First Mig Weld - Criticism?

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Most of you probably read my thread about me buying a mm252. Anyways got some gas and wire today. C25 gas, 0.30 hobart wire. 1/4" plate. First two welds with the machine and my first two welds since I graduated highschool 6 months ago. Looking for some constructive criticism. Working on my pattern/control so I have a uniform weld all the way through my bead. First picture is me doing a "))))))" pattern. Second picture is my first attempt at a technique I saw on YouTube. Go straight, stop, drag back slightly, then go straight, drag back slightly, etc. Not sure if it matters, but most of that spatter was from when I ran the piece of metal underwater to cool it so I could set it on that wooden bench to get pictures. Last edited by Kingkong0192; 11-15-2014 at 12:38 AM.
Reply:Doesn't look too bad. Your consistency could use a little work. I've never seen spatter come from quenching weld pieces. It's always come from something while welding..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:I know. Going to run some flat beads here in a minute to try to work on my consistency. Your probably right. I didn't really look at it until I cooled it. Probably just became more visible. Aside from consistency what else should I work on?
Reply:It helps to know what settings you used and if you are pushing or dragging the weld.1st bead looks a little large for the vertical piece. Remember you don't need any more weld than the thinnest piece. So if that vertical is say 3/16" and the base is 1/4", your fillet really doesn't need to be any larger than 3/16" on the legs. To me the legs look to be closer to 3/8" vs the 1/4" base, but it might be an optical illusion.I don't see any signs of undercutting on those. Not knowing your settings, it's a bit tough to tell if that's because you did a nice job, or the settings were a bit cold making it harder to get undercuts..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:I'd say they look pretty darn good too!I run just about everything with a little up and down motion, )))))))). I drag flux core, and push Mig.Personally I'd try just a touch more voltage, or a little less wire speed to see if I could get just a little wetter / flowing puddle.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:That looks great for your first attempts! The spatter was already there. it didn't show until you cleaned it and got the smoke off of it.I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:That's 1/4" plate standing upright on 1/4" plate. Settings are 21 volts, 400 ipm. Wire speed felt incredibly fast. I wouldn't of had it anywhere near that high but then again I don't know what it should feel like and that's the miller suggested setting. I'm going to add more volts and decrease the wire speed a little bit. Going to google undercutting now because I don't know what that is. Two questions; 1) Im joining a 1/4" piece to a 1/8" piece or vice versa do I set the machine to the 1/4" or the 1/8" or do I split the difference? 2) found a guy selling an Argon tank on Craigslist. He says it has straight argon in it. Could I get this filled with a mixed welding gas? http://hartford.craigslist.org/tls/4759791761.html
Reply:Remember now, all these charts are just suggestions. There are a lot of variables to welding. When you learn how to read the puddle, and understand what it takes to set the machine to get a good weld, it's all down hill from there. Far as the bottle, I'd ask your welding supplier first, before buying it.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Yeah that's what everyone has been telling me. More videos, and more welding, and more trial and error for me. Cut that piece in half. I see that pit or hole in the bottom of the weld there. What's the technical name for that? More heat to really burn it in there?
Reply:I doubt you'll pick that hole up without a bevel on the top plate.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:That's the metal.No problems with the weld.
Reply:Here's how I prep for a full penetration weld. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Is that hole bad? Is that in danger of instantly failing if I were to put any weight on it? Got it. Bevel my plates if I want full penetration. How wide should my overall puddle be? I feel like if I concentrated my puddle more towards the center of the joint instead of going up the legs I'd get more overall heat and metal down into the metal.
Reply:With wire feed I don't know if there is a hard rule on weld size. A lot depends on the size of wire you're running. When you start working off engineered drawings, you'll need a set of these. And the inspector will hold you to weld size. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:This might be interesting to you. I did some fillet weld break tests. With Lincoln's L-56 wire, it took 29 blows with a 4-pound hammer to break this weld. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:KingKong, I've always been told to make one adjustment at a time, either voltage or wire speed. That way, it's easier to tell which one made the difference.