showing off my (bad?) welds

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i've had about 10 hours hood time with a stick, and wire welder. these are a few of my recent welds.I learned on a old 225a Lincoln tombstone(GFs dad taught me)i now own a HF dual mig171 (140a) with Lincoln fluxcore(and contact tips), tweco mig gun, and the cap mod.1st pic is a 1/4" plate to a 14ga square tube (axle mount on a small go kart)*tap #6 and wire speed half up*2nd pic is 14ga square tube to 14ga square tube*tap 4, 1/3 wire speed*3rd pic is 3/16" plate to 14ga tube*tap 4, 1/2 wire speed*4th pic is penetration pic of same setup, but different location (tube was under the plate)*tap 4, 1/2 wire speed Attached Images
Reply:looks good for just starting. just keep practicing.                                    mikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:good to see you here dude!!!
Reply:Also, introduction.I'm 21, an IT tech by trade. Welder, mechanic, carpenter, electrician by hobby/requirement. So far i've built (in order)*beads on flat plate*lap joints*butt joints*T-joints*BBQ pit*oxy/acet cart*Large go cart*tow hitch*trailer(frame was pre built, just the railings and gate)*2nd alternator bracket*small go cart*numerous exhuastsLast edited by stephen_lee; 01-04-2011 at 10:18 AM.Reason: typo - excuse grammer/punctuation, i get lazy on forums lol
Reply:PRESURE2? from 6gc? lol
Reply:couple more pictures Attached Images
Reply:Gonna mount that motor behind you on that cart?
Reply:HA i wish.. its actually going into an 85 chevy 4x4, i have no say where it goes, anyway. its my girls dads motor.. same guy who taught me to weld
Reply:Originally Posted by stephen_leePRESURE2? from 6gc? lol
Reply:no kidding manny.. where's matt!? i know he welds, too...
Reply:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...9&l=3c466fe010check these out
Reply:1/8" plate to 1/8th plate, 14ga square tube under it. 22v,  max WFS Attached Images
Reply:1/4 plate, t joint. no preparation. 28v,  max wfs Attached Images
Reply:1/2" plate. 31v. 7/10 wfs. no prep Attached Images
Reply:1/2" plate, 31v, max wfs. couldnt break this one Attached Images
Reply:comments? advice? yes it was a HF welder (160a plus cap mod (25% increase in output i believe?) and tweco gun) with hobart FC .030 wire.
Reply:weld hotter, clean your metal a bit more... and practice practice practiceAlso for thick materials go into spray arc. and make sure you get the corner very well for good penetration.As for stick, work on your arc length. and do some research on what kind of sticks there are. Basic sticks have another polarity and need another arc length than rutiel sticks.Last edited by Thurstan; 03-23-2011 at 04:40 AM.
Reply:Practice is good, but please remember---------Practice does NOT make Perfect---PERFECT Practice makes Perfect!!   If you never develop bad habits, you will never have bad habits.--my opinion--Matt6 Miller Big Blue 600 Air Paks2 Miller 400D6 Lincoln LN-25's4 Miller Xtreme 12VS2 Miller Dimension 812 4 Climax BW-3000Z bore welders Hypertherm 65 and 85Bug-O Track BugPair of Welpers
Reply:It looks like the welder is working,and your speed is consistent, but that metal is so rusty it is hard to tell what it can do.For 1/4 inch,try cleaning the metal, bevel and leave a gap.
Reply:btw, the 2nd 1/4" pic shows the bottom of the broken weld (the penetration side)thanks for the tips guys! this was one of my first destructive tests. i think theyre ok, i know i couldve slowed down and prepped the material to get much better welds. when i get off work early enough next time ill redo these with actual preparation and a little slower speed
Reply:One other thing, get some sleeves on those arms, arc flash is like noon day sun in August on a clear day in hell on the skin.
Reply:i learned early about the long sleeves haha. that picture was within the first 30 min or so of arc time Originally Posted by Thurstanweld hotter, clean your metal a bit more... and practice practice practiceAlso for thick materials go into spray arc. and make sure you get the corner very well for good penetration.As for stick, work on your arc length. and do some research on what kind of sticks there are. Basic sticks have another polarity and need another arc length than rutiel sticks.
Reply:i got some more tests done with cleaner metal. came out better, got 1/4" to fold over on itself without breaking the weld
Reply:Bevel the joints up and youll have a much stronger weld. Maybe if you want to actually weld the thick stuff you could do multiple passes too. But clean the metal betterHTP Invertig 201Lincoln Idealarc SP250Miller 180 AC StickBy farmall:They should have held the seagull closer to the work, squeezing evenly for best deposition.
Reply:if you want some great practice, get a bending jig and start doing 3/8" plate guided bends - you will learn quickly if the weld is strong or not
Reply:Originally Posted by stephen_leeHA i wish............ same guy who taught me to weld
Reply:Originally Posted by RhynoAsk him for a long sleeve, heavy cotton shirt.  You deserve one.
Reply:Originally Posted by stephen_leecomments? advice? yes it was a HF welder (160a plus cap mod (25% increase in output i believe?) and tweco gun) with hobart FC .030 wire.
Reply:get a flame retardent jacket or at least sleeves so you can feel more comfortable being closer to your work piece. I know I would struggle to see what my puddle was doing from that distance lol... welds dont look bad though man keep it up. takes a lot of practice to really see the puddle,feel your torch angle,arc length and where your heading with that puddle and not just one or the other. I know I really learned all this while passing my fixed 5g in stick up till then I may have only had 100 hours of hood time in one semester alone I had well over that in just stick class, now I have who knows how much with work and other projects. Just takes a lot of time but so far your looking pretty good.