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Ok, so I decided to get the lincoln hd pack from Home depot, $249. I asked the lady about a $50 back that I was offered a few days ago if I would open an account with them....She was like.." well.... I don't think we have that anymore".. and guess what? Got it. Paid only like $ 214.To the point now... Ok this is the reason I bought it for. Warning it looks ugly.. I am a beginner. Attached Images
Reply:PRACTICE......and it will get better...just get scraps of metal and experiment with different heat settings and wire speed, get a roll of lincoln flux core to use and weld away...I wouldnt use that bike frame till properly welded....Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:Make sure your machine is set up to run flux core.  Most of the time they are set to run mig wire.  That is what that weld looks like to me.  Check your manual, it will explain the differences in the set up.Keep practicing, you'll get better.ECAVE Still learnin'Lincoln AC225Lincoln 135SPHF ChopsawVictor O/ANumerous other items
Reply:Hello BAKERHUSKIE1, pictures look as if you are using the self-shielded flux cored wire, is that the case? Secondly, have you made sure to set the machine up to use this wire? It will require the ground to be connected to the + terminal and the feeder/gun to be connected to the - terminal on the machine, in other words, straight polarity. If you decide to run solid wire at some point with a shielding gas you will need to reverse these connections as solid wire is designed to operate on reverse polarity (ground -, gun/feeder +). Otherwise, if you have the connections correct, you may need to do a bit better job of cleaning your materials before you weld on them. As to settings, select a particular heat(voltage setting) and then adjust your wire so that it is fast enough that it doesn't burn back up to the tip (melt it) and slow enough so that it doesn't "stub out", stick and push the gun away and then re-ignite. When your settings are about right you will likely have a full slag coverage of the bead and it should clean off without an extreme amount of work. As to correct voltage/heat: bead profiles and burn through or lack of it, should help you to determine what is correct. If the bead ends up being really tall and a bit narrow you may need to up your voltage/heat and then trim in the wire speed to get it to end up being correct. If the bead is really flat/wide and possibly burns holes through your material or you see an excessive amount of penetration through to the back side of the material you may need to reduce the voltage/heat and trim in the wire speed to get it to the correct point to provide a good bead profile and good slag coverage. Good luck with your new purchase and certainly experiment with it so that you can get more comfortable with it's capabilities and limitations. Best regards, AllanEDIT: I should add a bit more additional information, try to maintain the stick-out on your wire at approximately 3/8". I am guessing a bit but likely you are running .030 or .035 diameter wire and 3/8" is probably the recommended distance that you should try to hold from the end of the contact tip to the weld pool/work. Also use a backhand progression(drag your welds, it is not recommended to push this type of wire) when you are using your self-shielded wire. If you are using solid wire with gas you could use either a drag(backhand) or push(forehand) progression. The drag would yield better penetration and a narrower and taller bead profile. The push technique would yield a flatter and wide bead profile.Last edited by aevald; 03-13-2012 at 02:44 PM.Reason: additional informationaevald
Reply:I really appreciate all of your comments. It is a flux core only, I know... I'm having trouble with the settings on the temperature, also I think that I'm moving the gun too fast. I will practice......almost forgot..Do I need to get a leather jacket, or can I get one of the 100% cotton long sleev. Is like 1/2 theprice but don't know about proctection.Thanks again.
Reply:You can use a 100% cotton long sleeve shirt.Get some gloves, a wire brush, and a helmet.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Yeah first thing get a helmet with head gear, gloves and a wire brush, maybe a large chisel you can use for a scraper. As for the welding, Ill keep it simple, your settings should be under the door, they are a good starting point. Put the gun up to the steel 3/8s of an inch away. tilt the gun back and pull the trigger. position your head to the side so u can watch the puddle. Get the size of puddle you want, and move it along.  That should get you going. Have fun!Nothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:congrats on starting..first pic, i dont think the guy in the factory was much better than you are..always wear a shirt to protect from radiation, you dont need leathers until you are welding over head..get some scrap and get under that hood...
