Erik's Learning to Weld Thread-

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Ok, so like we were discussing in my intro thread...1- The previous owner of the welder had the polarity set-up for flux-core and flux-core wire in the machine.2- He had the gas set-up for welding without flux-coreSo I switched the positive and negative wires according, put on .025 mild-steel wire, and went to town!**NOTE-  This was done without shielding gas...didn't realize it was empty First I played with the some 1/8" Steel.  I set my lincoln to the "D" voltage which is the highest, and set my wire speed to around 4.5-5I think my weld came out looking pretty good but I didn't seem to get the penetration I was looking for (or thought I needed).  Maybe I did and I don't really know what I am looking at!Here is the inside of the weld...And here is the backside of the weld...After I messed around with that for a while, I went to town making another 2x2x2 cube since I can't seem to get the oter i made from my buddies house.I started by tacking all the corners...I then proceed to make a weld.  I used a series of tacks...just did it quick enough that the previous tack didn't cool completely before i started the next.So that is what I came up with tonight.  Please share with me and tell me what I can change or do differently to improve my welds.Thanks guys...and by the way....I LOVE WELDING!!!
Reply:hmmmm id get some gas.....
Reply:Oh yeah, I will, just have to find out where first.  I also think I need a new tip for the gun.  I believe the one I have on there is for flux-core.
Reply:If you are using solid wire, you NEED shielding gas.Otherwise you end up with "not-a-weld".If you are using (or have available) self-shielding flux-core wire, then no shielding gas is needed.  The burning fluxcore makes the shielding gas and the slag that protect the molten weld metal from the atmosphere.If you have no shielding gas available (empty cylinder), then you have to stop welding with solid wire.  You can refill the tank and then weld again, or you can switch to FCAW-S wire (self-shielding flux-core wire) and try that.But solid MIG wire and no shielding gas?  All you did was get practice in burning up some metal and making bright light (the arc) and sparks and heat and moving the torch along.  But that's not really welding.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:So that is why there was no penetration on the 1/8" steel?Good to know!  I didn't realize the gas was gone till I was done playing! What mixture should I get?  99% of my welding will be steel (automotive)Like I said this is my learning thread...these are only the second welds I have made.
Reply:i call those champagne welds. used to inspect for a structural company and i got all kinds of funny names for welds and people. i nicknamed one guy DOM PERIGNON! he was famous for his champagne welds.
Reply:Why did you nickname them champagne welds?
Reply:doesnt look like you are completely outta gas though. prolly just a few beads away though! haha have you used it when you had plenty of gas? ive been thinking about looking for a little 110 mig welder to throw in my trunk. is that what this is? hit me up and let me know what you have and how u like it.
Reply:cuz they are bubbly!
Reply:id even sing to guys sometimes. tiny bubbles....in my welds... haha
Reply:get some gas. if you ran out and already have a bottle you might be able to get it filled for around 25.00 at your local welding supply depending on there system. and let me say, get some gas. ask for the CO2 argon mix. get good results with it.If you like my stuff you can find me on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/theangryanv...ngryanvilforge
Reply:Hahaha....how do you avoind the bubbles?  I like the like it so far.  But like I said, these are just my seconds welds ever.  So I am not a good one to give you advice on a welder.  But if you keep any eye on this thread, I will get some gas, and a new tip and make some more weld.  I have a local resident whos on these boards that has offered to help me learn...his name is Dave.  I am sure once I get some one on one help, things should improve.  I am an extremely fast learner, and love metal!  Both guages on my tank are reading big 0's, so I think I am out.As for using when it had gas, it had flux-core wire in it.  So I dont know what it is supposed to be like.Last edited by gsusmaniac; 05-21-2009 at 10:50 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by NOMADMADget some gas. if you ran out and already have a bottle you might be able to get it filled for around 25.00 at your local welding supply depending on there system. and let me say, get some gas. ask for the CO2 argon mix. get good results with it.
