MIG Welding Advice

[Les Henson]

They look fine. You are stopping too soon though -pics 2,3,4,5.

Les.

[landroversforever]

ok, thanks for that les

[girly mode] YAY! [/girly mode] I think I have almost mastered something I have wantedd to learn for a long time!

[FridgeFreezer]

Looks better - need to go in a straight line if possible although that's far easier with an auto-helmet (by far the best investment after a good welder).

[landroversforever]

I am sort of going in a straight line, I'm using the tiny circles (3-2mm) round and round as i go along, i'm getting a more consistant fillet/bead.

I am using an auto darkening helmet it really is God's gift to welders. When I learnt to stick weld, it wasnt auto-darkening

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Much Much better

As Fridge says the skill now in hand movements *behave you lot )

esp on being central over the gap, so the weld appears 50 50 each side when finished.

Don't worry about "Doing the weld in one go",,,,,,,better to weld a bit,

stop reposition ....weld more ....and so on as you get better you'll find

you'll be able to weld and reposition as you weld....well I can on MIG, ...on TIG

ALWAYS ensure the "ends" of the welds are there " The Edges" if you like,

again sometimes a quick tack on each crner and then fill in in between etc

On something like that box section you should aim for

welds 50 50 on the gap

Welds all the way around, with no gaps

No "Gap" at all anywhere when finished

But, in answer to your question

Early pics - Weld Quality 2/10

Late Pics Weld Quality 7/10

Early pics - weld positioning - er

Late pics weld positioing - 5/10

Just keep pratising, your doing well

Try different types of welding,

ie plates on top on each other a Upside down T shape

a lump of tube onto a bit of flat, then an angled bit of tube to tube

But congrats so far ! - on the last pics I'd still say up the curent a tad more ?

Nige

[landroversforever]

I got some nice welds welding a 8mm rod to the top of another bit of box-section (IIRC like mark or Bish's recovery loops)

I'll try the current up a tad...although it is only in about 6(?) steps... I'm on 3.

[disco tony]

try practicing one weld at a time, ie, but weld in the flat position, fillet weld in flat, etc. You should be making adjustments to volts and wire speed with each weld. Remember heat rises, a flat weld will need 50/50 in each parent part. A fillet weld will need slightly more heat in the flat portion as the heat will rise into the upright. Welds definitely improved from your first attempts, was it the gas flow? if you have a 2 stage gauge on the bottle it should be set to about 8 litres/min.

over the years I have found that stick welders need to be told to "push" not "pull", is this also what you changed?

Anyway, keep up the good work, just as a matter of interest it is estimated that the UK will be 50,000 welders short before the 2012 olympics. Get into a college after 6th form and enrol on a C&G welding course!!!

[lansalot]

Stick welding = pull

MIG welding = push (into the gas flow, you are holding the torch at an angle remember, so push "into" the gas pool)

Also, check out: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk "How-to" section, especially http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/wire-speed.htm

Hope this helps