Reply:first pics looks like you're too far away from your work....move the gun in closer....http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/learning-mig.htm
Reply:Some more pics, second day welding(if I can call it welding), I tried some on a 1" x 1" -1/8 angle and it seems like there isn't enough heat or something. The settings are ok, according to the chart on the machine. Here are the pics. Help! Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by Swaggerwagonfirst pics looks like you're too far away from your work....move the gun in closer....http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/learning-mig.htm
Reply:Please forgive this being the blind leading the blind  (I'm not trying to say anything about you). I just bought a Lincoln 110V MIG at HD a month ago, so I've just been getting started with trying to weld. From what I could find online, it sounds like your machine is rated for up to 88A? Lincoln's site says it will do 1/8" steel. Mine is rated for 140A, Lincoln claims it can do 5/16" steel, using flux-cored wire. However, the guidelines I have seen online is that you need 1 amp per 0.001" of steel. Based on *that*, my machine could manage 1/8" (0.125") or a little thicker. Nowhere near the 0.313" that Lincoln claims. I have tried welding some 0.155" steel (rejoining slices of an old lawnmower blade), using 0.035" flux-cored wire. With the machine's suggested settings, I have not been able to get full penetration of the weld, to where I can see that it melted all the way through to the back side of the joint (so that you can no longer see the line between the two parts). This is in a butt joint, laying two flat pieces next to each other, then welding along the joint. I'm sure some of my problem is technique. But I'm also a bit skeptical of Lincoln's thickness claims  Pics of my results are below. If I try to just weld a bead on 1/8" thick steel (like you did on the angle, not actually joining two pieces), I cannot get the backside of the steel to melt visibly. People can offer much better advice than I can. But I'd say set the machine to the suggested settings (voltage should be all the way up for 1/8"). Make sure the ground clamp is near where you are welding (a few inches away, if possible, not two feet or something), and is on bare, shiny metal. The weld area should also be clean and shiny, at least for actually joining things. People suggest not using any extension cords, if possible. Or use the shortest, heaviest-gauge cord that will do what you need (I bought a 12-gauge cord, instead of using my 14-gauge ones). That will help get more voltage to the machine, which will give you more amps & heat. Also, it seems like you should travel nice and slowly with the gun on thicker steel, to give the metal time to heat. And, like people said, just keep practicing! Relative to the angle iron pics, try to keep the gun going at a consistent speed. I speed up sometimes, and the weld gets narrower. Have fun, good luck! Attached Images
Reply:Thanks for the input. In this place I think is always better to critize me than not having an answer to what I am doing wrong.  i have the settings to the max and not using an extension cord. I'll keep practicing and checking on other posts to get more info.thanks again.
Reply:By the way, I forgot- congratulations on getting the machine, and it sounds like you got a good deal! The item that looks like a flowerpot holder (?) looks like it's a lot more than 1/8" thick? But, for what it needs to do, giving it a good solid weld, like you did, will probably hold it. For joining anything, just make sure you get down to bare metal before welding it together. If you don't have one already, an angle grinder will probably come in handy. I just have a cheap ($15) Harbor Freight one. But it's gotten 20x the use in the last month than it has since I bought it a year ago  Cutoff wheels (my best tool for cutting steel, especially stuff like 1/8" thick or more), wire wheels (for cleaning heavy paint/rust off), and flap disks (for smoothing out an area, etc), have all been very handy. Maybe get a flat piece of sheetmetal, and try just welding beads across it for a while. Then get some scrap and practice welding pieces together. It seems that thicker steel is easier to practice joining, you're less likely to burn through. A lot of what I have available to practice with is 0.055-0.060" thick; if I slow down too much, I melt through (even on low voltage). Whereas with the 0.155" piece, I can go really slow and try to really heat it up (at max voltage), and it still won't melt all the way through. On the angle iron, maybe try welding beads at different travel speeds. Go fast, and you'll see the bead get narrower, and it will stand taller off the steel (it probably won't smoothly blend into the steel at the edges, either). It's not getting the piece hot enough. Slow down, and you should see the bead get wider and sit flatter (if the piece were thinner, you'd also see it start to melt through to the back side, beyond just discoloring the metal). Try it all with the same wire feed and voltage settings. With thinner steel (not 1/8", say something like 0.050"?), you would get to the point where you'd burn through, as you slow down. One suggestion that a lot of people have made is to get an auto-darkening helmet. You don't have to hold a handheld style (so you can keep 2 hands on the gun, to steady it), nor do you have to stop to flip down a fixed-shade style (which usually makes you move your hand, and you can't see where you are until the arc starts). I have the Harbor Freight "blue flames" one, which is $40 at the moment with a coupon. I like it. Caveat- I'm new at this as well
Reply:Yes, I am trying to get all my stuff together, helmet is the first thing I need,(hand held is just bad because I need like 2 more hands. I just checked and there is a Harbor Freight store a few minutes away from my house, I'll try to go today after work.Thanks, you're been so help ful.
