New to Mig welding!

[NewtoMig2014]

Hi everybody,i've recently bought a Clarke90en gas/gasless welder with the intentions of repairing my car one day.I found this forum when searching for information on the internet...I've have been looking around on the forum during the past couple of days and learnt a fair bit already like spot welding etc,now i've just signed up and thought i would post a couple pics of my welding attempts today using 1.2mm steel.This is without any gas used.I've Never welded before now.Any comments or tips?

Cheers.


Backside of weld

 

[J.F]

This might be useful, this series goes onto part 6, but these first 3 episodes should be most useful. I personally would suggest using gas mig for thin metal.

 

[NewtoMig2014]

Hi,thanks for that,very informative.

 

[NewtoMig2014]

Hi all,i've just been welding today on the same piece of metal only to keep getting tiny pinholes in every one of my welds,what's the reason for that? I've set the welder to the lowest power setting but makes no difference,my feed wire speed is set up correctly...I find the welds are very brownish looking like soot where as the other day i did not have soot or the pinholes.

 

[mike 109444]

Lack of gas ? You did remember to turn the bottle on.
Just looked back at your firs post and notice you say "this is without gas" does that mean you are using gasless wire or solid wire without gas?

 

[NewtoMig2014]

Yes i'am doing it with gasless wire.

 

[mike 109444]

Don't know then, don't use THAT stuff. Post some pics and let the team pick the bones out of it

 

[NewtoMig2014]

Ok i've got some gas today from machine mart,hooked it up ok and did some short beads...Any comments?

 

[J.F]

I would say use some thicker plate for practice 3 or 5mm, your local steel stock holder will most likely have a scrap bin selling what's in it at what ever the current scrap price is per Kg - 80p ish. The holes in the plates are because it's got to hot at that point and blown a hole in it. If the gas flow is to low it would appear like a honey comb or crunchie chocolate bar (turn the gas off and run a bead, you will see what I mean).
Next chose a power setting e.g. the middle one, then run a bead with one hand and turn the wire feed dial as you run the bead until the welder sounds like the frying bacon sound - as it sounds in the videos above. Whether you push or pull makes no difference although at a later time if you end up on thicker metal having to run a vertical weld it's normally done vertically up push technique. Once the welder is set up practice running beads at a constant smooth speed. Also make sure the polarity is correct, you have to swap polarity when swapping between gas and gasless.

Follow the tips in these videos, probably the best on youtube. Also some colleges run 10 week "non qualification" courses in the evening, which can also be useful.

 

[Richard.]

Ok i've got some gas today from machine mart,hooked it up ok and did some short beads...Any comments?

Consistency appears to be the main issue here, it could be a simple case of making yourself comfortable hold the torch with 2 hands to start and in a pushing motion try to keep the same speed, stickout distance and straight and steady.

 

[Richard.]

As a beginner you will not produce a nice strong weld that looks good if your not comfortable in your position.

 

[Kent]

Get on the PAD ! run more beads, longer ones like I think are shown in the video sequence. You material might be too thin for you just yet? Is it just a 90amp rating on that MIG set you have though?

 

[NewtoMig2014]

I've just been doing some more beads making sure to holding the torch more steadier.Already notice better consistency ie lot more straighter looking beads,not perfect but better...Not blown a hole yet either! But my beads are pretty narrow looking? I've been doing continuous spot welds to form a bead.

And yes this with is a 90amp mig wleder...i'am been using the same 1.2mm steel sheet that i hope to repair my car with.However i've just had a go on some thicker stuff in the shed prob's 3mm thickness and found it much easier to weld as there more time it seems without risk of blow through.I can actually run a continuous bead on this thickness not the best by any means though.

Thanks for the help really appreciate it.

Oh nearly forgot what is best setting for the gas reg? Think i've got it set on number 4 now but the reg gas up to number 6 iirc.

 

[Richard.]

Bead profile is usually changed by 3 factors
Voltage = bead spread (width)
Amps/wire feed = bead penetration
Travel speed= reinforcement (bead height)
Understand how each one effects your weld then you will be able to make the correct changes to improve it.

 

[NewtoMig2014]

Will experiment with that in the morning and post pics when done.

 

[NewtoMig2014]

Ok so i turned up the power to the max setting as shown on the left of pic,better overlapping and more width.

 

[NewtoMig2014]

Just had another go,



Backside,

 

[fizzy]

Well that looks a lot better. A different league to your join the blobs from earlier!