Fired up my Millermatic 135 for the first time :)

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I wouldn't go as far as to call it welding, but I did burn some metal.  I read the manual, put it together, watched the video and was determined to make sparks fly.  It came with a roll of Hobart brand solid core wire and the polarity of the machine seems to be DCEP by default.  I didn't have any shielding gas, so I didn't really expect it to work.  Instead of a steady arc, bits of the wire were blowing apart so I kept getting a disco-flasher type action.  Also, the base metal (a steel mouse trap) didn't melt at all, it just turned colors.  Eventually, the small bit of peanut butter residue on the trigger tab caught fire.   I ended up with what looks like a pile of dirty BBs.  Is this what happens when you use solid wire without gas?I'll pick up some flux core wire tomorrow and reverse the polarity.  What's the technical reason for reversing the polarity?Also, when I got the machine, the plastic hinge that clips into the door , was broken upon delivery.  I decided it wasn't worth shipping the machine back for that.  There didn't seem to be any damage to the box or to the door of the unit which would cause the hinge to break.  It seems like whoever put it together used a bit too much elbow grease and broke the tab off the hinge.  I'll see if Miller will send me another hinge.Anyway, I destroyed some metal and didn't light myself on fire.  Maybe I'll do some real welding tomorrow.
Reply:Get the gas, you will love it. DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Fun A? LOL, I am getting ready to use gas with my HH187 for the 1st time. No more fluxcore. Post some pics after you try it with gas.
Reply:THats a fun first time story.  I can just see that pile of metal on your bench.  Probably a wood surface too, no?   I'm suprised the welder wasn't sent with flux core wire.   Good luck and have fun!
Reply:No, I wasn't working on wood, I was on the concrete floor of the garage.  I'd be thrilled to make an actual weld at this point.  It doesn't even have to look pretty since I can always grind it down later, right?Anyhow, the first real project is fixing the cutting deck on my dad's John Deere 185.  I was backing it out of the shed when the deck got caught on the ramp and the metal tore like a piece of paper.
Reply:This was my 3rd weld I had ever done with a mig, I was using .030 solid wire on 3/16 angle and the gas was not making it to the gun tip. Everyone here instantly knew it was a gas problem which led me to look for the problem and I found the connection from the hose to the machine was pulled apart slightly and the gas was leaking out before it ever made it to the tip. Anyway this is what welding without gas will look like.
Reply:I have a HH 140 and prefer running solid wire, but flux core is more forgiving for outdoor use and "less than shiny" material.737 - That happened to me too.  I was changing the wire and cheking out the drive & cable stuff and didn't get in all the way back in before I fired it up.  I was thinking "what the ***"?  I started thinking I had a bum roll of wire before I backtracked and discovered it.Hobart 140 Handler w/ gasHyperTherm Powermax 380 Plasmaoxy/acetylene
Reply:I have welds that look like that several times a month......usually when I forget to turn the gas on.   You'd think after all these years, I'd remember a little more.   Just get in too much of a hurry I suppose.