Criticism please

[thepurpleblob]

Just had a quick go with my new (to me) Cerbora 130 mig. I have done some welding before years and years ago - not to any great standard. Using some scrap 2.8mm steel I had lying around and the settings advised on this site I got the following...

This was just straight out of the traps. The penetration doesn't look to clever and the welds look a bit high to me. When it blobbed through to the other side I slowed down a lot and that was the result.

One problem I have not had before - on a number of occassions I pressent the trigger and there was just a single flash and nothing more. That's the nasty splatters in the picture. The wire sticks in the tip and spins in the rollers. I am reluctant just to radge up the roller pressure as it feeds fine otherwise.

Abuse appreciated

 

[thepurpleblob]

Now a go at butt welding on 1.5mm sheet. Again just using the suggested settings from this site.

Went ok-ish, but the penetration was a bit hit and miss as you can see.

I'm finding it hard steering the weld neatly over the join at the moment. More practice I suppose!

 

[penfold]

I found I had to wind the pinch roller up quite tight to get consistent feed; it may be that the wire liner is reaching the end of its natural life. Is the contact tip a new one?

Do you have a electronic helmet? The helmet improved my welding immensely. A lot of it is just practice, doing it over and over again.

 

[redwine300]

With regards to the but welding, all in all it looks pretty good.
To help get more penetration, I would try slowing the wire feed down so as to allow you to move be torch a little slower. This will allow the heat to increase and therefore create more melting of the joint.

 

[thepurpleblob]

Thanks guys,

It occurred to me that it might be time for a new liner and so I've already ordered one. The tip is new. I do have an electronic helmet, of course I read the instructions after I used it and probably had it set too dark. I'll have another go with the revised settings.

Ok - I'll try with a slightly lower wire speed, thanks. At the moment I don't feel very comfortable - while I'm worrying about the angle and height I start wandering all over the place. Just practice I suppose!

 

[xhead]

Following the joint

Now a go at butt welding on 1.5mm sheet. Again just using the suggested settings from this site.

Went ok-ish, but the penetration was a bit hit and miss as you can see.

I'm finding it hard steering the weld neatly over the join at the moment. More practice I suppose!

I found that having good light over the joint and possibly 'chalk' allowed me to see where I was going.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Thanks guys,

It occurred to me that it might be time for a new liner and so I've already ordered one. The tip is new. I do have an electronic helmet, of course I read the instructions after I used it and probably had it set too dark. I'll have another go with the revised settings.

Ok - I'll try with a slightly lower wire speed, thanks. At the moment I don't feel very comfortable - while I'm worrying about the angle and height I start wandering all over the place. Just practice I suppose!

Being comfortable is the main thing to improve your welds, which are doing ok actually.

I always try to rest my torch hand over the other hand which has a good thick glove on it, the height of the torch is then adjusted by the hand not holding the torch..if you get what I mean by that daft explanation.

 

[stuvy]

Being comfortable is the main thing to improve your welds, which are doing ok actually.

I always try to rest my torch hand over the other hand which has a good thick glove on it, the height of the torch is then adjusted by the hand not holding the torch..if you get what I mean by that daft explanation.

i do that too but youl find the time when you need hands like an octopus so i use my index finger to hold the gun, my middle finger to pull the trigger and the last two i keep straight so i can vary where the gun is in relation to the work, it does take practice though

 

[Drains]

If you want good penetration, leave a small gap between the material - with 2.8mm steel, a 1mm gap will probably suit - or use a piece of welding wire to set the gap. Then adjust your voltage/ wire speed/ travel speed to suit. It's a much easier way of getting it right. As mentioned above, slowing down will put more heat in. Of course speeding up will put in less heat but actually that's often what you want for good fusion and penetration in combination with a prep/ gap.

Tight butt joints are seldom the way to go with standard mig.

 

[thepurpleblob]

I need it for car work on my BMW which I *think* is 0.9mm. I'm working down to that.

I haven't had time for another go but the new liner turned up, so I'll stick that in and see if it makes any difference. I'll check my lighting and try to organise myself so I'm a bit steadier.

All the help much appreciated.