What did I do wrong?

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First off I have about an hour of trigger time total so I’m a complete newbie at this. Can someone look at this weld, and tell me what I’m doing wrong?The details:Machine: Clarke 130ENWire: Lincoln Electric innershield NR-211-MP self shielded cored wire 0.035”Tip: 0.035”Tap: 4 max outputFeed: 4 (216 IPM if my math is right?)Material 1/8” by 3” by 5” A-36I cleaned up both pieces front and back with the angle grinder. and made sure i has a good ground connectionI think the weld looks good to my untrained eyes.It looks to me like I’m getting good heat transfer. When I finished the weld it was red hot and bright enough that it dazzled my eyes when I flipped the shield up.I can bend the steel into a pretzel, but when I’m finally able to break the weld apart, it looks like all I did is create a fillet. Shouldn’t the base metal have melted together as well? Am I using the wrong wire or something?Here you can see the broken weld, and the bottom of the vertical.-Dan S
Reply:Increase amperage slow your wire speed and take more time to make the pass.
Reply:Looks like your a little to fast on the travel of the gun to me....But like yourself I've only been welding about a year also, but with the settings on your welder you should be hot enough to burn through that stuff easily. just my first impression of the pictures.Some one with more experience than myself will chime in to advise more I'm sure.Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:Dan sez:I can bend the steel into a pretzel, but when I’m finally able to break the weld apart, it looks like all I did is create a fillet. Shouldn’t the base metal have melted together as well? Am I using the wrong wire or something?it looks like all I did is create a filletYes! You created a fillet weld. -it broke in the thinnest cross section of the weld-the base metal is fused and wetted into both sides of your fillet weld  IMHO--you dun GUD!    ....If you were expecting complete fusion throughout the 2 plate junction, that would require significantly more heat (like spray or ferociously hot flux core)   -the bend testing you're doing is severely racking the weld. A 'normal' bend test isa butt weld, full pen. from both sides, then forming a specific radius 'U' bend, a smooth, controlled radius bend with the full pen. weld in the bottom of the 'U'.  --Next--weld a fillet like the one you just did, on both sides--then try bending itmaybe jack up the heat a tad.Blackbird
Reply:Originally Posted by dave powelson    ....If you were expecting complete fusion throughout the 2 plate junction, that would require significantly more heat (like spray or ferociously hot flux core)
Reply:I guess no one could figure out that you were at max heat, on a 130amp 110v machine. Imean, after all, you put it right in your info. Your weld looks very good. I would say the only improvement you can get is to maybe slow down your travel rate a little bit, to concentrate a little more heat in the part. But it looks pretty good, and that is about all any metal can take with a single side getting a bead on it. If you were to try and bend that weld the other way, you would likely not see that weld fail. And if you were to put a bead on both sides, that weld would never fail. Or, like Dave Powelson said, you dun gud!! And since you are at the limit heat wise, the only way to get it to start hotter is to preheat. It is a very important part of welding with a 110v mig machine, as eventually you will go after 1/4" or 5/16" material. Then, it's bevel, preheat and multiple pass time.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Did you weave at all? looks like theres very little penetration in the seam of the joint. welded the 2 peices but bridged over the seam. from bad angles or weaving and not getting in the seam enough.  just my opinion, im no expert. looks great though!I like to party!
