First project...what else, a cart!

admin

This is my first time welding (HH140). Have much to learn, but I really enjoyed it.I made it using some left-over 2x2 and 1.5x1.5 square tube I had from a gate I built (neighbor did all the welding on it). I'm not finished with it yet. You can see a close-up of a weld and all the splatter I was getting. I'm using flux-core wire for now, but will be switching to solid wire once I get a C25 bottle. I'm sure my welder settings need tweaked too. Attached Images
Reply:It looks like it could use some wheels. Congrats on your first project.
Reply:use the chart inside for starters i dont get that much splatter on my little feeders  i use  lincoln innershield 211looks kinda cold an may need more wire speed  good start  grind off some welds an redoidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Are you serious? Please tell me this is a joke...You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:Originally Posted by jreynoldsweldingAre you serious? Please tell me this is a joke...
Reply:Originally Posted by sammmSerious. What's the problem?
Reply:Originally Posted by jreynoldsweldingok, now that I know this is not a joke, what settings were you "welding" on?
Reply:Originally Posted by sammmLet me guess...you were born a master 'welder'. Save it for someone else.
Reply:Originally Posted by jreynoldsweldingNope, I was born a whiney little baby like you. I am just trying to help you out. However looks like you have it all under control...
Reply:Thats why I asked you, WHAT SETTING WERE YOU USING THE MACHINE ON? That is the first step before anybody else here can help you.You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:The tube is 14 gauge. Using the chart inside the welder I was at 2 voltage and 30 wire speed.
Reply:Samm,Im assuming it is a tapped machine. Check on your panel for suggested settings for your material thickness that you are welding. Even if you switch over to c-25 your welds are not going to improve. I suggest that you spend time burning wire with that machine. Welding dosnt happen over night, it takes lots and lots of burning time. Go to your local metal supplier and see if they have some scrap cuttoffs and other various pieces that you can practice on. I would grind them welds out of that cart and redo them again if it was up to me. Don't get discourged welding takes time to learn. Have funShaneYa gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:that was probably way too cold - adjust the heat up, and then tweak the wirespeed until it sounds like bacon frying...Weld well; grind less.
Reply:I have to say, 14 is tough to start out on. You might try on a small piece of 14 gauge with a lap joint and change your settings. It looks like not a lot of penetration, but it's pretty thin as it is.
Reply:Thanks guys...I know it takes time to learn to weld properly. My welder is tapped (Hobart Handler 140). There was no setting for 14 gauge material on the chart inside the machine. It went from 16 to 11.  I'll keep practicing and I am planning to redo the welds on the cart.
Reply:You need a lot more heat and wirespeed. With a 110 voltage unit I usually turn the heat to the next to highest settings and then adjust the wirespeed to fit.The Fluxcored wire with no gas is the crappiest running stuff you will ever buy. If it were mine, I would grind a V into every weld and get gas to go on your machine and weld over it. There is no comparison in the looks with hard wire mig and the stuff your using.
Reply:Hi Sammm,Is your handler set up DCEN (DC Electrode Negative) for the flux core wire? If not, you will get alot of splatter. Don't ask me how I know....... Check your manual and look at the terminals under the cover.MillerMatic 135Handler 210 w/ DP3035 SpoolgunLincoln AC-225Primeweld TIG225xEverlast Power Arc 200Weldcraft TIG rigSmith American Classic O/AEvolution Rage 2 SawTD Cutmaster 52Miller Thunderbolt with HF Box
Reply:sammm, I don't mean to be a smart a$$, but if you have your welder sitting on your cart you may want to take it off before something "befalls" it.            Please check out some of the info here; http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...ur-skills/mig/.  You are in need of help with your welding and I'm not saying this to be funny or put you down.  You are starting out the same as I, and having the same results, that I had when I first started.  In fact, probably all of us. You need to get a friend who knows how to weld proficiently and have him tutor you.  Barring that, I would highly recommend taking a basic welding class at a local CC.  Doing so will greatly reduce the time spent flailing away trying to make a good weld when you have no idea, or at most, a very basic idea of what you are doing.  If you hit your cart with a hammer you may be surprised at how easily it will come apart, based on the pictures you posted.  Done properly, your cart would be a mangled piece of steel before the welds broke.Take it apart, clean up the welded ends with a grinder and try again after getting some instruction.  I think then you will be a lot more pleased with your results.  Remember, there is no shame in doing something over and learning in the process.  The shame is in being too stubborn to accept help when it is offered.  None of us were "born" welders, we all started just like you, but we learned from our mistakes and practiced, practiced and practiced some more.Best of luck, Bob."The man of great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to the State, because he derives special advantages from the mere existence of government."  Teddy RooseveltAmerican by birth, Union by choice!  Boilermakers # 60America is a Union.
