Hello. I've just joined this happy band. I'm basically an ok self-taught occasional hobby welder. I can usually produce acceptable results but, as I only weld occasionally, I always have to do a little practice first.
I'm having problems this time. I am trying to weld a 3mm thick tab to the side of a 14mm bar. Both mild steel. I keep laying a nice looking bead of weld but find I can pull the plate off with pliers and then pull the bead off the bar as well. Clearly there is next to no penetration. I have tried bevelling the edge of the plate without any improvement
The welder is a SIP migmate 130 bought in the 90s and I'm using 0.8mm wire and pure CO2 as I usually do. I'm using the maximum power setting. I've tried slowing the wire feed until there's just enough to maintain an arc and moving the torch slowly in an effort to get as much heat into the job as possible without any improvement. It's foxing me because I have joined these two materials together in a different way for another job and, although it wasn't pretty, it did work that time.
Is the job beyond my welder's capabilities or is it me? I sold my arc (stick) welder years ago and am beginning to regret it.
I'm having problems this time. I am trying to weld a 3mm thick tab to the side of a 14mm bar. Both mild steel. I keep laying a nice looking bead of weld but find I can pull the plate off with pliers and then pull the bead off the bar as well. Clearly there is next to no penetration. I have tried bevelling the edge of the plate without any improvement
The welder is a SIP migmate 130 bought in the 90s and I'm using 0.8mm wire and pure CO2 as I usually do. I'm using the maximum power setting. I've tried slowing the wire feed until there's just enough to maintain an arc and moving the torch slowly in an effort to get as much heat into the job as possible without any improvement. It's foxing me because I have joined these two materials together in a different way for another job and, although it wasn't pretty, it did work that time.
Is the job beyond my welder's capabilities or is it me? I sold my arc (stick) welder years ago and am beginning to regret it.