gassless first weld help!

[tom1]

hi
ive just done my first attempt and had a few probs
1st
i been doing tack welds and joining them up probelm is in the middle of each
tack there is a hole the size of the wire?

2nd when i start the wels sometimes it leaves a picece of unburn wire about 10mm long on the surface

3rd how far shud the end of the wire be from the metal,is it ok to touch the metal with end of the wire when starting?

im using gassless clarke wire
thanks

 

[keith19]

Your third question answers your second one - if you start by touching the wire to the metal the wire will heat up quickly and burn through and break, leaving a bit of wire sticking up off the job. Sometimes it will burn back to the tip and melt off there, jamming the tip.

Instead practise holding the torch about 5mm off the metal, then pressing the trigger firmly and pause a split second to get the arc established before you move off, steadying your torch hand with the other hand.

Re your first question, you may be 'snatching' the torch away when you finish your weld, rather than pausing over the end slightly and lifting off gently as you open the trigger. This comes with practice, you'll soon get the hang of it.

Another source of holes or pits in the weld may be contamination from dirty or oily metal, as the contaminant boils up to the surface, so clean metal pretty thoroughly, even with gasless wire.