little explanation please

[txargyll]

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/welding-tips.htm

On the above page, foot of, it describes welding thick to thin steel.

Im trying to weld 3mm 1 inch box to a steel oil drum end....... not with much success due to my newbie style.

My question relates to "Strike an arc against the thicker sheet and get a weld pool going, then dip across into the thinner sheet and immediately back to the thicker sheet."................. (i have attached a crappy drawing to illustrate my thinking)

Where i have arrowed in the drawing, the dip or push of the weld puddle from the think metal over to the thin will stick the steel but does it penetrate? do we have fusion of the two metals or is the weld sitting on the thin metal.

I know if i stay on the thin too long i will burn through (lots of practice has shown this). Im concerned that the weld may look good but is not actually joining the two steel sheets.

Any help appreciated, its just a newbie question, just worried that the weld pool being like lava is flowing over rather than through the steel as i would hope using the DIP it over there method.

thanks for any comments, feel free to slag me off.

 

[txargyll]

oh and i realise i have illustrated a mig gun not stick which was stupid as its stick im using. but it is still relevant as i would use mig if my clarke 151 wasnt playing silly buggers.

 

[Parm]

Are you possibly trying to make a BBQ?

I've had a go at doing this sort of thing with a stick. It's difficult for a newbie and even the experts will break out in a sweat.

If you can get your mig going it will be much easier

 

[Shedendman]

Oil drums are much thinner than they use to be,cut one up the other day it was more like tin(0.8 perhaps) reckon i could have used snips.
Parms right,you'l stand better chance with mig than stick

 

[txargyll]

Not a barbecue, practice horse vault.
Mig not happy. Went out to diagnose the fault And grrrrrrr left gas on .. 25 quid wasted. Not having a good day.

 

[Shedendman]

Join the long list of all those that have been there before

 

[Bill Edwards]

In answer to your question I wouldn't worry about the weld flowing over the thin metal.
Stick welds tend to be as good as they look (MIG can be very deceptive, particularly when working on thick metal where the amps aren't high enough it can be cold and just sat on top of the metal).
Yes with stick welding the puddle is fluid, but not to the point where it tends to run onto another piece - the worst I can think of is where it sags on positional work, meaning you work upwards.

If it looks like it's fused, it should be fused. And oil drums are so thin, it really won't take much to melt it in, you'll be finding the fine line between missing it altogether and leaving a hole.