I can Weld, I can't weld, I can Weld, This is getting very frustrating.

[k0ua]

Can't help you much with you MIG, I have less than 10 minutes on a MIG, my experience is with Stick and TIG. My little Everlast 160 does really well. It has paid for itself many times over. And makes beautiful welds with 7018. One of the best purchases I ever made.

 

[yomax4]

If you have a Lincoln 250 and you are running it wide open on 3/16 you will burn up the tip, nozzle diffuser. Try putting both knobs at 12 o'clock and start there. Or even 10'oclock. Good luck !!

 

[Industrial Toys]

Unfortunately, I had thrown a coat of paint on it to hide the evidence.

One possible problem may have been surface contamination. The angle iron had been painted, and I thought when my friend welded together the frame for me, the paint had been burned off and I wire brushed it.

BUT, in general, even when stick AC welding, I ALWAYS tend to use too much filler. You need to stay in one spot for good penetration, but then the filler accumulates, no? Am I missing something?

I could never stand to wear boxers. lol Those hybrid things aren't too bad.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Interesting youtube video, although I know most of that stuff. When I turn my gas up too high, I get black soot all over my work. He curiously didn't get that on his demonstration or explanation.

 

[drysalty]

That voltage at 28.5 you are on the verge of going into spray transfer i bet it spatters like crazy too. Im assuming you are using C25 argon CO2 mix, if so i'd roll that voltage down to around 20 give or take a half a volt and then set the wire feed at 230 or so and fine tune the feed until you get the bead you want. if your feed is too high you'll feel it stubbing into the puddle, if its too slow it will sputter and pop. Just my two cents but there are a bunch of online setting calculators that you can get that are very useful. Miller has a bunch you can load onto your phone that will put you into the ballpark if you know your material and wire type and shielding gas and then its just a matter of experience to find the sweet spot for your machine. Remember if you're running a flux core wire you want to go to electrode negative polarity and if you are running solid wire with shielding gas you want it electrode positive.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Thanks. It just seems to me that at lower settings the machine just doesn't have enough heat for penetration. Not for 3/16 steel.

 

[WranglerX]

Another guy that can help you dial it in....

Welding Tips and Tricks - TIG, MIG, Stick and a pantload of other info

I have a Hobart Handler 140 ( wished it was the 210MPV) and I have found the door chart has been pretty close for all my work, heat (voltage) is usually spot on only have to tweak wire speed a bit and watch my stick out and weave.... Helps to get head over to side of gun (instead of looking over top) and actually watch what the arc is doing.... The braille system does not work well here....

Dale

 

[Industrial Toys]

I know that some people claim, prep is everything. I knew a steel boat builder that wouldn't weld a thing without prep. But I do know guys and one guy in particular that has been welding for over fifty years every day,almost never preps anything and makes great welds on just about anything he touches. Has maybe nine welders in his shop, that are mostly cranked up and rarely touched, some being mounted up high that you can't even get at them, pulling filler out of drums.

His usual comment about my welds is "well, there is enough weld".

Aside from settings, I still have not solved my issue of not being able to see. I use a cheater lense that has helped.

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

View attachment 617951View attachment 617952

Unfortunately, I had thrown a coat of paint on it to hide the evidence.

One possible problem may have been surface contamination. The angle iron had been painted, and I thought when my friend welded together the frame for me, the paint had been burned off and I wire brushed it.

BUT, in general, even when stick AC welding, I ALWAYS tend to use too much filler. You need to stay in one spot for good penetration, but then the filler accumulates, no? Am I missing something?

I could never stand to wear boxers. lol Those hybrid things aren't too bad.

Voltage controls bead profile, not penetration.

Wire feed speed is your amperage and controls penetration (depth of fusion).

For a given wire feed speed, more volts flattens and widens the bead. But does not increase penetration.

But, volts too high gives erratic arc, excess spatter.
Volts too low and wire stubs into base metal and gives tall ropey looking bead.
Correct volts will be between.

 

[WranglerX]

Voltage controls bead profile, not penetration.

Wire feed speed is your amperage and controls penetration (depth of fusion).

For a given wire feed speed, more volts flattens and widens the bead. But does not increase penetration.

But, volts too high gives erratic arc, excess spatter.
Volts too low and wire stubs into base metal and gives tall ropey looking bead.
Correct volts will be between.

Yeah... Got reminded of that other day, was really hot and I was tired and not thinking really well and was getting a ropy bead and finally realized I need more voltage, cranked selector switch one step higher, and guess what, weld was a lot better....

Anybody can argue against preparation, but I find it really helps and machine parameters, yes proper setup there helps too.... Lastly what the weld is really about is skill of person behind the MIG gun (or stick) ...

Several thing that improve weld is seeing what arc is actually doing, if that means cheater lenses in hood so be it (I have a 1 diopter and 2 diopter doubled up) and lot of ambient light on area where welding (headlight on helmet).... And some will laugh but on something like a butt weld, highlight weld line with paint stick....

Dale