Reply:Looks good to me.  DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:don't use the magnet next time. It screw up the DC weldLincoln Power Mig 200Ready Welder spool gunLincoln Tomb Stone AC DCMPM 150 AMP DC portable Arc welder and GeneratorRiland 40 AMP Plazma Cutter
Reply:did you drag or push when you laid that bead? what was your angle? it doesn't matter too muchwith flux core, but it does a little when it comes to weld appearance. i use the same wire (NR-211MP) all the time and it seems like you have less spatter than i do. lol... i once learned from a guy on here that you control your amperage with your wire speed... faster wire=higher amps=more heat... i use that when i am already maxed out on my machine's volatage and for fine-tuning between the voltage setting. play around with it a bit... it helps. other than that, it looks great for someone with that little trigger time... heck, even for some guys with a few years of trigger time, that's pretty impressive.Later,Andy
Reply:Originally Posted by aczellerdid you drag or push when you laid that bead? what was your angle? it doesn't matter too muchwith flux core, but it does a little when it comes to weld appearance. i use the same wire (NR-211MP) all the time and it seems like you have less spatter than i do
Reply:Originally Posted by dan sOn tap 4 I can get up to a feed setting of 6 (324 IPM). A little before 6 I can feel the wire start hitting the base metal, and pushing the gun back. This is a bad thing is it not?
Reply:Move back down to .030 wire. It'll be a little pricier per lb but will be more suited to the operating range of your machine. Bigger wire does not make a welder bigger. The .030 has a smaller cross sectional value which will give a slightly more intense arc at similar high settings on a power limited machine. Sure, less fill but it will let you move a tad slower and get into that root just a bit better. Like others said, looked pretty good from the outside. But it could have been just a bit wetter and deeper into the base of the triangle there.
Reply:I picked up some Hobart 0.030” E71T-11, during lunch today. After work I will try and lay down a few more welds and post them later tonight. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.
Reply:Before the break it looked Ok for penetration. But after you broke it , you can see it didn't fuse the hole piece together. For a strong weld you want 100% fusion. It could be that you were going to fast, like what others said. The longer your welding in one spot the hotter it gets. Slow down the wire speed and see how well that works.  Its only 1/8" plate so at 130 amps it should fuse it nicely. Post some more pictures for the next test.
Reply:The details:Machine: Clarke 130ENWire: Hobart 0.030” E71T-11 flux coreTip: 0.030”Tap: 4 max outputFeed: 6.5 (351 IPM)Material 1/8” by 3” by 5” A-36I wasn’t able to break the weld tonight.You can’t really tell in the photos, but I have a rough bevel on the vertical.  I definitely got better penetration this time; in fact I blew out the left side of the vertical as I was finishing up.So how did I do?
Reply:Dan, that qualifies as a VERY PASSED test on the weld. Nice pretzel!!!And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Looks like pretty good stuff to me.  Like has been suggested, do some experimenting with a weave, as in a back and forth C motion, or a small circle to hold the heat in the area of the bead, longer.  This, also, helps to preheat the area you are moving into, to allow better penetration.  Perhaps, not so important with 1/8 thickness, but you'll want to move up in thickness, eventually.  So, you 're left handed?
Reply:you have no penatration in the root of your fillet there is a big void under the bead. the bead has to much reinforcementacross face. yes it held when hammering a fresh weld but over time that void would suck in water and rustto become a weak weld. if it was smaw or fcaw you would have slag behind the bead if it was gmaw then a line of silcon would be the inclusion the way the weld broke was through the weld not ripping the pearent metal. in review that was not bad for now but try to fuse right through the root and keep the face smaller.Last edited by paretrooper; 12-15-2007 at 04:22 AM.the day you stop learning in this tradeis the day your in your grave
Reply:Originally Posted by paretrooperyou have no penatration in the root of your fillet there is a big void under the bead. the bead has to much reinforcementacross face. yes it held when hammering a fresh weld but over time that void would suck in water and rustto become a weak weld. if it was smaw or fcaw you would have slag behind the bead if it was gmaw then a line of silcon would be the inclusion the way the weld broke was through the weld not ripping the pearent metal. in review that was not bad for now but try to fuse right through the root and keep the face smaller.
Reply:Much better than my first welds....... I'm a newbie so no advice from me  BTW, another lefty here..... but not sure if I weld lefty or righty as I do a lot of things with right. Qualified & experienced at welding scrap metal
Reply:Yep I’m a lefty, that’s why my penmanship sucks. When I was in grade school the teachers still tried to force everyone to write right handed.I’m going to practice some more this afternoon; I used the band saw lat night to put a 45 degree bevel on a bunch of pieces. I will post some samples tonight.