Reply:Are you running that machine on a 20 amp circuit? Basically, you're going over it's intended capacity and you'll need the full 20 amps to attain it's limited high end.Lincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:See if Harbor Freight has flyers when you go in. I believe there is a $40 coupon for the helmet, which is $60 currently without the coupon. HF's sales are good. Their coupons are better. You can sign up for their emails, which will send you coupons. I got my welding gloves there ($7). I also got a little 4-pack of small right-angle magnets, which can help keep pieces lined up before you weld them. http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece...ers-93898.htmlI like the "swivel pad lock-grip pliers" that I picked up. They help me keep two flat sheets clamped to each other, for practicing butt joints. http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-...ers-39534.htmlTheir quality is not the greatest. But for things where you won't be using them constantly, etc, they can really save you some money.
Reply:Maybe someone close can spend an hour with you to get you going. Where are you located?
Reply:@WyoROy, yes is 20amp. I tried again getting a little better.
Reply:I am in Dallas.
Reply:4 people checked box number 1 for HELP.A hard reality check...Turn it up to max, and stay just ahead of disaster (melt-through), but lead the puddle. Start saving for a 220vac powered machine. A good used buzz box can be had for less than your new machine. ...like...http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/tls/2908443328.htmlhttp://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/tls/2900593160.htmlhttp://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/tls/2853268653.htmlhttp://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/tls/2904191446.htmlhttp://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tls/2902013624.htmlhttp://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/tls/2901099351.htmlhttp://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/tls/2877012948.html...I am just sayin'. 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:Could you clarify what you mean by leading the puddle? As an example, I've gotten a sense of how fast to move the gun with 0.055" butt welds. It's fast enough to avoid melting through, but slow enough to penetrate through to the back of the joint. But I'm not sure I've really paid close attention to where the wire is relative to the puddle's edge. I'd love to find a "guideline" that could provide proper penetration with different steel thicknesses. Always keep the wire 0.020" from the leading edge of the puddle, something like that. But I think that's simply where skill and experience come into play. My little 110V MIG is not a big beast, that's for sure. But it was a doable price, I can bring it other places, it gave me an easier entry into welding, and it works with what I currently have in the garage (110V). If I want to do thicker stuff in the future, I've thought about getting a stick welder (I want to add 220V in the garage anyhow). The used machines can be pretty reasonably priced (a whole welder for less than buying a tank with shielding gas), there are a lot of Lincoln "tombstone" type machines out there, and stick is undeniably very versatile. I'll admit to being a bit jealous of the fact that a simple, and inexpensive, rod swap can suddenly let you weld something very different  But I'm still finding MIG to be challenging, so I don't need to go to the more difficult methods just yet
Reply:Originally Posted by RedOctobyrCould you clarify what you mean by leading the puddle? As an example, I've gotten a sense of how fast to move the gun with 0.055" butt welds. It's fast enough to avoid melting through, but slow enough to penetrate through to the back of the joint.
Reply:Originally Posted by tanglediver4 people checked box number 1 for HELP.A hard reality check...Turn it up to max, and stay just ahead of disaster (melt-through), but lead the puddle. Start saving for a 220vac powered machine. A good used buzz box can be had for less than your new machine. ...like......I am just sayin'.
Reply:Originally Posted by BAKERHUSKIE1I am in Dallas.Originally Posted by Jimmy_popI just moved from Dallas. I would have helped get you started.