A little MIG help please...

admin

This is really my first attempt at welding something other that just practice welds in a small sheet of 3/16 in. steel plate.First off the setup I am using...Campbell Hausfeld MIG/Flux 105 .035 Flux-Core wireWire Speed at 4 Heat settings at Low / 2 (not many choices)I am welding 1 1/4 in. square tube with 1/8 in. thick wallYou'll see in the pics below that I keep blowing holes in the butt end of the pipe.  That or just melting it off.
Reply:Doesn't look like 1/8" in the picts to me.  Looks closer to 1/16" or 18 ga. If it is 1/16" 18 ga you'll have issues with FC since it tends to be a hotter process than gas mig..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:Dang!  You're right.  I'll head to the store for some solid wire tonight and try that.Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by nicko99Dang!  You're right.  I'll head to the store for some solid wire tonight and try that.Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWYou do have gas (75/25) right? Solid wire won't work with out it. Pure CO2 might work, but it's also a hotter process than mix and is usually better for getting more penetration not less. Also go with small wire .023/.025 for thin steel.
Reply:You will get the most penetration on that machine with FC (not that you will get much with a small machine like that) It's usually what they rate the max thickness with. I find gas mig to be easier to see and for guys to learn with. The down side is the reduced penetration that will limit your thickness. That machine will probably work nice on thin steel with gas if you can get the adjustments right..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:Thanks for all the info.  I picked it up as a hobby welder.  Nothing heavy just to learn and mess around with.  Right now I'm just trying to assemble a welding table but as you can see, I'm not having much luck.  Hopefully with the gas setup I'll do better.Thanks again,Nick
Reply:Practice before you do any projects, just get some scrap and start putting things together. And keep in mind, that metal has to be almost clean enough to eat off of to mig right. Thin tubing is hard, you'll want to keep more of the puddle against the piece that doesn't have an edge on it, and melt the edge into the puddle, if that made sense. Just keep trying, you'll get it.[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Thanks again for all the suggestions.  Below is a practice weld I did after changing the setup to....023 solid wire (copper coated)75% / 25% argon/c02turned up the wire speed a little.
Reply:Definately better. Weld looks a bit cold. If possible, turn up the volts (set heat on High). You might also need to move a bit faster and increase the wire speed..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 DSWDefinately better. Weld looks a bit cold. If possible, turn up the volts (set heat on High). You might also need to move a bit faster and increase the wire speed.
Reply:If you do switch to fluxcore wire again, remember to switch the polarity of your welder. That was 99% of the problem you had - the arc was melting the workpiece instead of the wire. Fluxcore and solid wire have opposite polarity requirements.
Reply:Originally Posted by metalmagpieIf you do switch to fluxcore wire again, remember to switch the polarity of your welder. That was 99% of the problem you had - the arc was melting the workpiece instead of the wire. Fluxcore and solid wire have opposite polarity requirements.
Reply:Originally Posted by metalmagpieIf you do switch to fluxcore wire again, remember to switch the polarity of your welder. That was 99% of the problem you had - the arc was melting the workpiece instead of the wire. Fluxcore and solid wire have opposite polarity requirements.