Some pictures for your criticism.

[Duker996]

I've been out this afternoon having a practice and this is how it's looking. I'm still only using co2 at the moment but I'm hoping to get the argon/co2 mix soon. I used the pulsing method as it's only 1.2mm thick steel and I have 0.8 wire. I also used a piece of flattened copper tube behind what I was welding.
Anyway please give me your honest input........

And an earlier butt weld without using the pulsing method. I also think I didn't have the settings quite right for these either.

 

[barny]

Looks like you need to turn up the power a little for more penatration.

 

[Duker996]

Looks like you need to turn up the power a little for more penatration.

Keep the wire speed the same and up the power?

 

[Duker996]

I also found my wire kept slowing down and I think this was why

Also would this be causing me any problems, found it when I went to clean the shroud

 

[outofthefire]

You need a new swan neck if its a clarke welder you'll get one at machine mart. Not right sure what you can do about the birds nest, tighten up the pivot bolt and cut off the slack maybe, if its all slack i'd bin the lot its going to cause you know end of trouble

 

[barny]

Get your spool sorted and have another go with the same power.

 

[Duker996]

Yes it is a Clarke welder so I'll get on and order a new swan neck for it. I reeled off loads of the spool until it was tight and not tangled. The picture was before I started welding so shouldn't have been the reason for not great welds. Should the welds protrude on the back side? In my Haynes welding manual it shows they don't, however, on the tutorial on here it shows they do.

 

[Weldinator]

The penetration has to be less thickness than the top of the weld, too little and too much are not great practice.

Notice the last picture shows it curling under at the edges of the weld, this shows it a cold weld. Try getting it flatter looking with more heat or doing the same with tool fixed.

 

[Duker996]

Notice the last picture shows it curling under at the edges of the weld

Thanks for the help so far. Which picture is the one you are talking about? So I need the weld to not stand up so high on the top but to stick out more than it is below? If I'm right in saying that, will it stick out below even if I have it clamped on to a piece of copper?

 

[Weldinator]

Yes, check out the tutorial on this forum for MiG welding.

It needs to be smooth/flatter at the edges of the weld like a hill meeting the flat land smoothly, you will get lots of brown residue smoke around the welding when it has good penetration. It should look like the weld has fused into the steel and have a nice grey colour on the edge of it, check some pics on here for reference.

Picture number 6 i meant.

1.2 is not really that thin tbh, so a copper tool may not be needed depending on your machine etc. I would not use the tool for 1.2 but i do for 0.8 and 1mm steel with my machine.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

<puts hand in the air>

I'm very suprised nobody has told you off for lack of the metal not being cleaned,a successful weld relies also on the job being grinded till the metal shines.

 

[gavuk]

Promising start ,I wouldn't grind the edge of clean plate ,but would wipe it to remove oil etc ,"hot rolled" or "black" steel etc does require the millscale being removed for good welds .....You would probably find your settings are ok if you weren't welding on a bench ,as you have a huge heatsink drawing the heat away from the weld....try tacking up on the bench then welding with the plate unsupported ,it will weld differently and be closer to car welding ....whilst the copper backing strip is very useful don't rely on it as often on a car you can't get to the rear of the welds...so as your confidence builds practise on unsupported plates without the heatsink ,it will help you in the "real" world...........By the way, I've used co2 for years on cars,always pulsed to minimise distortion, and see no reason to change as I grind most of the visible weld away anyway,if my work was fabricating where the welds are visible or thick enough to perform proper runs, then I would spend the extra on argon mix,

 

[Iain Westland]

What he said^^^^ he talketh the truth.

 

[Windy Miller]

What he said^^^^ he talketh the truth.

Indeed he does - all VERY sound advice!

 

[Duker996]

Promising start ,I wouldn't grind the edge of clean plate ,but would wipe it to remove oil etc ,"hot rolled" or "black" steel etc does require the millscale being removed for good welds .....You would probably find your settings are ok if you weren't welding on a bench ,as you have a huge heatsink drawing the heat away from the weld....try tacking up on the bench then welding with the plate unsupported ,it will weld differently and be closer to car welding ....whilst the copper backing strip is very useful don't rely on it as often on a car you can't get to the rear of the welds...so as your confidence builds practise on unsupported plates without the heatsink ,it will help you in the "real" world...........By the way, I've used co2 for years on cars,always pulsed to minimise distortion, and see no reason to change as I grind most of the visible weld away anyway,if my work was fabricating where the welds are visible or thick enough to perform proper runs, then I would spend the extra on argon mix,

Thank you, that advice sounds good and makes a lot of sense. I took some of this info on board and had another go without the metal lay flat on the bench though. I tried it with the metal suspended this time. These were the first results

Better but still not enough penetration so I tweaked the settings and set about going again

Now something wasn't feeling right so I kept on practicing on some scrap pieces and the welds were getting worse..........my gas was empty
So when I have a new swan neck and some more gas I'll post some more pictures up of how I'm getting on.

 

[gavuk]

Going well,until the lack of gas ,seen much worse on cars ,are you using disposables?....
.Try making the tacks as small as possible,and i prefer to fire the next tack before the last has turned black and count (in my head ) to build a rhythm.....1-2-zap or 1-2-3-zap.....whatever suits your set up and style......
Where possible i always hold the torch with 2 hands,using the non trigger hand to steady and set the distance from the work-piece ......but above all, be comfortable and remember to breathe ......