newbie weld pics

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Hey guys so I finally fired her up tonight.Millermatic 180.030 solid wire75/25 gasAll i have is some exhaust piping scraps at the moment to practice on so i first just laid a bead on the outside of the pipe to get the feel of how this is supposed to go.  I def appreciate the fact that you need  steady hand.The wire seemed to flow out too quick the first 2 beads are the same then on the last one i turned down the wire speed.  the welds are not as high in the air.I am confused about the gas too, my gage only shows one needle moving the with the bottle totally open.  the argon gage on the left does not move, i am not sure if it moves when i start welding but i assume not.  am I missing something? am i not getting gas flowing?here are some pictures, yeah i know i need a metal table.....sorry for the crappy picsLast edited by dbluegoat; 08-07-2007 at 11:24 PM.
Reply:Bottle should be turned all the way on.The guage on the right is bottle pressure.Guage on the left is flow rate in cubic feet per minute.  You need to turn that dial on the guage to get that to go up.  Purge your gas and it'll move.Keep and you'll get it in no time.  They say it takes 40 hrs of practicing to pass a light guage weld test on a fillet joint in overhead and horizontal.  (1/16-1/8" material).  Not much when you think that it takes 500 hrs on average to pass structural 7018.   .  So even less time to get good enough to hold an exhaust together.Last edited by WelderBoy; 08-07-2007 at 11:27 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by WelderBoyBottle should be turned all the way on.The guage on the right is bottle pressure.Guage on the left is flow rate in cubic feet per minute.  You need to turn that dial on the guage to get that to go up.  Purge your gas and it'll move.
Reply:Hi,The gage on the left is you flow gage, it is adjusted by the brass "T" regulator handle.  T adjust it set you wire feed to its lowest setting and pull the trigger, now adjust the regulator so the gage on the left is set at 10 (the black numbers).  Also when opening your gas valve on the tank open it ALL the way.Che out:http://www.millerwelds.com/education...tips/MIG_tips/
Reply:Once the flow rate is set the needle will not move unless you adjust the regulator (it may move a little) when you weld.The valve on the tank should be opened all the way when you are using the welder because the valve has seats in the closed and open positions.Is this brand new?
Reply:Get a pair of MIG pliers or dykes until you do and cut the wire down close to the nozzle if it is long. You can also pop the excess off if you hit it for a second on the edge of a flange or corner. It will leave the excess hanging to break off when you are done. Turn your heat up a little and wire speed down and it should burn closer to the nozzle.Miller 250DXTD Cutmaster 100Duct TapeBFH
Reply:yes its a new setup.  i figured out the gas, got it working, still having trouble with a nice steady movement but i guess that comes with practice, also this is all one handed so farI took 2 pieces of pipe and did a little more also ran 2 more lines on the other pipedoing the 2 pipes together was difficult to keep moving, do you guys just go around the pipe and keep moving your body or is there some kind of cheap machine that will rotate it for you as you weld, everything i have seen is expensive and seems like industrial size.  cant remember the exact name of the machine.more pics, thanks for all the helpLast edited by dbluegoat; 08-08-2007 at 12:23 AM.
Reply:Looking better.  If you have a long piece of wire sticking out when done welding, you need to stay closer to your work.  You should have about 3/8" between the TIP and your work.  This should flatten out your bead too.  Keep welding, Keep posting pics and asking questions.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:As far as keeping steady, sometimes I found putting the pinky of my non-gun hand on the work, and the thumb near the end of the gun, helped to steady it. Or at least that's what I remember, haven't done MIG in a few years.Are your welds maybe just a little bit cold? I'm no expert but the beads look maybe a little bit thin.- John
Reply:1st rule of welding, the welder (you) must be comfertable get nice and comfey relax don't strangle the hand piece use two hands with mig.play get used to running beads.alot of new welders look at the bright light when welding not through it.the biggest thing to learn is to see what happens to the wire and steel when laying down beads.if you know someone who is a welder get them to give you some hints.i am showing a freind how to weld and i can tell him all the wrongs and rights of welding and it goes straight over his head.but as soon as i gave him my spare helmet and got him to look over my sholder while i welded the switch in his head clicked just by seeing what i was talking about.the day you stop learning in this tradeis the day your in your grave
Reply:Use two hands!When you get good at that then go for the one handed welds! Walk before you run...