Reply:Thanks Bob (and everyone) I appreciate it. I'm not ashamed to make mistakes, that's how we learn and that's why I'm here. I do plan to grind it apart and try again after more practice.
Reply:Originally Posted by LMSyrusthat was probably way too cold - adjust the heat up, and then tweak the wirespeed until it sounds like bacon frying...
Reply:Try practicing on some scrap plate and not join anything yet.www.tjsperformance.comDynasty 300 DXHTP 240HTP Microcut 380Hyperthem 85JD2 Hyd Bender and HF Hyd Ring Roller all in one =(Frankenbender)Bpt. Mill/DRO4' x 8' CNC Plasma TableInstagram: tjsperformanceYT: TJS Welding and Fabrication
Reply:See if you can go to local scrapper or steel supplier and pick up some practice material. Look for some 1/8" material and have at it.Start by just running beads to learn puddle control and finesse your technique/play around with other techniques. Once you can run a consistent bead move on to butt joints- which is two flat pieces of metal "butted up" end to end. You will want to leave a bit of a gap. Probably about 1/16 with 1/8" material. After you can do that, move to corner, lap, fillet and then try some out of position welding too.The most important thing to learn though is how to properly set up your welder. After a while you will instantly know if you are too hot, too cold or if your wire speed is too fast or too slow. When I used to use my Lincoln weldpak 100, it was almost always left on the second hottest heat setting. When you are welding, you want it so sound like frying bacon. If it seems like the wire is burning back to the torch and dripping off in globs, your wire speed is too slow. If you feel you wire hitting the material then it burns off then hits again and burns off, your wire speed is too fast.  I don't know if I explained that very well, it is harder for me to tell you than it is to just show you...Don't be discouraged. Know one is an "expert" over night. Practice, practice, practice, and HAVE FUN! You`ll get there.Thermal Arc 210Thermal Arc 95SLincoln Weld Pak 100
Reply:And when you practice, make sure you can see the puddle.  Then when you can see it, move it around, make it dance, sit up & speak to you.  When you can do that, you will be able to identify your own mistakes & know how to correct them.MIG welding is easy to do, but it's more than just aim/pull the trigger.  You need to see the puddle to know if your heat setting is correct.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Are you sure you are using "self shielding flux core" and not the stuff that requires gas?With some good self shielding wire a person can make nice strong welds with the right machine and a lot of practice.Take your welder off that cart because it will break and hit the floor.Practice on scrap metal and stop building things until you are better at it.You need way more heat,, probably the max setting that machine will give you and once your there maybe turn the feed down a bit until you get a real weld and not the popping and hopping your likely experiencing Good luck, don't be ashamed learning welding takes a long time and is extremely hard to learn without someone to teach you. And don't put anything you like on that cart lol.
Reply:Originally Posted by MarkBall2And when you practice, make sure you can see the puddle.Yes, as feetfats and MarkBall2 said.. Make sure you can see the puddle, and make sure your lens is clean.  Go buy a bunch of clear welding lenses to keep handy, as well as some tips and an extra roll of wire.  I keep a spare of every component for my stinger, and multiple tips and nozzles. If you are having trouble seeing the puddle and your clear lenses are clear, change the shade of your dark lens.Also, make sure you are in a comfortable, stable position. Do a practice run first simulating the weld, but not actually welding, to make sure you will be able to do the weld in one position without re-adjusting.  Once you get good you will be able to adjust on the fly, but don't do it now.  Get your consistency down first. Rest on something so you are stable.  Make sure something- an arm, hand, finger... is in contact with something to keep you stable. CONSISTENCY IS KEY.What kind of pattern are you doing with the gun?Last edited by steve_o1989; 12-14-2010 at 11:51 PM.Thermal Arc 210Thermal Arc 95SLincoln Weld Pak 100
Reply:I have been welding off and on for 15 years and still forget to change my lens LOL I have dedicated helmets for each process I do and it usually happens when I haven't done any stick for awhile, I grab the hood and holy sh*t...I cant see a damn thing!! But yeah practice is what it takes. I have found with flux core I get better results from dragging the gun (backhand) rather then pushing (forehand). Also dont forget to clean the metal. Unless it is some rusty old pile of crap I am gonna use like 6010 on I try to clean my weld areas good.
