Fresh Start

[sprayerDrew]

Hi i used the portamig and argon/c02 for the first time today and i have to say im a very very beginner and 5 minuets got me welding very neat vertical runs! I must say the gas is far superior to c02!
Anyway i find it easy doing runs up and down and spot welding two pieces of (2mm) steel together but when i come to weld the join i find it difficult to run side ways in a streight line, i tend to not be as neat and move from the join.
Im trying to get use to this way for when i want to do car body panels!
Can anyone help ?

P.s The power setting calculator is brilliant!

 

[Iain Westland]

first, get on some 18 gauge steel and 0.6 wire. I just weld between the tacks, next to impossible to do long seems on the thin stuff. 2-3 inches max really, the risk of blow through is too great on longer runs than that. the more tacks the better and by moving around the piece you will help to stop distortion

iain

 

[sprayerDrew]

What mm is 18 guage? and i am already on 0.6

 

[Iain Westland]

about 1mm. Start with a tack in the middle then every 2 inches going out both ways but alternating them one left then to the right etc till you hit the end then seem between alternating tacks, use a brick hammer to keep tapping the pre-welded edges together. flap disk to clean up after where needed

iain

 

[shenion]

You welding right-to-left or left-to right?

As I am right handed, i find i easier to do right-to-left as i can see the weld pool better and also see the line I am following.

 

[sprayerDrew]

Right to left mate but as i say it seems harder that way than vertical?

 

[Iain Westland]

get a piece of paper, draw a straight line from top to bottom then from right to left, which is easier?

by doing small welds it will be a lot easier

iain

 

[gavuk]

Practise by marking a line in chalk ,easier to see and follow ,gets easier the more practise....

 

[sprayerDrew]

Thanks guys i guess it is jus time spent practicing. Its wierd because i naturally started to learn horizontol and now it seems hard side ways also to follow the flow

 

[sprayerDrew]

Im on c02 Today not the best but the Argon cylinder needs to go back to be swapped i suppose i will see the difference Then

 

[eil]

Are you looking straight down at your torch by any chance ?, If you are welding right to left, lean your body to the left so you can see your pool past the shroud.

 

[sprayerDrew]

I dont get it im welding the same 2mm plate as yesterday the only differnce is using c02 and i have had to turn the power setting from 5 to 8 to get the same penitration now i used argon i hate the stuff. anyway here are the better ones?

 

[Iain Westland]

play with wire speeds as well as power, is your earth very good? maybe a bit more gas, except for splatter it looks ok

 

[Iain Westland]

soory, are those co2 or argon? if they are co2 then the splatter is to be expected so dont worry

 

[sprayerDrew]

c02 mate i cant stand how difficult it is to argon! i wouldnt have thought that power settings changed as yesterday it was fine using the calculator with argon today nothing alike ? c02 nearly ran out now thank god

 

[Iain Westland]

co2 doesn't like low settings from what I read, never use it myself. Argon is a different beast, like a different type of car. Every job is different as well, when i did the discovery this week I had to play with the feed amounts to get a decent weld. Its the necessity of playing with settings that makes auto welding so much fun. No matter what the machine your always fighting the car to get a decent finish, and in my case normally loosing

iain

 

[sprayerDrew]

great stuff their mate streets away for me

 

[sprayerDrew]

Well thats another day done and im now geting grips with the side ways!
C02 still not ran out but hopefully tuesday i will get the coogar5 argon instead of the ferromax. What a difference in cylinders tho i would say to any biginner if you can, then skip streight to argon as all c02 has got going for it is its cheap, But not Chearful