Critisize my mig beads

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Hey guys... I picked up a new Hobart Handler 187 last black Friday, and I really like it so far. I've used it on a few things here and there, but have yet to use it on any real projects, because I don't trust the welds that I make with it. I'm a first year welding student, and so far we have learned a lot of stick and o/a, but no mig. I am very confident in what In know I can do with stick, and so I generally use that on most things that I make. Not so much with mig, because we haven't spent any time on it as a class, and everything that I know about it comes from this forum... But, I really want to get better at it. Most everything I do is with basic T joints, so I decided to work on those first. This is on some scrap 1/8" steel, with 25 cfh of c25, .035 wire, and I started with the recommended settings, 5 voltage, 50 wfs. This is my first weld:It looked a little tall to me, and so I turned the wfs down, to 30ish, and made these welds:(yes, I welded over a tack in the above picture, I need to work on that)And so, I'm asking for some advice here... Does anyone have a picture or two of perfect, textbook-style flat position mig welds that I could look at? What about setting a welder?? Like for these beads, going by the reccomended settings made a bead that looked too tall to me, and so I turned the wfs down, but left the voltage the same. Will this redce penetration at all, or anything?? How does one know when you are getting good penetration, and good tie in? And how can I be sure that I'm not making one of those "Good looking, but cold" mig welds? Thanks in advance, guys...[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:looks good to me. i think your on the money thereIf you like my stuff you can find me on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/theangryanv...ngryanvilforge
Reply:Looks pretty good, maybe just a tad on the cold side.You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:I'd suggest you do some cleaning of your metal. Mig will not tollerate a lot of paint and rust like say 6010 will. FC will work better on dirty steel than gas mig, but you should still grind off that rust and paint. Clean metal will always give you a better weld. Good prep is a good habit to get into. Wire wheels in a grinder are not good enough. You need to use a sanding pad or grinding wheel to get down to shiny bare metal. A wire wheel just polishes the rust, and doesn't remove it.The welds look fairly decent. I see a few small issues, but I'm guessing it's either an optical illusion from the picts and/or  inconsistancy from lack of practice.The best way to know how much penetration you are getting and how good your welds are is to test them. If you are a welding student, I assume they have you test your welds at some point. I've seen several ways schools do this, from putting a one sided T in a press and bending it flat, to regular bend tests like they often do for certs. Passing tests like that and lots of practice will give you the confidence that your welds are sound. The only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice... until doing it right is second nature and you do it with out even thinking about it..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:looks good
Reply:Definitely clean your metal before Mig welding. Try manipulating your torch. It'll help you lay a flatter bead and improve your consistency. It'll be easier to maintain a constant travel speed. They look pretty good for a beginner though. To check your welds, just weld one side of your tee, hold the base piece in a vise and break it off by smacking the back side of the upright with  a big hammer. If it bends over - good weld. If you want to see inside, do it before it cools.
Reply:The welds have "moments of brilliance."Like a few others have said, cleanliness, and a few spots of cold, but I add that it might be spots with too fast of travel.  (Not hanging out on the side, waiting for the side to be tied in.)One more thing, the left over slag means that it is FCAW or Dual Shield, not MIG.  What about "Criticize?"Other than that, it is good.-Rhyno07 Fowler 200D65 RedFace04 Miller TB 302, 22hpMiller 12RCMiller HF 251-1Lincoln SP135HyperTherm PM 380and a few others... Originally Posted by RhynoBut, if I "all of a sudden disappear....  ...." hopefully I didn't suffer too much....
Reply:Lacking tie in at the toes of the welds ran to cold  i see what looks like cold lapMiller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:Set the machine up on a bit of scrap so that the weld burns in nicely, then run your bead. If the bead piles up too much and you get cold lap then turning down the wire speed is a mistake (as you will reduce the amps). A common mistake is to try to build the welds up too much, when Mig welding you should always aim to keep the arc at the front edge of the weld pool, ensuring good fusion and virtually eliminating any chance of cold lap. Or to look at it another way, you set the machine up to the correct settings for the desired weld, and then the machine will tell you what speed to move the torch. I don't see slag on your welds  (although I could be wrong), looks more like silicon to me, so I'm guessing you're using standard mig wire, if this is the case you might have more luck if you angle the gun to a slight push angle (from the fotos looks like you're pulling it).
Reply:seeing the thickness of that metal i think you would have been able to weld that alot hotter and in spray arc ( or how you call it in english ).But the welds are looking quite nice.
Reply:cold lap all overcrank that sob UP
Reply:Originally Posted by RhynoOne more thing, the left over slag means that it is FCAW or Dual Shield, not MIG. -Rhyno
Reply:oh and turn your gas down to 17-19cfh, save yourself some money
Reply:Originally Posted by NickosNope.  that "slag" is actually the silicon in the wire pulling out contaminants in the base metals, he said hes running c25, C25 and FCAW is pointless and hes in school so im sure hes gotten the gist of that and i dont know the machine but if its a beginner buying it, probably pretty sure its not a dual shield wire, actually im positive by looking at it