Welding

[SLOWMANDOWN]

BrentD here is a link that I believe has some merithttp://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/mig-welding-procedures.html.In my short amateur experience I have encountered a lot of situations that are mentioned in this site. sizzami is probably right that your machine is too small. I have an older Hobart 200 amp 220v mig and for 1/4" mild steel I am near maxed out with argon/co2 gas, I have since changed to dual shield flux core with co2 gas for 1/4 to 3/8" mild steel. Not only for better penetration but also all the projects I need 1/4"+ steel is for higher stress areas and flux core has better ductility over solid wire. Sure you have to clean up more but strength and stress I do not want to compromise. I do not agree with sizzami about stick welders. They are good, solid like rock, weld steel in just about any condition almost anywhere,( Mig you have to prep well), inexpensive for consumables and such, and before he throws them of a cliff he can give them to me. If you have some trouble with adjusting the wire speed, take a piece of clean scrap steel, make sure your stick out is at the correct length, set the proper voltage, and have a friend turn the wire speed from high to lower will you weld. Listen for the sound look at arc, check the high and tie in of the bead, and check the penetration.
I attached a rule of thumb chart giving amperage and wire speed for wire and thickness of metal.

 

[BrentD]

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

Well, the wire speed does have a dial. The 2 switches / 4 settings are for voltage/current according to the chart. I don't have a flow meter, but am using the gauge set that HF sells to go along with this model of welder so I'm just sort of taking a leap of faith that the two pieces are at least in rough calibration with each other. I was running about 25cft according to the gauge. Started it out around 15 but the arc didn't look quite right so I turned the flow up until it looked and sounded like I thought it should from reading.

All the welding I've done so far has been inside my workshop out of the wind.

 

[greenmule]

No,always tried not to do a globular transfer when mig welding,think it was the first way they did mig,co2 shielding,big wire,didn't take them long to come up to use a smaller wire,but can't think of any where I've seen globular mig,[I'm sure theres someplace out there that is doing it now though??]

You put a tig torch on the end of that stick stinger,you are now tig welding,using same machine,difference is shielding gas system.

Stick verses mig,lets put it this way,about anybody can pick up a mig gun [thats been dialed in by somebody who knows how],and within a short while,make a weld on something in the flat postion[might not hold anything,but it will kinda look like a weld.]
You let the same guy[who has never welded] pick up a stinger,he might not even be able to get the arc started let alone make something that looks like a weld,in 3 times the time.

So,which is best,well,you would think by the above,for a newbie,it would be mig,[and maybe it is],but bet there are many newbies,who can't figure out how to set up their machine and get frustrated with it and never use it. Also bet there are many newbies who kinda get the machine set up,and in 2 hours start preticipating in these discussions on how to do this and how not to do that,even send in pictures,and if they actually had to make a good weld couldn't,and couldn't even get it to stick out of postion.

I would recommend a dc stick machine for any newbie and a welding class.

Mig is fine,if you know what you're doing,if you know how to fix machine and keep it tuned up, if you know what a good weld is supposed to look like,and are aware of migs limitations and problems that are likely with it if you ain't carefull.

Stick,you got to know many things to,but the machine it self is turn it on and turn it up or down,unless its a generator welder,ain't no parts to get screwed up or adjustments needed,etc. Simple,durable,cheaper.

Now if you're just sheet metal welding or wanting to weld aluminum,yeah,get a mig,but on any steel, from anything about 1/8 and up to many inches thick,stick will weld it just fine. And you got a tig machine for steel and stainless if you get a dc welder as well,just need torch and stuff and it will be scratch start,but x-ray quality pipe welds are made every day with scratch start.

 

[Danno1]

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's too funny. I found my buzzbox on a frozen quarry at the bottom of a 40 ft cliff. Well dented!!!


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[BrentD]

That's too funny. I found my buzzbox on a frozen quarry at the bottom of a 40 ft cliff. Well dented!!!

.

Wish I could come across a stick welder that easily. I know I could probably pick one up really cheap... Might even inherit my grandfather's old stick welder eventually. It's an older sears/craftsman with a slide-style power setting and I think it goes up to 350 Amps. Might even be able to actually weld with it now that I have the auto helmet. My biggest problem with stick is coordination. It's easy enough for me to keep things in the right place when I'm close to the work piece, but when I've got 12" of rod between my hand and the weld, I'm just not steady enough. (This is all based on my experiences during high-school when I was so terrified of sparks that I was shaking so bad before starting the arc I was lucky if I was anywhere near the target. Playing around with a couple of Tesla coils pretty much got rid of the fear of arcs and sparks though. )

 

[bobodu]

I was completely amazed the instant improvement I was able to make after not picking up a stinger in over 20 years. Somewhere along the line,they invented the auto-dark.
We use MIG at the plant and I use pure stick around MY shop because I want things to stay stuck without the hassle of MIG. I can make a "pretty MIG" looking weld as long as it's horizontal. Vertical still looks like bird poop...
I weld auto body panels and bushings with 1/16" 6013 and farm implements with 1/8 or 5/32 6013. About all I buy anymore.
Paid $85 for my Lincoln tombstone and the Lincoln gen/welder was given to me by a neighbor.

 

[greenmule]

You can always choke up on the rod,different ways to do that, one maybe,is don't hold the stinger like a hammer,hold out on end of stinger,put rod inbetween you pointing finger and middle figer,or just bend the rod to suit you,[don't work to good for low/hi,coating beaks off,another reason not to use that rod],or you can put rod halfway in,twist it a few times.

This is whats done when space is limited,but it would help somebody who was unsteady as well.

 

[greenmule]

get you a cheater lens for your new hood,whatever you need to read perfect,you may be even more amazed.

 

[SLOWMANDOWN]

You can also cut the rod in 2 to shorten the length, brush off the flux on the end you have cut and you can use it. Use 2 hands to steady the rod, best method for me is as "greenmule"says is to choke up on the stinger and support the rod with my other hand. Shortening the rod especially helps when the rod sticks, as quick wiggle of the hand will usually breaks it free. I wear my reading glasses but am really considering a cheater lens, save the trouble to removing them when lifting the helmet to inspect the weld. Keep your head tilted away from the smoke where you can see the arc, get comfortable, and relax, concentrate on the arc and the puddle.

 

[oughtsix]

If you don't make any ugly welds when you are starting out you will never be proud of your pretty welds when you get the knack.

A good welder can make a good weld on a cheap machine. A novice will have a hard time making a passable weld on a top of the line machine.

That being said my welds took a big jump in quality going from a flux core 110v mig (ok properly called wirefeed not mig) to my Lincon 225. Learning on the flux core was great practice and made me tune my technique where my lincon gives me a bit more leeway.

Don't get discouraged and don't give up. Everyone I have ever seen started out with some pretty sloppy welds. I am definitely not above making a sloppy weld now and again. Usually do to a lack of prepping the steel, or a bad ground or once just old oxidized wire (note it has never been the welders fault).

It is an arc not a plasma stream but that is just semantics and it doesn't have any affect on the weld (what you call it). I don't think the arc will be offended.