Reply:The 'standard' MIG gas mix for the small MIG machines is C25 (75% argon + 25% CO2).The 'other' gas choice for the small MIG machines is plain CO2, but you have to get a different regulator/flowmeter (or at least an adapter) because the threads are different on the different cylinder types (to minimize hooking up the 'wrong' cylinder to things).As it probably says in your manual and on the parameter door-chart on the flip-up door on the wire/drive compartment on the Lincoln.  Also, you may want to look into getting a bigger cylinder.  Either keep the small one as a filled up 'spare' for when your big one runs out after the LWS is closed and you want to keep welding  or as a small portable tank, or see about exchanging the small cylinder for a larger one and just paying the tank size upgrade charge.  At the standard flow rate of 20 CFH, those small tanks last 1 hour (for a 20 ft3 cylinder) or 2 hours (for a 40 ft3 cylinder) of arc time (with no leaks in the hoses, that is  ).  An 80 ft3 cylinder would last for 4 hours at 20 CFH, and the refill gas cost is waaaay less than 4 times the refill cost on a 20 ft3 cylinder.  The refill cost is not so much the cost of the gas in the small cylinders, but the time and handling to refill it.Safety note:  Do NOT-NOT-NOT use the "welding goggles" when arc welding!!!  The darkness isn't dark enough and the goggles don't protect the rest of your face from the IR and UV radiation when you arc weld.  The goggles are only for gas/flame welding/heating.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Well I went over to Dave's (dabar39) this morning and he showed me a bunch  of stuff.  Started by figuring out that my MIG gun wasn't getting any gas at the tip.  Turned out that the rubber sleeve that protects the connection from the gun to the box was keeping it from sliding in far enough to let the gas flow through the gun.  So we fixed that and went to town welding.Acoording to Dave, I am not "too" bad... Here are the welds I did at his house using his gas...Now for some crappy news, I went yesterday to have my tank refilled and the hydro check was out dated.  So it will cost me $35 or $45 on top of the $35 to get my tank filled.  I know it was a total of $83 for me to get the new tank full.  So that is out of the question for a while, I just dont have the money for that.  So after I left Dave's,  I ran to home depot and got a roll of flux-core and swapped my polarity back (after my first weld blowing spatter all over the place) and played with that.I will say there is a lot more spatter with the flux-core than with MIG.  I like MIG a lot more But here are the welds I came up with with the flux-core...this was the first weld I tried- (then realized I forgot to swith the polarity)Then I started sticking all the scraps that Dave gave me together.Last edited by gsusmaniac; 05-23-2009 at 08:18 PM.
Reply:Most of the tubing and flat bar was 1/8", But in the scraps was some 1/2" Square tube that was a bit thinner that the 1/8" bar.  So I thought I would try and weld the two together...turned out to be a little harder than I thought! I tacked it first-Then on the first side, I had a hell of a time not blowing holes in the 1/2" tube...kept having to back up and filling the holes.The other side seemed to be a lot easier to lay down a nice"r" weld...So overall I think I did pretty well.  I definately found it a lot easier to weld with the gas setup...but once I figured out the setting for the flux-core, I seemed to be able to lay down some "ok" weld.  Please let me know wha tyou guys think I could improve on.  I need to go find some more sraps, I seem to have welded everything I got today together!!! -ERIK
Reply:Looks like you are doing the same thing you were having a problem with here at my place, moving too fast and not watching your puddle closely. Remember when I had you slow down a little and relax, your welds were so much better. Also are you using your freehand as a rest for your hand holding the gun, kinda looks like you were trying to do some of it freehand again. If you're needing some more scrap metal to play with you are more than welcome to come back and rape and pillage through my scrap bin, maybe come back for round 2 of mig welding 101. The more practice time you get the better you will become, DaveI am what I am, Deal with it!If necessity is the Mother of Invention, I must be the Father of Desperation!
