Practice Welding

[DunnyD]

If you are doing a biggish car project you will save money getting on the Volkszone argoshield light deal from Boc. There is a thread on it in the Gas part of the forum.

Thanks.

I currently only have the small bottle that came with the set which I am told dont last very long!!

D

 

[DunnyD]

OK so here are some of my efforts....photos aren't brilliant but hopefully enough for me to get some guidance.

My settings for each were:-

1. 2 - MIN - 5.5 - PULL - NO GAS
2. 2 - MIN - 5 - PULL - NO GAS
3. 2 - MIN - 5 - PULL - NO GAS
4. 2 - MIN - 4 - PULL - NO GAS
5. 2 - MIN - 5 - PULL - NO GAS
6. 2 - MIN - 4.5 - PULL - NO GAS
7. 2 - MIN - 4.5 - PULL - NO GAS
8. 2 - MIN - 4.5 - PUSH - NO GAS
9. 2 - MIN - 5 - PUSH - GAS 4.5
10. 2 - MIN - 5 - PUSH - GAS 4.5
11. 2 - MIN - 5 - PUSH FASTER - GAS 4.5

Mild steel around 1mm.

Forgot the gas at first!!

Thoughts??

D

 

[DunnyD]

From the top 1 - 4:-

1. 1 - MAX - 5.5 - Gas 4.5 - PUSH - Better Penetration than earlier
2. 1 - MAX - 6 - Gas 4.5 - PUSH - Better Penetration and best sound.
3. 1 - MAX - 6 - Gas 4.5 - PULL
4. 1 - MAX - 6 - Gas 4.5 - PULL Slower

Think the gas has gone already though!!

D

 

[DunnyD]

Latest effort - 0.6 - 0.8 mm mild steel (but having checked afterwards I think its stainless!!)

Any way top side and bottom side showing blow through:-

 

[marlinspike]

The disposable bottles don't last five minutes. If you don't want to comit to renting a big bottle, the other alternative is no rent bottles from somewhere like Adams gas. More expensive than the Volkszone deal but still way cheaper than the disposables.

The last runs on the bottom pics on the first lot of photos don't look bad, though hard to tell on my phone tbh. If the last two are on stainless steel I understand you preferably need different wire and different gas to weld stainless. It really is practise, practise, practise though. What is really annoying is when you get the hang of it in your practice runs but when you start on the car it all goes to pot.

The tutorials on here are very good if you haven't seen them already.

 

[DunnyD]

Thanks. I started to get a feel for what was going wrong but I am still miles away!! I need to get more steel so I can start trying to join pieces rather than juts run beads. Going to try and sort gas tomorrow.

Any further comments from anyone appreciated.

Thanks

D

 

[Richard.]

Don't waste time and effort with those disposable bottles. You may find even your cleanest runs (10 and 11) are porus as the disposable bottles don't give enough flow rate a lot of the time.

 

[DunnyD]

Thanks Richard.

The disposable bottle came with the welder and will be replaced. One things slightly puzzling me is how the big bottles connect? I know you need an additional regulator but does this just connect to the same tiny pipe that is used for the disposable bottle?

D

 

[Richard.]

Set up like this will work.

 

[DunnyD]

Thanks Richard, I can see how that works - can you buy these made up like this?

 

[Richard.]

Thanks Richard, I can see how that works - can you buy these made up like this?

We'll probably but for the simple parts that go into making it I would say it will be cheaper to make it. Couple of quids worth.

 

[DunnyD]

Thanks.

D

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Failing DIY, check eBay.

 

[Jim Davey]

Pre made they are quite dear.

 

[Geodawg]

quick look on ebay came up with these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adaptor-f...-Mig-Welder-4mm-gas-pipe-H-Duty-/171893493024

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adaptor-f...-Welder-4mm-gas-pipe-H-Duty-E35-/301535755168