Reply:Originally Posted by dan sYep I’m a lefty, that’s why my penmanship sucks. When I was in grade school the teachers still tried to force everyone to write right handed.I’m going to practice some more this afternoon; I used the band saw lat night to put a 45 degree bevel on a bunch of pieces. I will post some samples tonight.
Reply:What can I say, YOU GOT IT!Nice job. Just keep burning the wire!DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:So I spent part of yesterday and today practicing on tee joints (some of the projects I want to do will require them). I have tried several different power settings, but no matter what I do, I always end up with little bubbles right at the root.Is this something wrong with my technique, or is it related to my set up, or just a difficulty related to using flux core wire?You can’t tell from the pic, but I put a 45 degree bevel on the vertical before I started.How thick is that material ? Probably too much weave, not enough concentration in the root. Be happy with a narrower pass and less deposition. Can you see the puddle okay?
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyHow thick is that material ? Probably too much weave, not enough concentration in the root. Be happy with a narrower pass and less deposition. Can you see the puddle okay?
Reply:Originally Posted by dan sThe material is 1/8” thick A36.  I can see the puddle pretty well,  I have my hood turned down to 9.
Reply:Originally Posted by Sandymake sense??
Reply:Ya done fine ...It will certainly hold without breaking. It's fantastic for a beginer and most certainly better than I see most mechanics/welders doing in the field every day .... Now truthfully. . You did ask. .. ... and instead of kissing your butt and telling you what you wanna hear.  I'll tell you the part you may not wanna hear.Personally I think the first weld that you posted, the bead showed better fusion on the upper and lower edges of the weld and was generally more consistent. The area to the right, your starting point .. was a little colder when you started so you didn't get as good a fuse the at the edges.The second weld looks basically dirty. I assume you just didn't clean it before taking the picture?  The weld looks very inconsistant to me although you have good fusion along the upper edge you don't on the lower edge. You need to adjust the position of your gun to get even fusion along the dottom as well as the top.A little practice and your gonna be great at this... Washman
Reply:Originally Posted by WashmanThe second weld looks basically dirty. I assume you just didn't clean it before taking the picture?
Reply:Earlier today I was reading that if your voltage is too high, the slag become harder to get off. Thus if wire feed really controls voltage, then I should slow my wire feed down.
Reply:Originally Posted by dan sDon’t worry about sharing your opinions; I joined the forum, because I wanted to hear the opinions of people who knew more than me. If I wanted someone to smile at me and tell me how cool the weld looks, I would show it to my fiancé.
Reply:I Think i made a break though today.I made two major changes today.I researched the power and feed settings recommended by other manufactures, and then extrapolated them for my machine. Instead of using tap 4 I used tap 3, and I used a slower fire feed rate.I replace the nozzle that came with my machine with a Lincoln “gasless nozzle”. The tip now extends 3/8” pass the nozzle, and allows me to have much shorter stick out.After making these two changes, and using the tips everyone provided above, I was able to produce a smaller bead that had better penetration.  Instead of large gaps I now have little pin holes in the seam. Hopefully with some more practice I can alleviate the pinhole issue as well.Weld DetailsMachine - Clarke 130ENWire - Hobart 0.030” E71T-11 flux coreTip - 0.030”Nozzle – Lincoln “gasless nozzle”Tap - 3 of 4 Wire Feed - 5.5 (297 IPM)Technique - single pass pull methodMaterial - 1/8” by 3” by 5” A-36
Reply:You could make a stringer, then the weave over it. OR use a triangle weave.Start on the bottom plate, pause there till you got a puddle.  Then put the wire right into the root and pause again.  Then the upper plate, pause again, then the bottom plate, pause, middle pause, top pause, bottom........Each time you move, bring the puddle with you.Otherwise it looks fine.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.