New to me Mig Welder

[Jeff Lary]

I just bought a used Craftsman gas less Mig with a 40% duty cycle. Never welded with a mig in my life but always wanted one. I have always used a stick a couple of years ago i bought a new Lincoln Tombstone AC/DC so this mig will be a nice addition and will be fun to practice with. Any tips on mig use for a beginner would be welcome.

 

[Agrantina]

If you can weld ok with a stick you should not have any trouble with a mig. I use gas on mine so not real fimilar with flux wire. Mig is really easy to use. You get your hand/ gun angle and spacing away from the metal and weld. Stick you have to always keep the gap the same between metal and rod as the rod is burning so it takes effort. Not so with the Mig.. Get some crap and have at it.. Start the machine on more amps than you think and back off until you hear BACON sizzling... You can hear a good wire speed/amps weld..

AndyG

 

[Jeff Lary]

Thanks i just watched a you tube and the guy said the " bacon sizzling " sound too. Thanks for the responce.

 

[Transit]

Mig will require more setup. You may want to experiment with different brands of flux core wire. there are a few good DVDs to see how it works. The sizzle is a good indication that you have things right, but a test coupon will tell if you are getting a good penetration fillet.

 

[Transit]

I see that you also posted a question for Mig. You have a flux core unit and with flux core mig you drag the wire/gun along the seam. If you keep the gas nozzle on the gun, you may rest the nozzle on the work as you drag the gun. The nozzle is insulated and will not cause an arc.

 

[gerard]

I have a small mig that I use with flux core also. Also do stick. Biggest difference I've found is matching the wire feed speed with the volts and the best way to do that is a small test piece of the same size as you want to weld. Too fast and you'll find it pushing out and hitting the material before it melts. To slow and you'll see it arcing and melting right close to the tip before it reaches the weld. Not hard with a little practice. I'll often use the mig to tack up a job, then finish it with the stick if I need better penetration.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Great all good stuff

 

[Shield Arc]

Here is a link to the fabricator.com on flux core welding. I haven't taken the time to read it myself, yet. :ashamed:

FCAW-S basics: Fast, no gas cylinders required - Arc Welding Tech Cell - TheFabricator.com

 

[Jeff Lary]

Thanks i will flag it and read it sometime