I have finally had a go at MIG welding!!! I bought a broken machine (Ferm 150A) 4 months ago, and finally got it working tonight. Still having fun trying to get the settings right, but still, great fun to practice!

Is it poor technique to start with the wire touching the workpiece? Any tips for making straight welds rather than the random squiggles I have going on!?

always only weld into 90 deg corners thats how i does it!

Are you saying you use the angle to give a straight weld? Nice, but cheating a bit I think!

quote:

---

Originally posted by twybrow
Are you saying you use the angle to give a straight weld? Nice, but cheating a bit I think!

---

Cunning plan - do the easy bits, leave the other bits for someone who understands these things...

depends what you have to weld really. I don't think i've come across any flat pieces i've had to weld relying on my own skills to get a straight line

I am probably making it harder for myself - I am welding an offcut from a homemade exhaust. As such I am trying to weld straight around a curve - not easy for someone with heroin shakes as I seem to have tonight!

quote:

---

Originally posted by twybrow
I am probably making it harder for myself - I am welding an offcut from a homemade exhaust. As such I am trying to weld straight around a curve - not easy for someone with heroin shakes as I seem to have tonight!

---

Use both hands Guide the tip with your free hand, and don't forget to breathe normally while you weld. Cut the wire off about 5mm from the end of the tip and start about 5mm from the workpiece, roughly 10mm altogether.

and wear a hat! maybe sounds silly, but there nothing like the smell of singed hair and burning flesh to put you off welding and upsetting your concentration guess how i know...

I have a full face helmet (which is a pain in the arse as you cant see a thing....), gauntlets etc. More of a risk for me was burning my workshop down with the hot splatter.

I will try these tips tomorrow (I prefer to have the Mrs on standby with an extinguisher!). Thanks for the info chaps - oh and Blake, when did you say you were free to come and weld my car?!

ha ha! nice try! I avoid welding structural stuff tbh. my chassis was already built, had the axle tube welded by someone else (arc welded by someone in the MOD submarine base over the river apparently! they even xrayed it for me to check the penetration! took it to a welder, but his mig wasn't powerful enough, so he sent it to a guy he knows in MOD) the only reason i did the brackets on there was because if the weld broke, they're not going anywhere

as for welding helmets, i've got a full face helmet too, still get sparks jump up and land on my head, even had a few come in the top of the helmet, and roll aroound in the bottom of the visor where is bends back under my chin!

Buy a welders cap to stop burnt heads, wear long baggy trousers that cover the laces of your boots to stop sparks burning you toes and soft leather gloves so you can feel the torch properly.

When welding get as close as you can (hence all the gear) so you can see what’s going on, like you were drawing something very detailed. Making sure the bottom lip of the helmet is lower than the spark, that way you won't be breathing fumes.

If you do all that you will find it very easy to do nice work.

I'd try an auto helmet and a decent light pointing at whatever it is you're welding

i get as close as i can to piece im welding.

as others have said, hold the gun in one hand, then i usually stedy the welding gun with my other hand ( well fingers ).

one other thing is that you might have too dark a sheild in your mask. when your doing the actual welding, you should be able to clearly see the weld and the gun and the metal throught the filter.

Twybrow

Try this site for Mig Tutorials

Mig Welding


Have Fun

RD

Edited because its toooo early in the morning

[Edited on 11/12/07 by rallyingden]

I've been looking at those on ebay - any issues with something like this?

Auto Darkening Helmet

i found that tutorial a couple of weeks ago when i dug out my welder and needed to brush up. its a very very good tutorial ( seeing as its only in print ) and when followed to the letter, its a good starting point.

i have studied that website to death. The videos are really useful (especially the one with the changing wire speed). Very well put together and useful site.

I have a Clark auto dimming mask was about £90 from machine mart not cheap but is worth the money. Don’t now about any of the ones on ebay personally id rather buy one that I can get bits for

I have read this thread with great interest.

The welding tutorial is fantastic, a must read for the novice welder.

As for welding in a straight line. There is no real substitute for your own eyesight.
If the wrong shade of welding screen is used you will not be able to see the joint being welded.

The main problem a novice welder has to learn is observation of the moulten weld pool.
With the correct shade of glass, this is made heck of a lot easier. I,d say a shade of about 10 will be a good starting point.

Also do you wear glasses for reading. If so you will need them for welding.
I cant see sweet FA without me reading specs on.

The use of old exhaust pipe is not the best choice of practice material.
It is most likely to have been coated in an alloy plate, not unlike galvaninze. This stuff will play havoc with the weld pool and you'll be blaming your poor welding.

If you want to use the old exhaust pipe for practice, be sure to grind of all of the coating arround the area to be welded.

Round tube is quite a good material to practice on. You will soon learn good torch manipulation.

Thats my 10p worth anyway

Ronnie

Thanks Ronnie. the exhaust pipe is madre from standard 1.5mm mild steel sheet, formed into a tube and then welded. I recently butchered it so have a 3" long section in the bin. It had been painted to protect it, so just wire brushed the paint off. Initially it was spitting all over the place, but a play with the power and feed speed seemed to make an improvement. I will have another go tonight on something simpler and try to post some pics.

FYI - I do not wear glasses so it's not blindness, more a lack of skill! I can see the weld pool, but i got concerned it was getting too hot so i kept on backing off. I think I was also moving too fast.

Hi.

If you can see the weld pool OK and have learned to know when things are getting a little hot. You are well on your way. This aspect, often requires a great deal of practice.

One technique for welding thin material is as follows.

No1: Make sure your current and wire speed are correct for the material being welded.

No 2: Start your weld. If you have mastered watching the weld pool, you will be able to tell that things are getting a little hot. This is normally indicated by the brightness of the parent metal. Try and release the torch trigger untill you see the parent metal begin to dim. Only about a second or so. Then triger on again. So on & so on.
You will in effect be laying down small beads of weld at a time reducing the risk of a burn through. (Try to not let the weld pool cool too much as this will affect weld penetration and the final weld quality )

This technique takes a fair bit of practice, but once mastered is fantastic for thin material.


I hope this all makes sense to you.

I didn't mean to infer you had poor eyesight.
I have tutored many people over the years. You'd be surprised at the amount of people that wear reading specs who believe they are not needed for welding.

Ronnie

Use ear plugs if welding at head height or above.
You dont want a blob in your ear, will burn straight thru your eardrum..

The you wont be able to hear if it sounds like backon sizzling in the pan.

Take care of everything, hands, knees, eyes, ears, skin, feet.

You cant have too much protective gear.
You dont often get a second chance with eyes and ears.

Good sound advice people. Many thanks.

I'm also teaching myself to mig weld, and must echo what others are saying about protection. Cover everthing possible, it's amazing where sparks can find a gap. I bought a new auto darkening helmet for £40 off EBay, it's absolutely brilliant. I am able to see the work clearly, then a press of the welding gun trigger and instant protection. Try one before buying your own if possible.

And remember, natural fibres.. synthetics, plastics melt and stick

^ lol, best not wear your shell suit!