First time MIG welding in a while.

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I just got my speedglas utility and wanted to use it for a few minutes. I have a lincoln 175 pro mig, using flux core and 2x3x1/4 wall tubing set up to be used as frame notches. Most likely will not be used, but worth building as practice.What I am getting is a very good sounding weld close to the ground clamp, inch or so away. I am getting a sloppy, sometimes good sounding, sometimes skippy sound away from (around a foot) the clamp. I wire brushed where the clamp goes, and there are no rust areas on the steel what I am clamping.What could be the cause? Bad tip, bad ground, bad settings? Oh yah, the lincoln doesnt have voltage numbers but rather letters. A thru E. I am on B, with a wire speed of 4-4.5. That is around half the dial.Last edited by GrantH; 12-03-2007 at 03:23 PM.
Reply:Sounds like arc blow. --Gol'
Reply:I think the wire speed is too fast or volts to low or both. You do have NEGATIVE electrode correct?DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Is everything inside the machine tight?Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Originally Posted by TozziWeldingIs everything inside the machine tight?
Reply:Voltage tap B is definitely to low of a selection, which means more then likely the wire speed selection is to low too. My suggestion would be to give taps C & D a try, with D being the tap I'd try first.
Reply:I might turn the machine all the way up and see what it will and what it won't melt through, then back it off until you like what you see!!  Don't switch the machine while welding. You can adjust wire speed on the run, as long as it has a dial. One other thing is, sometimes it makes a little bit of a difference when you weld toward the ground compared to welding away from the ground. I was taught to weld away from the ground, but the man also told us that it may work better in reverse, depending! Depending on what? I don't know the reason, try both ways.OH! Take a GRINDER to the spot you put the ground clamp, cuz you gotta get rid of any mill scale also. Just grind to the metal, not into the metal!Last edited by tanglediver; 12-03-2007 at 09:30 PM.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:I am going to build a welding "table" this week, I will post it in the members section. I also will be playing with some 1/4 inch material as my frame is going to be some 2x4 1/4 stock.
Reply:If you could answer some of the questions ask, we could probably help fix the problem.  Probably to low volt setting and to fast wire feed speed.  More info.   JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:Unless you're welding into a corner, I doubt arc blow is a factor here.
Reply:Originally Posted by weldgaultIf you could answer some of the questions ask, we could probably help fix the problem.  Probably to low volt setting and to fast wire feed speed.  More info.   John
Reply:On my 175, using .035 211 wire on 1/4" material, I found that E on the heat and between 2.5 and 3 on the wire speed was about right.I could drop down to D on the heat but I had to move really slow. And coming off MIG, thats really hard to do right away.
Reply:when i use those settings.....grinded down the ground spot, and wire brushed the welding area (grinded as well a little) it burnt the tip right away. It just skips like a tack weld every second or so. Is something wrong with the welder? Maybe the setup? Are the tips for flux core and gas different? Not the shield, but the actual tip...
Reply:Not the shield, but the actual tip...
Reply:It sounds like a tip too worn(sloppy) or too much wire speed, & or not enough voltage. is the liner new , or near new ?[SIZE="5"Yardbird"
Reply:liner? huh? Sorry I am new to this!I just installed a new tip, and have had new ones in with the problem. I just tried the highest voltage with a slower wire speed and it is STILL sketchy and jumpy. I tried even what the welder itself says, "E" and wire speed "2-2.5" no good.
Reply:Originally Posted by GrantHwhen i use those settings.....grinded down the ground spot, and wire brushed the welding area (grinded as well a little) it burnt the tip right away. It just skips like a tack weld every second or so. Is something wrong with the welder? Maybe the setup? Are the tips for flux core and gas different? Not the shield, but the actual tip...
Reply:I just tried the highest voltage with a slower wire speed and it is STILL sketchy and jumpy. I tried even what the welder itself says, "E" and wire speed "2-2.5" no good
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyIt really sounds like a simple matter of consistant wire feed and maybe a little technique issue. Flux core generally always presents these same problems that slowly go away over time with no single fix. There's a pretty small range there where you are getting good strong wire feed and not deforming the wire too much for the tip you've got. Start clean by taking a torch tip cleaner matching your tip size, or better yet a drill bit a thou or two over and clean that tip out good. No burrs or burnt spots. No boogers on the end. Put your work lead well out of the way and run some wire through the gun. Push your finger on the side of the wire at the tip and get a feel as to whether it might slip or not and crank the tension down a bit if it does slip. Don't crank it down to where you are egging the wire or putting excessive sharp edges on it. Slide some wire through your fingers and you'll feel rough spots and everything else. That'll let you know what you're dealing with. Rotate the gun in some awkward positions to be sure the feed rate doesn't vary much. Varify the DCEN config. Once you've got yourself a good clean consistant feed rate then you can go to burning wire.  Pick the correct door chart setting, 3/8ths" to 1/2" stickout, squeze the trigger, establish a puddle and do what the puddle tells ya to do. Don't restart flux core (or any wire) back in the weldment unless you've brushed all the slag off first. It doesn't like that. Wire is cheap by the foot so use as much as you need to get the set-up right before spending hours of frustration fighting with a feed rate you don't know about.
Reply:Is the liner the cable the wire is fed through?
Reply:Originally Posted by GrantHIs the liner the cable the wire is fed through?
Reply:Okay, and if the wire feeds fine, does it still need checking? I guess it wouldnt hurt...
Reply:Originally Posted by GrantHOkay, and if the wire feeds fine, does it still need checking? I guess it wouldnt hurt...
Reply:I went back out, cleaned it up a bit, all that good stuff (the material i mean). I put it around wire speed 7.5, voltage on "D" of "E" and it's running better. But if people have run it succesfully at 2.5......like the machine itself says....why am I having to run it so fast?
Reply:Originally Posted by GrantH...But if people have run it succesfully at 2.5......like the machine itself says....why am I having to run it so fast?Originally Posted by GrantHI went back out, cleaned it up a bit, all that good stuff (the material i mean). I put it around wire speed 7.5, voltage on "D" of "E" and it's running better. But if people have run it succesfully at 2.5......like the machine itself says....why am I having to run it so fast?
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33Drive roll tension too loose, wire slipping maybe?
Reply:Originally Posted by GrantHI am going to tighten it a tad, but don't want to go too much.Sandy, thats about where I am at, 3/4 wire speed, a little more than half the voltage. I'd rather put a little more heat into it so long as it won't blow through, the welder isn't rated for much thicker than 1/4 really, so I think that's a good idea.
Reply:Heres some pics of my first go with flux core....And heres the thread...http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=16292
Reply:I believe I just needed more wire speed. I turned the tension some to tighten it down and it seemed to have helped as well. Soon as I feel my welds are somewhat presentable, I will post some pictures.
Reply:Originally Posted by GrantHI believe I just needed more wire speed. I turned the tension some to tighten it down and it seemed to have helped as well. Soon as I feel my welds are somewhat presentable, I will post some pictures.
Reply:I've got this theory in my head that goes like this; it is WAY easier to learn on a bigger machine then scale down, than to learn on a mini machine in the first place. There's just too many variables for it to be easy on a beginner when you have so little control. Not fair, but that's the way I see it.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Well, atleast its a 175/220 and not a 130/110 haha.