MIG bead

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Gents:I got my sweet-azz new Miller 211 on Wednesday (early X-mas present)... One thing I noticed is that the bead it lays down is pretty tall. I'm used to a TIG and a very flat, smooth bead. I know it's hard to compare, but the difference is concerning. Seems like I'm going to have to get used to a lot of grinding. Am I missing something?BTW: The beads are gorgeous... perfect molten pools on clean 3/16" mild steel with solid wire and gas (flat / butt joint) on 220V. Just my first few tries here... Can't believe how fast this MIG is compared to time-consuming TIG. I'd say it's about 10X faster, if not more.Thanks for any input.Last edited by MoltenMetal; 11-24-2012 at 02:40 PM.
Reply:Increasing the voltage setting will flatten out the bead...Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Any pics of your welds? That would help a little. Great machine, I love mine, it's a little hot rod as far as tunability and performance. I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Can't really help if we don't know all the info.  What voltage setting and wire speed? Also what sort of prep? Did you gap or bevel the joint, or but it up tight?.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWCan't really help if we don't know all the info.  What voltage setting and wire speed? Also what sort of prep? Did you gap or bevel the joint, or but it up tight?
Reply:From the pictures it looks as if I'm just looking to bitch, because they look pretty level, but maybe it was just running beads on flat steel that caused such a mound.??: How much difference would I realize with clean steel and a bevel.. Seems like I'd burn though a bevel. These Miller Auto-Set settings seem pretty hot. Wish there was somebody with the same machine near me in Southern Maine I could watch over their shoulder.Last edited by MoltenMetal; 11-24-2012 at 10:38 PM.
Reply:Are you using an "e" shaped motion or something else? Using a lower case "e" you will spend more time in the puddle than if you use a "c", "z" or just a straight stringer. You need to adjust your travel speed accordingly. Also if you drag rather than push, you tend to have a taller bead. Push usually being the preferred method with solid wire. Also what size wire? You will lay down more material with say .035 wire than you will using .023 on average. Another item would be stick out. The farther the gun is from the work, the "colder" the weld will be for a given wire speed/ voltage. That's the opposite from tig where the farther away your tungsten is, the "hotter" the weld. You either need to keep the gun jammed in there, or crank up the voltage to compensate.last, keep in mind that with tig you have a lot more control over how much filler you add. With mig you are sort of "stuck" with the wire feed that works best based on the wire size and voltage you are using.As far as blowing holes in things that are gapped or beveled, you avoid that thru practice and experience. With a bevel, you give the weld material some place to go besides "up". I'd say 90 % of our mig students have issues with not enough penetration when they get to beveled joints rather than too much. Usually the only times they have too much penetration is when they bevel to a knife edge and gap the pieces to far apart. You don't need a super wide gap or a super deep bevel. Only enough to get the penetration you want/need and some place for the weld material to go..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Answers within quote. Thanks. Originally Posted by DSWAre you using an "e" shaped motion or something else?  Yes, using an e motion.  Push usually being the preferred method with solid wire. Using push method  Also what size wire? .030 wire.  You will lay down more material with say .035 wire than you will using .023 on average. Another item would be stick out. The farther the gun is from the work, the "colder" the weld will be for a given wire speed/ voltage. That's the opposite from tig where the farther away your tungsten is, the "hotter" the weld. Good to know  You either need to keep the gun jammed in there, or crank up the voltage to compensate.last, keep in mind that with tig you have a lot more control over how much filler you add. With mig you are sort of "stuck" with the wire feed that works best based on the wire size and voltage you are using. I think tomorrow I'll try to turn the wire feed speed down a bit and see how that changes the bead.As far as blowing holes in things that are gapped or beveled, you avoid that thru practice and experience. With a bevel, you give the weld material some place to go besides "up". I'd say 90 % of our mig students have issues with not enough penetration when they get to beveled joints rather than too much. Usually the only times they have too much penetration is when they bevel to a knife edge and gap the pieces to far apart. You don't need a super wide gap or a super deep bevel. Only enough to get the penetration you want/need and some place for the weld material to go. Makes sense. Thank you.