First attempts welding..

[Reznor]

Hello, Gonna try and post my first and second attempts at mig welding. Any advice and criticism muchly welcomed

The machine is a Portamig 215, with Co2/ 5%Argon gas.


Last week, messing about on one old scaffold base plate (2.5mm), looks a bit rustier now than it was then, but tbh it was still a little rusty where quite pitted, even after grinding down, so there was quite a bit of brown soot when trying to lay the beeds of weld.

Today I butt welded the second base plate, It was quite warped, so poor line up really -I was a bit cautious of cranking up the power too much (13 amp household) as I did pop the fuse last week! ..so a little underpowered? but I was suprised how tough it was when I bashed it with the hammer.

Underside-

 

[Reznor]

Also today...

Some 0.8/0.9mm steel (the galvinised surface was ground off first)

1,2,3,4 in the pic- I had the fine volts at 1 bit low? so after that I was working from 2 on the fine volts and vairing the wire speed between 2 and 4,5 ish.. and trying to do a curved zig zag with the torch!

(Photos taken on my phone camera, not the best quality)

Top-

Bottom-

 

[Reznor]

Im sure you can tell even with the poor photo, but they are all slits cut in to the sheet, so butt welds with a little tack at the edge.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I know you were just making the most of some scrap to play with but it's making hard work for you..the galvo stuff is very hard to get clean enough to weld nicely.

You have a couple of decent runs on the thicker plate but as you probably know some are not penetrating and others are too much power.

I have a Portamig 235 and it took me a while to get it sizzling nicely, the Portamig is a great machine but it is no different from any other MIG, power and wire speed has to be right and sometimes it's a very narrow band.....practice and more practice will sort it, as will some decent bits of steel, your local scrappie may have offcuts cheap.

You are right about strength, even a lumpy looking weld can have an amazing hold.

 

[Reznor]

Yeh I hear what your saying about the thin galv stuff, I do need some better scraps of steel!

Still, if what iv done on the galv steel is making life tricky, then I have hope for practicing on something better, as I quite enjoyed what Iv done today really.

Thanks

 

[Reznor]

I think that little bit of '13' went alright!

 

[Country Joe]

Hi,
Numbers 1,2 & 3 are a bit gappy - maybe too fast a travel speed?
Number 13 looks more as if you took your time more, and the travel speed was more consistent.
All the Best,
CJ

 

[cumbriasteve]

Yeh I hear what your saying about the thin galv stuff, I do need some better scraps of steel!

Still, if what iv done on the galv steel is making life tricky, then I have hope for practicing on something better, as I quite enjoyed what Iv done today really.

Thanks

Yes I agree..it's fun learning and when you get a great run you feel well chuffed.

It took me a while to get 'it right' after years of stick welding, there is such a combination..torch angle, speed, power, wire and gas, surprising how it begins to work out though, I now know my machines setiings for weld type and metal thickness and the only way that happens is doing what you are doing and of course reading the tutorials on here.

Good luck