I picked up my new welder, a lincoln sp135 plus. No prior welding experience so I've been welding on all kinds of scrap and new metal trying to get a feel for it. I'm going to initially use it to weld some tabs to a motorcycle frame so I've been working with a lot of 16 and 12 gauge sheet onto steel tubes.
When welding the thinner sheet to the thicker tube, how do you get good penetration into the tube with out blowing through the sheet? Do you simply concentrate on the tube and let the pool ease over and melt into the edge of the sheet? I can get a good looking weld lowering the amps a little and welding straight down the seam but it doesn't look like it has penetration into the tube..merely sitting on top of it.
If I run a good bead between the two pieces but end up dipping a little and coming off of one piece or if I leave a little gap every now and then in the weld, is it ok to go back and fill in that gap? How should that be done?
When welding tabs to the frame, it is hard to keep from blowing out at the end of the weld. I've tried stopping the weld a little early and let it cool down, the go back around the edge, but it looks sloppy. Is it necessary to weld 360 degrees around a piece like that or would fillet welding on both sides 95% across be as strong?
Thanks
When welding the thinner sheet to the thicker tube, how do you get good penetration into the tube with out blowing through the sheet? Do you simply concentrate on the tube and let the pool ease over and melt into the edge of the sheet? I can get a good looking weld lowering the amps a little and welding straight down the seam but it doesn't look like it has penetration into the tube..merely sitting on top of it.
If I run a good bead between the two pieces but end up dipping a little and coming off of one piece or if I leave a little gap every now and then in the weld, is it ok to go back and fill in that gap? How should that be done?
When welding tabs to the frame, it is hard to keep from blowing out at the end of the weld. I've tried stopping the weld a little early and let it cool down, the go back around the edge, but it looks sloppy. Is it necessary to weld 360 degrees around a piece like that or would fillet welding on both sides 95% across be as strong?
Thanks