new welder question

[dennisleary]

Hey I'm new to welding and wanted to get an opinion of the welds in the attached photos.
I'm using a mig welder set at 22 amps, with a wire speed of 330.
Am I running too hot? Or is the wire speed too fast/slow?
thanks for looking -

 

[Shield Arc]

Without hearing the sound of the weld, makes it hard for me to help much.
I would first try slowing down the wire speed a little. And also slow you travel speed down too!

 

[yomax4]

22 Volts right? Looks ok. Spatter is kind of a thing of the past but not knowing your equipment or gas it's difficult to evaluate that. Weld On !!

 

[Oldpath05]

Sound is one of the first things I go by, something like frying eggs and bacon, but if your a vegetarian that wont help.
If the arc is to cold that will create more spatter, lack of fusion at the weld toe's, weld wont flatten out as good. To hot will make the wire burn back in the tip easier and/or burn through thin gauge steel. Travel to fast could cause under cut at the weld toe's, if you can catch you finger nail at the side of the weld>under cut. Try to keep the weld bead centered in the joint and Keep the shinny metal to a minimal, spatter sticks to it easier.
The upside is your weld wasn't that bad, also mig is easier that stick.

 

[IslandTractor]

It would be useful to try to weld a couple of flat pieces of same gauge metal together to form an inverted T (just like all the instructional manuals suggest practicing with for first welds). That way you could 1) check the reverse side for evidence of heat/penetration and 2) cut the piece in half and inspect the weld directly. It's tough to do either of those things with the test weld you did on square tubing.

 

[LD1]

How thick is the tubing?

My personaly welder dont have wire speeds of volts to go by. Only arbitrary numbers. But the miller 350P at my past job and older miller at my current job, 24v and 400ipm seem about the sweet spot for 3/16-1/4" metal. And sometimes I even creap it up to 25-26v and 500-550 IPM just depending on joint configuration. Welding heavy wall square tube, is one of the times I will increase the wire feed, to fill the large radius from the tube.

20-22v and ~300IPM is about where I would be welding 1/8" material

 

[Sodo]

What's your pattern?

 

[dennisleary]

thanks for all this, I really appreciate it

 

[dragoneggs]

How thick is the tubing?

My personaly welder dont have wire speeds of volts to go by. Only arbitrary numbers. But the miller 350P at my past job and older miller at my current job, 24v and 400ipm seem about the sweet spot for 3/16-1/4" metal. And sometimes I even creap it up to 25-26v and 500-550 IPM just depending on joint configuration. Welding heavy wall square tube, is one of the times I will increase the wire feed, to fill the large radius from the tube.

20-22v and ~300IPM is about where I would be welding 1/8" material

Yeah I wish I had volt/amp info rather than the arbitrary numbers on my Miller 211. I know you really don't need it but it would be nice to know and compare when someone gives you that kind of info.

If those welds are from your first day... you are off to a better start than I was! This is where I struggle... when welding a radius or gapped joint. I now try much harder to get my gaps and fit ups tight.

 

[Shield Arc]

I now try much harder to get my gaps and fit ups tight.

You're better off with a gap. There is a reason pipe is welded open root.

 

[dragoneggs]

You're better off with a gap. There is a reason pipe is welded open root.

Even on thin stuff? 1/8in or less? I know thin to you is 3/8in. I burn up edges if not tight.

 

[r8nger]

Doesn't look bad at all, need the thickness of materials welded to be sure . I would drop the heat down a little - 19.5-20 for 1/4 include materials . Also, if your horizontal , try pushing the puddle instead of pulling for a cleaner weld.

 

[Shield Arc]

Even on thin stuff? 1/8in or less?

Well no! That's a different story.:laughing:

 

[Oldpath05]

Yeah I wish I had volt/amp info rather than the arbitrary numbers on my Miller 211. I know you really don't need it but it would be nice to know and compare when someone gives you that kind of info.

If those welds are from your first day... you are off to a better start than I was! This is where I struggle... when welding a radius or gapped joint. I now try much harder to get my gaps and fit ups tight.

I'm thinking that those volt amps numbers are only good for the same brand and or similar model welder inverter's, for instance the newer Miller XMT 350 too the Miller 354-304 inverters, the volt amps are quite close, go to a different brand and they might be off.

I have a Miller 211 with (Auto Set) had for it 3 years now and last month I started trying that auto set feature, I'm kinda liking it, set one dial on .030 wire setting, set the other dial on how thick of steel that's being welded, like 1/4" and it automatically has the right wire speed and heat, setting goes from 24 ga.-3/8", just one dial to adjust.

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm thinking that those volt amps numbers are only good for the same brand and or similar model welder inverter's, for instance the newer Miller XMT 350 too the Miller 354-304 inverters, the volt amps are quite close, go to a different brand and they might be off.

I have a Miller 211 with (Auto Set) had for it 3 years now and last month I started trying that auto set feature, I'm kinda liking it, set one dial on .030 wire setting, set the other dial on how thick of steel that's being welded, like 1/4" and it automatically has the right wire speed and heat, setting goes from 24 ga.-3/8", just one dial to adjust.

Yep I have the same one and am really enjoying it. I almost always start with the auto set and tweak it from there. I am finding that the auto set is almost always better than me screwing with it (still a newbie... have a day job). SA during some invaluable personal instruction told me to forget it and learn by listening but I guess I didn't listen well. :laughing:

SA also handed me his reading glasses to try under my helmet and that changed my world. Apparently I don't hear or see well.

 

[BukitCase]

Dragon, you're gettin' like me - lose 3 more senses, and we won't even KNOW when they "pat us in the face with a shovel" ...Steve

 

[Shield Arc]

I have a Miller 211 with (Auto Set) had for it 3 years now and last month I started trying that auto set feature, I'm kinda liking it, set one dial on .030 wire setting, set the other dial on how thick of steel that's being welded, like 1/4" and it automatically has the right wire speed and heat, setting goes from 24 ga.-3/8", just one dial to adjust.

I don't like people telling me what to do. I won't stand for a welding machine to tell me what to do!:laughing:

 

[LD1]

Yep, the radius of heavywall tube makes it nice for welding and getting good penetration. The real issue is trying to weld 11ga tubing to the heavywall stuff. Especially out of position.

 

[cqaigy2]

I don't like people telling me what to do. I won't stand for a welding machine to tell me what to do!:laughing:

I tip my head so it looks right side up.

 

[Oldpath05]

I don't like people telling me what to do. I won't stand for a welding machine to tell me what to do!:laughing:

You have to look at it from another angle, the Miller Auto Set machine is not telling me what to do, I'm telling that machine what to do, when I set the dial on 1/8", I'm telling and commanding the Miller Auto Set machine to set the amps, set the volts, set the heat, set the wire speed, make my coffee. :thumbsup: