twybrow
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 10:52 PM |
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MIG Welding
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!?
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blakep82
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 10:58 PM |
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always only weld into 90 deg corners  thats how i does it!
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twybrow
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:02 PM |
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Are you saying you use the angle to give a straight weld? Nice, but cheating a bit I think!
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blakep82
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:08 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
Are you saying you use the angle to give a straight weld? Nice, but cheating a bit I think!
thats right! you run the shroud down the anglepointing the wire at the corner. lovely straight weld! if i need to butt weld anything, forget it!
someone else can do it
only in the corners
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twybrow
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:09 PM |
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Cunning plan - do the easy bits, leave the other bits for someone who understands these things...
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blakep82
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:15 PM |
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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
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twybrow
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:18 PM |
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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!
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blakep82
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:21 PM |
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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!
christ! i'm out! get someone else to do it 
seriously though, do it an inch or half inch at a time. stop, check it, do the next bit. if you're quick about it though, when you start the
next bit, the bit you've just done should still be hot enough to let the new bit melt into it easy enough
***
better point out here, i'm not the best welder ever! probably one of the worst, but take your time over it, and you should be fine
[Edited on 10/12/07 by blakep82]
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Peteff
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:23 PM |
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Any tips for making straight welds rather than the random squiggles I have going on!?
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.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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blakep82
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:31 PM |
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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...
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twybrow
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:42 PM |
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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?!
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blakep82
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| posted on 10/12/07 at 11:50 PM |
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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!
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 12:43 AM |
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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.
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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UncleFista
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 02:19 AM |
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I'd try an auto helmet and a decent light pointing at whatever it is you're welding 
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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saigonij
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 08:13 AM |
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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.
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rallyingden
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 08:13 AM |
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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]
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twybrow
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 08:13 AM |
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I've been looking at those on ebay - any issues with something like this?
Auto Darkening Helmet
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saigonij
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 08:17 AM |
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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.
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twybrow
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 08:59 AM |
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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.
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westcost1
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 10:50 AM |
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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
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bonzoronnie
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 posted on 11/12/07 at 11:55 AM |
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Welding in a straight line
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
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twybrow
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 12:50 PM |
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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.
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bonzoronnie
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 posted on 11/12/07 at 01:22 PM |
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Thumbs up
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
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wilkingj
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 02:53 PM |
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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.
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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twybrow
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| posted on 11/12/07 at 05:35 PM |
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Good sound advice people. Many thanks.
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