First time welding sheet metal (pics)

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Today I tried welding some 16 Ga sheet metal. Please don't laugh at my welds. It's my first time. I cut the corner out of a piece of scrap and welded it back together. I am using a MM DVI Mig welder. Wire: .030Gas: 75/25Speed: 20Voltage: 2TackedI moved around a little so the heat wouldn't build up in one area. The circled part is where I think the weld looked the best. I think my hand speed/movement was correct in that area. But I could be wrong. I didn't have a dime, so I used a key.  Ground down the welds.Sanded/buffedLet me know what you guys think.Thanks,CarlLincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:looks pretty good for a first time on sheet. how thick is 16ga in mm?
Reply:Its a great start.More More!DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Looks good for your first time Carl.With more practice you'll learn how to make the weld appearance better but it looks like you did a fine job after it was ground down....and cheeseclip, 16ga is 1.6mm. - Paulhttp://all-a-cart.comWelding Cart Kits and accessories
Reply:oh thanks
Reply:Hey Carl,Sheetmetal can be a pain once in a while, especially with burn-thru and warping. You will find that placing a piece of 1/8" alum. sheet under the joint will allow you to have better control of your weld puddle and a bit more heat can be applied. I use a backing piece on all the sheetmetal I do on the classic cars and use .025 ER70S-6 with 75/25 at 15cfh inside & 20-25cfh outside. It takes practice, but you will get the "feel" of the welds the more you do it. I use my Miller Sidekick 90A for all my sheetmetal work and it has never let me down. Don't hesitate to play with your settings to find that "sweet" spot of heat/wf that will produce excellent results. Good Luck.....keep practicing....DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Thanks for the replies. I want to learn how to weld sheet metal so I can replace the rusted floor pans on a '75 Ford Bronco. I would probably have to overlap the sheets though.Yorkiepap, I used .030, but I have some .023 drive rollers on order from Airgas so I'll try .023 wire when I get them. I forgot to mention that the gas pressure was set a 30 cfh. I'm still trying to understand how changing the voltage, wire speed, and gas pressure affect the weld.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000
Reply:Good thing about floor pans....They don't have to be pretty because you are going to grind them down anyway. Have fun..030 should be fine for floor pans, you could do .023 but it really isn't necessary. If you are welding inside, you could stand to turn your gas down a little. Its not a big deal, but if you are welding alot, it will save a little. I run about 20. You will be able to tell when your gas coverage isn't enough.When you are troubleshooting, only change one thing at a time. You probably know that. Have fun.Bill
Reply:Reminds me of when I learned to weld sheet steel.  I started a job welding steel studs (steel versions of lumber).  They were 20-16 guage galvanized steel and I was used to welding 1/4"-2" material.  I burned through the first time.  My welds for the first day looked like diarrhea.  Yours look a lot better than my first tries that is for sure!  You will get the hang of it real quick.  My only tip is that with fillet welds, and lap welds no matter what position you are welding to not weave at all.  Aim at the root and keep a consistent speed.  Only weave a bit if you need to move your puddle to catch on a bit of steel that it missed.With open butt joints or if you have a curved edge of steel with a gap and a flat piece under it like you find when steel stud framing (when a stud meets the track) you may need to do to a bit of weaving.  Aim deep and at the flat part bringing the puddle back and up to the curved part.Good luck!
Reply:btw, try turning that heat up a bit.  2volts seems way too low.  Using flux core i'd run 14.7v for 16guage galvanized steel with .030 wire.  Since you are using solid wire you will need to lower that a bit but 2v seems way too low still.
Reply:Originally Posted by WelderBoybtw, try turning that heat up a bit.  2volts seems way too low.  Using flux core i'd run 14.7v for 16guage galvanized steel with .030 wire.  Since you are using solid wire you will need to lower that a bit but 2v seems way too low still.
Reply:Thanks for the suggestions guys. TSOR is correct. My DVI has a tapped voltage selector. It was set at "2." I don't know what the actual voltage is. Does anyone know how much voltage each one of those numbers represent?I received my .023 drive rollers today so I'll try .023 wire on some 16GA and thinner material just for the heck of it.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Stick Linde HDA-300 MillerMatic DVI MIG Miller Dynasty 200DX Hypertherm Powermax 1000