MIG beginner (sort of) - how am i doing?

[paulypj]

Ive been welding here and there on my VWs and my welds seem to be improving.
Sometimes tacks burn through in places ( like a pastry cutter effect)
Also maybe im not moving the gun about enough, and am also reluctant to weld small seams (continuous welds)..

Im not sure really...

Just would like some input and advice so i can get to a more 'confident' level of welding...

Thx

 

[scarecrow]

your getting there cleaning the old panel a bit better will help
im not sure but it looks like a lap joint. you should start the ark on the main panel a little bit away from the edge then drift on to the edge as it will melt a lot quicker and then the main panel

 

[paulypj]

so start on the new/patch metal and flow over to the old existing metal?
or
start on the existing/old and flow onto the new?

Thanks for the comment tho

 

[keith19]

Start on whichever is thicker and flow across to the thinner.

If they are both same thickness start on the new and flow across to the old.

Existing parent metal, particularly on cars and thin outdoor stuff, often has almost microscopic rust pits you can't always see to clean properly. Also the backside of such metal, if you can't get at it, you have to assume is a bit rusty and therefore will blow through easier than new clean metal.

 

[paulypj]

ok, cool, thanks for the advice.

so all in all i should be pleased with my welding so far?

 

[keith19]

Yeah, pretty decent.
The top pic where you are tacking would need them blending together if it's a proper repair, but you know that anyway.
The pic two welds look overall ok, a few are a bit high, but that doesn't matter considering where it is, so long as penetration is good.
The bottom pic shows the welds blended nicely, but suggests you could have cleaned up the metal surface a little more thoroughly.
Overall a pretty good start, I'd say.

 

[paulypj]

awesome! cheers!