First Welds, thick and thin metal

[Grrrmachine]

Picked up a Snap-On 2135 just before christmas, and finally got the rest of the kit to make it work, and grabbed some metal from a scrapyard this morning. So, using 0.8mm wire and an argon/co2 mix, these are my first attempts.

1) 1.2-1.5mm steel





Top one splattered all over the place, and didn't penetrate at all, but I realised this was down to the pathetically low power and wire speed I was using. This Snap-On doesn't have much of a wire speed control, it seems, so I just slackened the nut right off and tried to compensate for the speed by going quickly. Not the best approach, I know. In the plate marked "R.T" (for vanity, I started from the middle and worked left, then right, playing with the power settings.

2) 0.8mm steel



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

This was the second sheet I tried; the first one I blew far too many holes in before I realised just how thin it really was. I've since looked at the Thin Metal Technique, but as an exercises in maintaining a weld pool, I enjoyed running these beads for the missus, despite the blow-holes. I got a good sizzling noise and fairly decent penetration, although the power control between not penetrating and blowing through is very VERY fine.

I need to find some sort of project now so that I have an excuse to practise more.

 

[chunkolini]

Looks good so far, very quick progression. My Mig almost went in the river when I started. Looks as though you are well on the way.
Next try some simple butt joints, lap joints, corner joints and fillet joints. Once you can weld an edge onto a surface you have cracked it. Then go mad working on fixing thin to thick metal.
Projects? hack up your old pushbike and build a chopper, try some sculpture
Or the classic first project, a cart to carry your welder and gas about on or a workbench.

Keep it up.

Chunko'.

 

[Grrrmachine]

yeah, I just tried butt welding on both the thick and thin. Thin blew holes all over the place, which I think is the 0.8mm wire; I can't power down any further. For the thick stuff, I couldn't get penetration (oo 'er), and when I did it immediately blew through.

Power regulation appears to be a fine art...

 

[chunkolini]

With 0.8mm wire you should be able to butt weld 1.5mm easily and 1.2mm with practice.
At first it will drive you mad. Try pulsing the trigger of the torch, not stop-start-stop-start more of a slow flutter so the metal stays hot but does not quite blow through.
Another good thing to practice is welding up holes. Put aseries of tiny spot welds around the edge of the hole so they overlap, then you have an edge to work from and slowly spiral in to the middle.
With this kind of the thing it is like hitting your head on a wall, then slowly it comes together, then suddenly it feels normal.
maybe have a go at fillet welds, I remember this being easier then butts. Focus on the sheet and almost lick the weld pool ont the edge of the sheet being welded on.

Repetitive use of profanity definitly helps.

Chunko'.

 

[Grrrmachine]

Hah, seems my main problem was working out how all the controls worked, and that I was trying to butt 1.5mm metal on the lowest power setting, just upping the wire speed. Another go with more power and finer control over the wire should sort things out.

Cheers for the technique tips, chunko

 

[Ed.]

Top one splattered all over the place, and didn't penetrate at all, but I realised this was down to the pathetically low power and wire speed I was using. This Snap-On doesn't have much of a wire speed control, it seems, so I just slackened the nut right off and tried to compensate for the speed by going quickly. Not the best approach, I know. In the plate marked "R.T" (for vanity, I started from the middle and worked left, then right, playing with the power settings.

.

When you said "slackened the nut right off".. are you talking about the wire tension adjustment or the wire speed "nut/knob"?

 

[Grrrmachine]

Yeah, originally I thought the wire tensioner was the wire control speed (my fault for not downloading the manual for this welder!) I've got more familiar with the controls now, just need to find some more plate to practise my joints on.

 

[Weldinator]

Wheres the thick metal welds mate ?

 

[Grrrmachine]

having re-measured, the plate in the top pic is 2mm thick, which needs the maximum power settings for my little 135A welder. No pics available of the butt joints I attempted yet, let alone the fillet joints.

 

[series2]

A friend has a Snap-on (Cebora?) welder. The first time I used it, I sruggled like mad to get decent welds. What i thought was the wire speed was actually the fine voltage control!

Why are the knobs not labelled?