Critique my welds please

[fatjay]

I've done a lot of welds that are smaller, 1-2", butting 2 pieces of angle iron to make frames. They're generally ok but not the best, so I've been working on it.

I have a lincoln wire feed, using .030, setting D(highest it will go), wire speed 3.5. It's rated for 3/8" and the steel is closer to 5/8". I had the wrong wire speed in the beginning, so it's not as clean.

https://i.imgur.com/f54Esev.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/78ExAMK.jpg

 

[Shield Arc]

First thing I would do, is get a 4-inch grinder with a cup brush, or inline wire wheel to clean the metal before welding.

 

[fatjay]

I have one, I hit the steel before, I guess I didn't do it wide enough.

 

[Shield Arc]

Mig welding doesn't like any dirt or rust. Self shielded wire will work better on dirt, and rust. Pretty much like stick welding.

 

[fatjay]

Terminology escapes me. I learned to weld 20 years ago and there were only 3 terms, wire, stick, and plasma. I specialized in stick, but I don't have the power in my garage to handle it, and i don't do heavy stuff that often, so I picked up a wire.

 

[Redlands Okie]

There is a wire made to use in your wire mig welder. It has the shield coating on it so that it’s basically like a continuous stick for stick welding. This allows you to not use the gas that you are use to using in the mig wire welder. This self shielded wire handles dirty jobs a bit better. Good also for handling a bit of a breeze that seems to mess up normal gas protected mig welding

 

[wdchyd]

There is a wire made to use in your wire mig welder. It has the shield coating on it so that it’s basically like a continuous stick for stick welding. This allows you to not use the gas that you are use to using in the mig wire welder. This self shielded wire handles dirty jobs a bit better. Good also for handling a bit of a breeze that seems to mess up normal gas protected mig welding

FCAW........Flux core

 

[fatjay]

Good to know. I wanted to avoid gas.

Any difference between home depot wire and harbor freight wire? Stuff is like 50% off on harbor freight, plus another 25% coupon, but if it's crap it's not worth the hassle.

 

[Shield Arc]

I really like Lincoln's NR-212 self shielded wire.

 

[LD1]

No expert welder, but it looks like your movement was real erratic, and too fast as it looks like you didnt give time for puddle to fill in.

Hard to judge a weld like that only by looks. You can lay a real nice bead and have no penetration, or you can lay a real nice bead and have good penetration.

You said you dont have the power in the shop for a stick welder....so is this a 110v mig? and 0.30wire? on 5/8" steel? without any preheat....or root opening.....or a good bevel and multi-pass....I am afraid it probably aint stuck that well at all