Reply:Didnt have time to read all post, so im sorry if this is a copy of what others have said. -Check your polarity you want you gun on negative and work clamp(ground) on the positive.-watch and listen to your bead-make sure your stick out isnt to far away from you work piece. wire should be somewhere around an 1/8 past the end of the guns nozzle.-make sure you have a good place for your ground clamp (clean metal)-make sure its self shielded flux your runningWe all start somewhere the only way you will improve is to keep going and slowly improving your skills. relax and keep focussed to what your changing and what the weld looks like after those changes were made( work angle, settings, stick out, ect.). Go to a scrap yard pick up some small scrap pieces clean them up where you want to weld and burn away. Also look into small welding courses at tech schools or go talk to welding shops and see if you can watch over them for half hour or something to get the idea of good travel speed, what a good sounding weld sounds like, what a good solid bead should look like. YOUTUBE is also a good place to start and learn a bit. good luck and keep you head up it only gets better from here. keep us updated with welding pics and there are a lot of people that a very nice and willing to chime in with some constructive criticism.
Reply:My first project was also a cart over 30 years ago. I still have it and it holds my Mig, Tig and tanks for both.I would recommend setting up on similar thickness of metal and get a good looking bead before you start welding on the real thing. Getting your settings right is 90% of the battle when it comes to migging or using flux core. Following the guide inside the machine's hood will get you close to what you need but it may take a little bit of adjusting to get it just right.Practice and pretty soon your mig welds will get better. You might also want to get some mig welding videos available at Northern Tool or other outlets. Well worth the money and those videos will give you some tips on how to get a good looking strong mig or fluxcore weld. And remember to have fun.
Reply:Thanks for all the help and advice guys, I do appreciate it! I'll post up some new pics after I practice more and get my settings adjusted.
Reply:good start take some time adjust machine and just run some bead till you get tired... and then run some more :-)  you will get the hang of itedit: guess you already got it under controlCan you fix this?   well you can't break it if it is already broke!
Reply:Go to youtube and search for welding tips and tricks.  They are probably the most legit welding videos on youtube.  Some of the other welding videos on youtube are people who just purchased their machine so you want skip those.
Reply:Glad to see that this post has continued friendlier that it looked like it was going to......  Samm, aside from the good advise you've gotten so far, and just to give you more practice, which is never bad, you'll need some outriggers for the wheels. As you have it now the wheels are directly under the welder. If you put swivel casters on this means the contact point with the floor is going to be under the outside edge of the welder. That makes for a real tip-over problem, especially at the height you have it at. Would suck big time to smash up your welders!!!! So either outriggers at 45* off the corners or a redesign with legs that flairs out.Good luck and keep up the practice.  200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:That's good advice Bert, thanks. As far as how this thread started, I took offense to a certain post. Next time I'll just ignore it.
Reply:Originally Posted by sammm I took offense to a certain post. Next time I'll just ignore it.
Reply:Take a peek at Jody's site at www.weldingtipsandtricks.comIMHO he has some of the best videos out there that shows you what happens when you weld and is very good about explaining the process.Watch the vids.Get some CLEAN metal.Practice Practice Practice.ChrisLincoln Pro Mig 180TMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:Does look a bit cold, but you'll get the hang of it.  I use flux core on all my projects, don't give up on it yet.  This takes practice like anything.  Keep coming up with projects and stick with it.  Welding gets better with time.    I think your project is fantastic.  Great first project.  Don't be afraid to put more pictures of your welds on here.  The advice from most folks on here is priceless.  Good job and keep at it.http://www.youtube.com/user/c599209/videos
Reply:The one nice thing about welding up a welding cart instead of buying one is learning about heat distortion.I thought I had everything squared up until I started welding it up. Pretty soon it was evident that my formerly square and level shelves were out of square and no longer level. One wheel did not even touch the ground it was so far out !So I cut everything up and again re-welded but this time I tacked welded everything and then strategically welded it up with smaller welds instead of 1 big weld on each joint. I also made a jig to keep everything in its place. What a difference. It came out perfect.I remember taking welding classes at Lincoln Electric in Cleveland back in the 80's and the instructor told us that welding is actually 20% sticking metal together and 80% distortion management. That welding cart (which I still have) taught me that my welding instructor was not blowing smoke. He knew what he was talking about.