first ever welding, v small amount

[laam999]

Hi here is a pic of my first ever attempt at working, I struggled to get the arc to stay constant, I have no idea about welding and have read the tutorials and forum for ages, I would have spent much longer but weather was getting bad and it's started to rain so I packed up for now.

Just so you know I weld from a generator and away from home so I can read tutorials as I'm welding

Please let me what I've done wrong and how to improve. This was no gas with a Clarke 130

Thanks

Liam

 

[W4yne]

Try practicing on something a little thicker 1-2mm, it will be difficult practicing on car panel work of 0.8mm with gasless, with what I presume will be 0.8 wire? Even a more experienced welder would struggle.

Personally I wouldn't attempt to weld thin metal unless I was using an Argon/co2 mix with 0.6 wire, makes things an awful lot easier.

Going by the blistering around the lights on the panel it looks like you have used a stripper to remove the old paintwork? just make sure the panel is thoroughly cleaned of any chemicals before welding, not only to aid the weld but also as a health issue. Heat and some chemicals give off highly poisoness toxic gasess. "Safe and happy welding"

Hi here is a pic of my first ever attempt at working, I struggled to get the arc to stay constant, I have no idea about welding and have read the tutorials and forum for ages, I would have spent much longer but weather was getting bad and it's started to rain so I packed up for now.

Just so you know I weld from a generator and away from home so I can read tutorials as I'm welding

Please let me what I've done wrong and how to improve. This was no gas with a Clarke 130

Thanks

Liam

 

[Wozzaaah]

Looks like that panel has some sort of coating on it too unless it's just the way the light's reflecting.
As Wayne says, you're on a hiding to nothing trying to learn on stuff that thin.

 

[wyn]

The white whispy (?) stuff around the long weld looks like it could be galvanised.

That could also be why there is no constant arc ...the wire tends not to make a good contact on galv and jumps about a bit.

Try grinding a bit more to see if you get down to steel.

 

[laam999]

Here is a video of my trying it, I know that it's windy and the gas is blowing but hopefully you'll see what I mean about lack of penetration, I am TRYING to blow hole in it there but you see the luck I'm having
Going to be back again tomorrow and spend a good day with trials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl2vCmoDjyk

Liam

 

[wyn]

From the vid it looks like you are moving the torch around a fair bit.

Support the torch a bit with the other hand as well and slow the travel speed down.

It looks like the power is set on the lowest try it on "max" and it should start making holes.

 

[malcolm]

Useful video there. What you ought to be attempting is holding the torch using both hands for control, having the metal horizontal as that's much easier, hold the torch very close to the metal and keep it in the same spot until you get a pool of molten metal. From there move the torch really slowly, not moving out of the pool of molten metal just moving it along. It's the pool of metal that joins things together.

You'll not manage what I've described on a car wing - it's too thin and you'll blow holes, then worse develop bad techniques to avoid hole blowing without figuring out what should be happening. Get some metal between 2mm and 4mm thick. That will let you develop the technique before applying it to the thin stuff.

 

[Wozzaaah]

You say you've read the tutorials but did you spot the video on this page?
If so then you'd know that your torch control is your main problem.
Ignore the fact that that weld in the tutorial video is being done with a weave but you'll clearly see why your welds are just blobbing on the surface and those aren't.
As Malcolm says, get some thicker steel and practice laying beads on it, once you can run straight, consistent beads then it's time to move on to different techniques and joints on the thicker steel before attempting thin stuff.
Don't try and run before you can walk.
Sorry to say but in your case it's most definitely pilot error.

 

[laam999]

thanks for the help guys, I knew it would be me doing something wrong and trying on my own I just didn't know so I made the vid to how you, I have been trying both hands but wanted to vid to show you so you could tell me my mistake

Thanks guys, I'll be trying most of the day tomorrow and hopefully have some thicker metal soon (that's all I have atm so I figured some practice is better than none.)
Liam

 

[Faaluke]

I'd probably watch some more welding tecnique videos on youtube to get some more ideas. I won't give any advice as i'm not experienced enough, but I have watched a lot of the mig welding videos on youtube and this site and they helped a lot. Speed looks a bit fast maybe, as mentioned above aswell, you need to keep that torch stable. Both hands isn't cheating :P