I cant weld

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Well finally got my lincoln SP170T set up and workingits my first welder and i have never welded before and i suck lolit doest seem to weld if you know what i mean the sparks fly but there is no real pool and it just seem to burn the metal a bit and when i turn it down it shoots the wire out too fastany tips
Reply:Go really slow at first its better to burn thru the metal than to not get it hot e nuff. It should sound like bacon frying.
Reply:What kind of wire are you using?
Reply:For right now (starters), till you get a good bead going, don't be doing your own thing with the knobs. There should be a door chart or charts in the manual with metal thicknesses/wire type/size and their respective settings. Use those. They are pretty darn close just for GP on flat. Later you'll need to be able to tweek those a bit, but not now. Do what it says in the manual. Go back through the set-up and make sure everything is right.
Reply:Are you running flux core or gas? Is your polarity set correctly for the wire type? If using gas, what is you gas flow rate? Is your voltage and wire speed set to the recommended starting point as indicated on the door panel?Answering these questions will allow others to help you better.
Reply:Also be sure you have good contact where your work clamp is. Should be on a clean, paint free area near where you're welding.
Reply:i am running gas at about 12L/min and .8mm mild steel wirei am pretty sure the machine is set up right i put the work cable through to the negative bolt in the maching and the other was allready connected i think i may just need practice and to gt the settings rightdoes all this sound right thus far
Reply:to clarify, the work cable is attached to what you're welding?When I get a bad connection with the work clamp, I usually get sparks and tiny pieces of flying molten metal. No puddle. Sounds a bit like what you're describing.
Reply:if your welding outside, mig with gas is not very usefull past 5-10 mph, which is really just aslight breeze.  That caused lots of my first welding issues.  Just a thought.  I have had great luck with 75/25
Reply:yeah the work cable one end clamps the metal but the other end is connected in the machine to the negative terminal right?and im welding inside only
Reply:Originally Posted by minimarcyeah the work cable one end clamps the metal but the other end is connected in the machine to the negative terminal right?and im welding inside only
Reply:What gas are you using?  A 75% argon 25% CO2 works well.  Try to keep your tip to work distance at about 3/8".
Reply:i am running argonshield light i think its around what you suggest i think i just need practice the hardest thing i find is seeing what im doing through the helmet its a crappy one i am getting a lincoln auto darkeening one as i am going to New York on friday cant wait as i live in Brisbaneits my first trip over my bro is getting married and works in NY where is the best place In Ny to buy welding helmets i like the millers but think the lincolns should be decent i think 165 is an ok pricei also have trouble keeping a consistant distant away from the metal my hand moves to much i think
Reply:The way i learnt was cranking it hot and fast,i found if i went to slow i had to much time to think..should i do it this way ,that way how about this way again? BUT if you go hot and fast you have no choice but to keep up the travel and not much thinking time,i also got my self a rythem going up 1 2 3 sweep 1 2 3 and pretty soon you will have alot of time to think about everything else and just watch your hands and senses do the work.I also used a soap stone to guid my path.Take an un sharpened soap stone at a fourty five degree angle and run it accross youyr meterial laeving you a path to follow.Hopefully that made sense and as for my spelling words never interested me or id have been a english proffesor. WELDERS GET BETTER PENETRATION
Reply:Ive all too often seen it so I think its best to break down the terms of welding.....stinger = slang for electrode holder on SMAWlead = electrical cable connecting the work clamp or the stinger to a welding machinewhip = slang for the gun/ lead assembly used with wire weldinggun = the handled piece used with wire weldingwork clamp = the clamp that connects the machine to the work piecetorch = either the device used with TIG welding or with oxy fuel weldingdont mean to sound like a smart azz I just am    Other than that, another thing ive learnt, if your having trouble getting a puddle, crank up the heat.  Guys at wrk were working with some alum on a heater core using tig.  They had the amptrol, which is the hand operaterated remote.  They had the panel set right, but since the amptrol is soo hard to really get it cranked up fast, they were geting a puddle established fast because there heat was too low on the panel.  I doubled my panel heat, and wow what a differnce it made.  This is the same consept in all processes though.  EVen if you think you should have enough heat to do the job, if its too cold, or not makinga puddle fast enough, turn that heat upCHRIS"If it catches, let it burn"
Reply:Who has showed you how to weld ?  Training is very important, then it becomes easy.