MIG welding going rubbish

[Dextermini]

Help I need some advice.
I'm trying to weld a 1mm thick panel into the boot on a mini using a Clarke 130 MIG. At a setting of minimumof 2 is not sticking and on max on setting 1 its burning a hole.
Does anyone have any ideas what I can try please.

 

[dai]

Help I need some advice.
I'm trying to weld a 1mm thick panel into the boot on a mini using a Clarke 130 MIG. At a setting of minimumof 2 is not sticking and on max on setting 1 its burning a hole.
Does anyone have any ideas what I can try please.

have you prepared the area??

 

[Dextermini]

Yes the area is all prepared.
All rotten metal cut out & rubbed down so clean

 

[gavuk]

are you trying to run a bead or pulsing the trigger,"thin metal technique"....???

 

[keith19]

What type of weld are you doing? Lap joint or butt joint?
Are you using gas or gasless, and what size is the wire?
If gas, what gas are you using?

As dia says, prep is very important. Have you cleaned the underside of the welding area too, if possible?

Have you set the machine up by practice welding scrap of the same thickness, with the same type of joint?

Have you tried just brief tack welds on your higher setting, spaced well apart, to get the new panel held in position first?

 

[Dextermini]

Cheers,
I'm using a clarke 135TE with CO2 gas 0.6 wiire, lap joint, drilled some holes in the panel for spot welding to hold the panel in place, this has worked ok, tried doing seam welding continuous. will try the pulse-welding, will see how that goes.
Thanks................................

 

[dai]

Yes the area is all prepared.
All rotten metal cut out & rubbed down so clean

is it rubbed down with a grinder so its bright metel not shiney undercoat

 

[Dextermini]

Hi, Dai, yep its had the grinder on it before l started with a flap wheel.

 

[dai]

only thing then i can suggest is to speed the wire up and work faster

 

[keith19]

How's the pulse welding going?
Short tacks, then miss 2 - 5 cm, then another short tack, etc. Try this on your hotter setting, only holding the torch trigger on for a second or two each time.
Go round the repair like this, then start again, tacking onto your first welds, again working around the job.
As you get better you'll find you can weld a bit longer each time, but lift off before you blow through.
Once you get used to working like this you develop almost a sixth sense of when it's going to blow through, and usually lift off in time.

As Dai says, you can try a fast continuous bead, but on a 1 mm lap joint you have to be very accurate because the bead will go thinner the faster you go, and it's easy to go off the line unless you have a very steady hand.

 

[slimjim]

Help I need some advice.
I'm trying to weld a 1mm thick panel into the boot on a mini using a Clarke 130 MIG. At a setting of minimumof 2 is not sticking and on max on setting 1 its burning a hole.
Does anyone have any ideas what I can try please.

I thought minimum 2 was higher than maximum 1

check the wire feed, if the wires not running smooth, then it will cause problems!

 

[keith19]

Think you're right, Slimjim. The Clarke manuals show:
1 Min
2 Min

But VM tests show the manuals are wrong. See link below for more details:

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=3071