What I learned mig welding today

[BoatBuilderDave]

So I got a clarke 151TE, and in fine tradition started to build a welding cart for it. I've got a reg & Argon, and I'm using it with gas.

• Brushing past the welder _will_ change the wire speed, cause you will move the knob as you go past. Then it'll take you a while to figure out wtf is going wrong. It does not have to move much.
• You will probably change the contact tip before you realise that you've just altered the settings.
  
• If you make a rectangle, with a support across the middle, but you weld up the rectangle first, the cross piece which did fit perfectly is now too long. Not by much, but enough to not fit.
• When you get tired, your stick-out distance varies, this does not help. Neither does dipping the tip in the weld, nor letting your torch angle change a lot.
• It's hard to weld when it's getting dark. You'd think it would not matter, but it does. The auto helmet is great, but in poor light, it's still about shade 3 when it's "clear".
• Dipping the shroud in the weld does not help things.
• It's a LOT harder to make something than to just stick test pieces together. The joints are not all at convenient angles, other bits are in the way. Perhaps you should have done that bit before this bit instead.
• Even if some of the joints don't have full penetration, 1" 16 gauge tubing welded on all 4 sides with 6" long 45 degree braces will hold my weight, so it'll hold the welder easy.
• Perhaps you should tack a lot more pieces together rather than welding them completely, apart from anything else, you get to move the cart around less as you can weld several pieces, then flip it over etc.
• The Clarke is perfect for hobby stuff, but it would be nice to have a longer torch (1.5m is short),
• It would certainly be nice to have things like some sort of Hot Start (is there such a thing for MIG? run at 20% hotter for the first 5 seconds, then tail back to normal as the metal heats up). Clearly, if there are such toys, they are way outside the Clarke 151 price point.
• A Mapp torch will burn off the oil coating on 1" 16 gauge box section so that you can mig weld it. It's a lot quicker and quieter than a flap disk on a grinder.
• If it's within throwing distance of a welder, and it's made of metal, it's HOT, use gloves. The piece I picked up was just hot enough to drop, no damage done, but really I should have known better from casting bronze and aluminium.

But the cart is mostly complete. It's square, or at least square enough. I've learned quite a bit. I have to take about 1/16 of an inch of a couple of cross pieces, and then do a little grinding and painting. Pictures will follow.

 

[optima21]

its all a learning curve, and you learn as you go along.

I had the issue with working in dark places, so fitted some LED's to my welding helmet, and others have done similar things or used head torches mounted on them.

the torch lead is too short, some people have changed them for euro torch connections, which are normally 3mor 4m long, but I prefered the original torch, so made a new lead up (amongst other mods)

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/clarke-151te-modifications.48178/

 

[BoatBuilderDave]

I saw that post. Pretty good stuff. It's on my todo list. I have the Clarke metal wire guide, it's 2.5 meters.

I'm thinking less work for the wire feed motor because it's a wire guide, vs a longer feed.

16 Sq mm seems a good middle ground for the lead & earth. If I'm doing anything thicker than 3mm steel, then it's going to be the Arc Welder anyhow.

 

[BoatBuilderDave]

Did the convoluted tubing (conduit) work out ok in the long run?

its all a learning curve, and you learn as you go along.

I had the issue with working in dark places, so fitted some LED's to my welding helmet, and others have done similar things or used head torches mounted on them.

the torch lead is too short, some people have changed them for euro torch connections, which are normally 3mor 4m long, but I prefered the original torch, so made a new lead up (amongst other mods)

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/clarke-151te-modifications.48178/

 

[optima21]

yeah Im still using it, its more flexible than the standard tubing, and found it was too flexible without a steel wire liner. its not going to be as hardwareing as the original one, but I've stood on it a few times without it collapsing/breaking

 

[BoatBuilderDave]

A picture:

Some of the welds could have been better. Some are a bit wobbly, late, dark, tired.
Some were a little colder than they should have been.

But the middle and top shelves supported 100kg without any fuss.

I need to add a cross support and some 6mm ply on the base.
A cross support under the welder, and possibly some lugs to stop if from being knocked off sideways.
Some 6mm ply under the top shelf, to give me a place to put tools.
And some holders for the mig torch, and some way of better securing the gas tank.

A lick in a few spots with a grinder and some paint may be in order too.

At that point I won't have to disconnect the mig and the tank each time.

 

[skotl]

Good work the bit you missed in the first list is that you have to make something rather than tack bits of scrap together, in order to improve your skills (in fabrication as well as welding).
The trolley looks good though - just the braces that you mentioned, and that's project #1 delivered

 

[Fastfingaz]

Your cart looks good,, and yes it's a learning curve, just like you won't pick up a piece of metal without first giving it a quick pat test or having your gloves on,,, without holes in them ofcourse!!! or you'll find them quick enough too

 

[norlander]

nice one, annoying thing for me is having learned some of that, I also forget it until I cock up again . Set your welder back on the cart if you can or modify it so that you don't knock the wire speed control, if you rest your gun hand on a clenched fist, you get pretty much the same tip distance each time. You can vary that by resting the fist on edge of yr palm, or turned thru 90° and resting across the knuckles.
If you have one of Jody's TIG fingers,you can slip it around the knuckles and the prop hand slides easier and you can get some heat protection.
I changed to a longer torch which was a Binzel, much better, hose was more flexible, but I sometimes put the shorter torch back for some jobs.
May need to up gas flow a bit if you fit longer torch.
Yes, put loads of tacks in, some jobs will distort/pull if you dont.

This post is out of sync, I typed it up when you first posted but had to zoom off, looks like your cart has sorted knocking the wire speed problem?
Yes you get burnt, we used to have a hot table with white border when I was an apprentice, and welded bits were wiped with french chalk to show they were hot, but you don't need to that for diy, just go for a tea break and let it cool, no stress in the job or for you

 

[sapperb]

Definitely a "Good Read" brother. 2 things I was told to never forget from my Mentor, 1). "Never try to "quick tack/in a hurry" by not wearing your hood, oh and remembering to close your eyes at the point of impact/spark.. 2) and always wear gloves when in and around a welding/fabrication shop.....

 

[BoatBuilderDave]

And now with a lick of paint.
The cylinder is held in place by 4mm galvanised wire inside a short length of garden hose. The hose protects the cylinder.
The cylinder is not just sitting on 4mm plywood, there's a cross piece under it.
There are brackets with cork strip attached to locate the the cylinder so it can't move.
The wire is tightened with wingnuts on eyebolts.
There's a cable holder for the (now extended, heavier and with a decent clamp) earth cable.
And a forward facing torch holder for when I'm welding, and a backward facing one for storage.
The paint job is not winning any prizes, but it's fine for what it is.
The top shelf is plywood screwed on the bottom of the frame, so tools can't easily fall off.
I will get some detail pictures over the next few days.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I would replace the plastic box with something non flammable. At auction I bought a job lot of rawhide leather riggers gloves that came in a similar box, kept it under the welding bench until a blob of molten weld set light to it!
What a mess!

 

[BoatBuilderDave]

Ah, that could be a problem all right.
Good call.

I would replace the plastic box with something non flammable. At auction I bought a job lot of rawhide leather riggers gloves that came in a similar box, kept it under the welding bench until a blob of molten weld set light to it!
What a mess!

 

[BoatBuilderDave]