First Weld Critiques Please

[ant_8u]

Practicing on an old chassis outrigger

Metal is 2mm
Wire is 0.6mm
Wire Speed is 7
Power (from left to right) is 2, then 3, then 4

First weld looks too high and thin with no penetration
Second weld looks better, but maybe still too thin and high?
Third weld is lower, but didn't sound nice and spattered

What should I change?

 

[ant_8u]

BTW - I'm really happy with these welds.....it took me 6 attempt to solder my cable lug on for my earth clamp!!

 

[PhillipM]

2nd setting looks better, more feed or slow down though, especially at the bottom, I guess that's where you started?

 

[ant_8u]

Thank you Phillip

I'll try moving a little slower, and then again with slightly higher wire speed

You're right about my starting position as well.....I actually went from top to bottom, but turned the work around for the picture

Any other tips I should know?

 

[PhillipM]

Well, you can see where it's cold at the bottom where you need to slow down to get the weld pool built up, and where the weld pool has widened at the top as the heat has built up in the plate.

Next tip, find the macro button on your camera

 

[ant_8u]

Hopefully these pictures are a little better - I've had to take them with my iphone

Here's the same picture as before, hope it's not as fuzzy
I've made sure my thumb is in the photo so you can gauge dimensions

So here goes again.....


Wire speed 7
Power settings 2, 3, 4

I've turned the wire speed up to 8 in this next picture
Power settings are 2 and 3

I went a little too slow at the start of the first weld and blew through it a bit

Overall, I think Wire Speed 8 and Power setting 3 is about right for this one
What do you think?



Would those settings be right for lap welding two pieces like this together?

 

[ant_8u]

Also,

I finished welding and closed my gas bottle
The regulator still said 200bar, so I pulled the trigger to let the pressure escape

Should I empty the gas pressure like that (and waste a small amount of wire)
Or should have left that gas as it was?

Thanks

 

[gav0994]

Also,

I finished welding and closed my gas bottle
The regulator still said 200bar, so I pulled the trigger to let the pressure escape

Should I empty the gas pressure like that (and waste a small amount of wire)
Or should have left that gas as it was?

Thanks

During my trade training in the military we were always taught to release any pressure in the regulators after closing the valve on the bottle to avoid damaging the regulator.

To avoid wasting welding wire when purging the system I usually just release the tension on the wire feed roller beforehand.

 

[ant_8u]

Excellent - Thanks mate