) and you don't want it dropping out globs of metal evry second or so (too slow). Just common sense really.

Chris.

Ok yeah it is about 0.8 metal, will try next weekend. What do I have to do to the gas to make it work properly,

And Storm Monkey, I'm using big BOC bottles and have 2 gauges on the reg, what each should be reading?

 

[malcolm]

Twin gauge reg makes like easier. One will be reading bottle pressure in bar (probably about 230bar for a new BOC bottle) and the other reads flow rate. Is the flow rate one marked in L/min? If so start with about 10.

 

[Stevey J]

Twin gauge reg makes like easier. One will be reading bottle pressure in bar (probably about 230bar for a new BOC bottle) and the other reads flow rate. Is the flow rate one marked in L/min? If so start with about 10.

just venutered back out to the cold and the flow rate is in its is lpm. and the gauge reads upto 30 and then it goes into the red. I guess obviously to adjust it to about 10, it's just a question of restricting the valve.

 

[malcolm]

Sounds like a handy reg - where did you get it? Both of mine read to 60L/min so setting them anywhere near 10 is really fine adjustment.

Don't forget to set the gauge with the gas flowing (trigger pressed down).

 

[zardoz]

Looking ok for a beginner, as Malcolm says the bottom weld looks best. Try to remember next time to turn over a take a picture of the rear of the welds to see how much the weld has penetrated.

 

[Stevey J]

Sounds like a handy reg - where did you get it? Both of mine read to 60L/min so setting them anywhere near 10 is really fine adjustment.

Don't forget to set the gauge with the gas flowing (trigger pressed down).

It's a Butters one, got it from SPA welding down in Lancing near Brighton. Really good couple of guys down there. Would definatly pop back!

Thanks for the tip on the trigger hold down test too. So much to learn! Also great tutorials Malcolm, hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon enough.

 

[Stevey J]

Looking ok for a beginner, as Malcolm says the bottom weld looks best. Try to remember next time to turn over a take a picture of the rear of the welds to see how much the weld has penetrated.

Will do this too! Bet you guys can't wait for the second installment!!

 

[arch50]

judge

hi stevey j. you should clean the metal the holes are from the primmer paint on the sheet steel if you are going use a mig the job must be really clean on the area to be welded, this is the first thing to befor you start welding with the mig
cheers arch