Reply:Yeah, once my art piece started taking on a wierd shape, I was having trouble finding a place to rest my hand.  The main thing was, I couldn't see my puddle through all the smoke from the flux.  I need to get a small fan in there to move the smoke out of the way!  I know I did get moving a little fast on some of it.  Or I would let go and use one hand while trying to move my other hand somewhere to re-stabilize.I think I need to get some better gloves too...the heat comes right through my gloves and burns the crap out of my hand.  I think that may be another reason I start moving quicker...trying to finish the weld.
Reply:Bicycle frames, old bed frame rails, busted auto parts ... all that stuff is good to practice on, especially the bike frames.  Usually you can find all this stuff on the curb on garbage day, or at your local dump.New gloves, definitely ...... can't hold a torch when your gloves are burning ....Fans are good, but be careful those flying sparks don't set your clothes on fire!  (You can't "officially" be a welder unless you've set some part of your clothing on fire at least once.... that's a rule. )(Woohoo! 100 posts!)Last edited by SpyGuy; 05-23-2009 at 10:36 PM.Reason: Had to add the "woohoo" for my post count!
Reply:Catch yourself on fire once?? Thats a nearly weekly thing with me. Also this week has a spark come around my hood and jump into my eye. had to have it removed and the rust drilled out. So don't forget to wear some kind of glasses under your hood.
Reply:You had to have your eye removed and rust drilled out of it????????  Did I read that right????  I agree on the extra eye protection, though.And I said "AT LEAST once."   I'm sure for most of us, it's like multiple times already ....
Reply:One of the other advantages of flux core is that it'll work on steel that's less than pristine.  And it will let you work on slightly thicker metal than GMAW (MIG) will with your machine.  Of course, the flux core wire costs a lot more and you're going to get more spatter and the welds will have to be cleaned off when you're done with a wire brush.If the $83 for the 75/25 is too big a hurdle, then I'd advise some patience and a savings plan -- unless you've already got a helmet, hat or doo rag, safety glasses, jacket, work boots, grinder(s) with cut-off wheels, grinder wheels, flapper wheel and stainless steel brush wheel.  A big bunch of c-clamps and vise-grip clamps are also on the shopping list, as well as other things like a metal thickness gauge, soapstone, t-squares, levels, welding blankets, a water bucket, a fire extinguisher, and oh yeah, more clamps.  Then you might want to build a welding table.  Then you might find yourself looking into a bench grinder, a chop saw (and/or a dry-cut saw and hand-held band saw) or even an Oxy/ACs or plasma setup for cutting.  Big and little, It adds up.Are you doing this to work on cars, or something else?  I wouldn't want to do structural welds without taking a class or spending a lot of time with someone with experience.  But I'm a beginner, too.
Reply:If the $83 for the 75/25 is too big a hurdle, then I'd advise some patience and a savings plan -- I am buying a house and am trying not to spend too much money...the welder setup was kind of my limit for a couple weeks.  I am very good with money management, so no worries unless you've already got a helmet, hat or doo rag, safety glasses, jacket, work boots, grinder(s) with cut-off wheels, grinder wheels, flapper wheel and stainless steel brush wheel.  A big bunch of c-clamps and vise-grip clamps are also on the shopping list, as well as other things like a metal thickness gauge, soapstone, t-squares, levels, welding blankets, a water bucket, a fire extinguisher, and oh yeah, more clamps. As for your list, the only things I am missing are the vise grip clamps, welding blanket, metal thickness guage, and soapstone...which by the way, what do you use a soapstone for?? Then you might want to build a welding table.  Then you might find yourself looking into a bench grinder, a chop saw (and/or a dry-cut saw and hand-held band saw) or even an Oxy/ACs or plasma setup for cutting.  These are wants, definately not needs...But sooner or later I will have them.Big and little, It adds up.If you ever had any hobby...this statement is true!Are you doing this to work on cars, or something else?  I wouldn't want to do structural welds without taking a class or spending a lot of time with someone with experience.  I know my limits for sure.  Most of my welds on auto with be floor pans and body.  Won't be fabbing any a-arm suspension or adjustable torsion bars or anything like that.