lower power welds

[grayam]

Hi,

Have been practicing and still blowing through quite easily on butt welds with a small gap, 1mm, and have changed to an Argon mix to add to the learning process problems.

My thoughts are that I have too much power on settings 1 and MAX on my Clarke pro mig 90. I have set the mig to the lowest setting but it doesn't seem to have the grunt to penetrate the thin bodywork I am practicing on. I am getting lots of blobby welds on top but no penetration !

If I turn down to minimum and lower the wire speed is the technique to hold in one place longer to penetrate??

Should I turn the wire speed right down to stop the blobbing??

Will the mig I've got have the power on minimum settings??

Thanks,

Graham (sorry no pics but hope the description helps)

 

[W4yne]

Hi Grayam,

This link may help?

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/calculator.htm?example=Clarke90

Power setting 1 for 0.8 - 1.0mm mild steel, Wire speed 2.5 - 3 using 0.6 wire.

A good idea to practice on a scrap piece first to find that sizzling sound which should tell you the wire speed is correct. See link, http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/wire-speed.htm This explains how to do this, hope it will be of help? Good luck.

 

[chris y]

When I do car body butt welding I aim for no gap and check for penetration which is easy to achieve.

It sounds like your gap is as big as the sheet thickness which I would think is too much.
A 1mm gap can be coped with but wont be easy.

 

[grayam]

Hi,

should the clarke pro mig 90 have the grunt on minimum settings to do car bobywork ???

It certainly has on higher settings but as I said blows through easily. Also has anyone got any pics of welds using a copper piece behind the weld to prevent blow through ???

thanks,

Graham

 

[chris y]

Hi,

should the clarke pro mig 90 have the grunt on minimum settings to do car bobywork ???

It certainly has on higher settings but as I said blows through easily. Also has anyone got any pics of welds using a copper piece behind the weld to prevent blow through ???

thanks,

Graham

Judge if its got the power by whether you can lay a weld on with penetration or not, on the other hand if its blowing holes maybe more power than needed.

Dont get too hung up on which setting it "should" be on, it should be on the one that gets the right result in combination with your gas, material, gap, travel speed etc etc.

More likely no matter how little or much power you will just melt the edges of the parts if the gap is too big.

In my amateur opinion theres no need for any gap on car bodywork and any gap will make life harder