Welding
- Thread starter BrentD
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With all this talk about wire-speed I think I need to point out something else I noticed about my machine that doesn't seem right given what everybody is saying.... If I'm reading your posts right, the wire has to be in contact with the metal continuously to maintain the arc correct?
On some of my test welds I noticed something that doesn't match this description. On a couple of occasions with my test welds I set the wire speed ridiculously slow just to sort of see what happened. I struck the arc and the wire burned away but the arc dd not go out. It actually looked like a flame coming from the torch and I could see the wire slowly extruding from the handle then getting close to the hot part of the "flame" then a little ball would melt on the end of the wire and drop into the pool of metal. When I saw that I thought I understood what was happening. I thought the striking of the arc established a plasma flame (kind like a tig) then the wire feeder fed filler into the plasma flame to create the pool, but it's sounding like my understanding is either completely wrong or my welder is weird.
A few years ago I got the opportunity to watch a guy doing a lot of TIG work on a solar car's aluminum frame so a lot of what I know is based on what he told me and what I observed and read at the time.
On some of my test welds I noticed something that doesn't match this description. On a couple of occasions with my test welds I set the wire speed ridiculously slow just to sort of see what happened. I struck the arc and the wire burned away but the arc dd not go out. It actually looked like a flame coming from the torch and I could see the wire slowly extruding from the handle then getting close to the hot part of the "flame" then a little ball would melt on the end of the wire and drop into the pool of metal. When I saw that I thought I understood what was happening. I thought the striking of the arc established a plasma flame (kind like a tig) then the wire feeder fed filler into the plasma flame to create the pool, but it's sounding like my understanding is either completely wrong or my welder is weird.
A few years ago I got the opportunity to watch a guy doing a lot of TIG work on a solar car's aluminum frame so a lot of what I know is based on what he told me and what I observed and read at the time.
mbohuntr
Platinum Member
Your gas cup should almost touch the work and be tipped about 30 degrees from perpendicular. Open up the voltage a little hotter than the directions, hit the trigger and adjust the wire speed till it buzzes (sizzles) tightly. The arc should be just hot enough to erode the vertical metal, but cool enough to "push" the puddle up to fill it back up. A flat test weld should blend in at the edges, and not over about 1/8" high. the wire will glob and fall into the puddle at around a 1/16". If it is hissing and burning the wire toward the tip, your too hot, or not enough wire speed.
No,mig is not plasma. What your doing is called short circuiting mig welding,your wire comes out,touches metal,starts arc,melts off [cause of this short circuit],and repeat,thats what you hear that sounds like paper tearing.
Now there are other mig process's that depend on how hot,how big a wire,what kinda gas, called spray,and globular.
What a tig torch does is same thing a stick rod does,except the electode is made out of tungstun,which don't melt easy,so you just maintain an arc,and add your cold filler,like oxy/act welding,same thing only tig,your arc is heat source,oxy/act,your flame is heat source.
You should try some CO2 or CO2/argon mix.
Now there are other mig process's that depend on how hot,how big a wire,what kinda gas, called spray,and globular.
What a tig torch does is same thing a stick rod does,except the electode is made out of tungstun,which don't melt easy,so you just maintain an arc,and add your cold filler,like oxy/act welding,same thing only tig,your arc is heat source,oxy/act,your flame is heat source.
You should try some CO2 or CO2/argon mix.
try putting a tungsten electrode in your stick welder and see if the process seems the same to you. its the puddle man allways the puddle focus on it love it, make it do what you want it to do, dont let the puddle push YOU
personally I am trying to get the funding together to get a truck to drive around the country picking up stick welders and throwing them off cliffs.
no disrespect to the stick welders of the world but I dont hunt with a spear or ride a horse to work
that being said I'm telling you man your machine is just small you must have a buddy with something larger or spring for one you will love a nice 185 amp machine hobart make a relly nice one in fact if you look in the background in a lot of the pictures on tbn you can spy one often .your welder is your best friend
personally I am trying to get the funding together to get a truck to drive around the country picking up stick welders and throwing them off cliffs.
no disrespect to the stick welders of the world but I dont hunt with a spear or ride a horse to work
that being said I'm telling you man your machine is just small you must have a buddy with something larger or spring for one you will love a nice 185 amp machine hobart make a relly nice one in fact if you look in the background in a lot of the pictures on tbn you can spy one often .your welder is your best friend
p.s has anyone ever used globular mig technique ? and if so what for? isnt it actually a hybrid of spray arc and short arc only time Ive ever seen it is in a seminar or when a new guy hasnt quite figured out short arc . this is serious question by the way
LD1
Epic Contributor
Stick welders have their place and have the ability to do what mig and tig just cant do. Some examples:
Weld dirty, rusted metal. Yea you can clean, but sometimes you cant get into tight areas.
They can weld underwater with a proper setup.
They can reach into akward places that a mig gun or tig cant get to.
These are just a few examples, besides the fact that a good machine is dirt cheap compaired to a comprable sized mig.
And if stick was really all that out dated then why is most of the structrual welding in this country still being done by stick???
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
Welding is a skill that takes some time under the shield to get it right. The more time I spend the better I get. I think this is true for most people and I find it difficult to try to remember all the little things while trying to run a bead. But the more you practice, the more used to holding the stick or gun correctly you will get. It will become second nature.
About the machine in question, I would think that if you only have the capacity to select from four settings and can not dial in the wire speed and voltage you are going to have a hard time getting it right. Also not mentioned so far, what kind of flow rate for the shield gas are you using and do you have a flow meter to verify it? For .035 wire I run about 18 to 20 cft
and try to weld out of the wind for best results.
Steve
About the machine in question, I would think that if you only have the capacity to select from four settings and can not dial in the wire speed and voltage you are going to have a hard time getting it right. Also not mentioned so far, what kind of flow rate for the shield gas are you using and do you have a flow meter to verify it? For .035 wire I run about 18 to 20 cft
and try to weld out of the wind for best results.
Steve
bobodu
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Funny...I was gonna make bug zappers outta MIGs..
I don't see the need to waste time fiddling with knobs,dragging the welder around the tractor,clearing nozzles,straightening leads,changing spools,refilling tanks,finding a calm place or spending all day on prep...I need to have things fixed.
Baby Grand
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Why not? Imagine the change in attitude of your co-workers when you arrive at work on a horse with a spear in your hand. I mean, I work with some barbarians, but that would just set you apart from the rabble.
As for welding - to each his own. Stick works nice for me. As bobodu noted, there's a lot less fiddling with the machine and more time puddle gazin'.
-Jim
