Experienced Welders Come In

hllon4whls · Mar 13, 2004

I have a question. I just bought a 175 amp mig machine. I am using the flux wire while getting familiar with welding. I have never welded anything before last friday.

What relationship does wire speed have with heat and penetration? It seems that I can weld thick things (a 5/16 plate to bed frame angle iron) ok. I tend to blow through when trying with some thinner tubing. If I turn down the current, I am concerned that I wont get the penetration on the thicker metal. I have tried the second and third setting, not the first. This is not race legal stuff, just some square stock from HD and some metal closet rod. Which looks like blue line tubing from the inside. I know that race tube is thicker than this, but I dont want to blow through the thin metal on the stang when I try to do my inboard coilover conversion.

If I get good enough, I want to try to fab some stuff on my car. i know that I have a while to go, but I figure I have to start somewhere.

Idwitheld-1` · Mar 13, 2004

The flux core tends to be messy. I too have recently learned to weld (about a year now). I am decent on 1/8 and larger stock, but when it comes to thin gauge sheet metal or exhaust pipe I tend to burn more than weld. Through some research It was mentioned that AC arc welding is good for thick stock and is less controlable than DC pulse width modulation arc welding (which can do thin and thick stock).
If your wire speed is too slow, you'll start and stop your bead. It will look rough. Too fast it will "jam", may not have enough penetration or shallow fillets. It is a balance between fillet (joint fill), penetration and speed.

welding is fun. Today I installed 3.73 gears. In order to measure the pinion bearing preload I need to adapt a 1/2 drive socket to a 1/4 inch (inch pound) torque wrench. I welded a 1/4 inch drive deep (10mm) socket into the 1/2 inch drive hole of the larger socket. Worked perfect. Nothing like making a tool to solve your problems.

Have fun fusing metal.

proxses · Mar 13, 2004

Adjust the power for the thickness you are welding. Obviously less power for thinner stuff. Then adjust the speed so it kind of sounds like bacon frying.
I too am an amateur welder (3-5 years now). But this is the best advice I have been given.

Muirracing · Mar 13, 2004

Type of Equipment !!!

Was very curious ... what type of Equipment are you using...????

1.) Do u have several switches that you can use to turn the amperage down?
2.) OR due u have a Dial that you can adjust???
3.) OR u have no adjustments????

hllon4whls · Mar 14, 2004

Muirracing said:
Was very curious ... what type of Equipment are you using...????

1.) Do u have several switches that you can use to turn the amperage down?
2.) OR due u have a Dial that you can adjust???
3.) OR u have no adjustments????

I have a lincoln pro mig 175. IT has a volume type knob for the wire speed. And click settings for the current. 4 or 5 settings. I was wondering if wire speed had anything to do with the penetration and the heat. I am having blow through issues. I havent tried anything really thin, but this is only my 2nd time welding.

rd · Mar 14, 2004

hllon4whls said:
I have a lincoln pro mig 175. IT has a volume type knob for the wire speed. And click settings for the current. 4 or 5 settings. I was wondering if wire speed had anything to do with the penetration and the heat. I am having blow through issues. I havent tried anything really thin, but this is only my 2nd time welding.

I have had an Eastwood/Century 85 amp flux core unit for 15 years. I seem to weld once or twice a year.

With .030 flux core wire, I have welded everything from Mustang door hinges, to subframe connectors, control arm reinforcing plates, to boat trailer axles.

None of it is very pretty... The thin stuff, such as the subframe connectors were extremely difficult, overhead, etc, and I did a few blow throughs.

The sound of bacon frying is the best description of properly matched wire speed and heat level.

For thin to thick, try running most of the bead on the thick stuff, just go to the thin enough to grab it.

Yesterday, my 85 amps were just barely enough to put a 1/4 in angle bracket back on my car trailer, but too much to easily weld the fenders back together. But it got done.

From my welding class, a mig with gas is much easier on thin stuff.

A dead wire torch would help, as you can put the wire where you want the weld, drop the helmet and go. Mine is a live torch.

mr.nitrous · Mar 14, 2004

Flux core sucks..... I have a Miller 175amp Mig welder with argon shielding. Now i dont know what size wire your using to weld on your car or where your planning to weld but in order to weld like subframes, TQ boxes or such things like that i ran my Wire speed at 60 and voltage at 30, your settings probably arnt the same as mine though. Also im a good welder and i move relativly fast so my wire speed is pretty fast. For tubing id run a slow wire speed and high voltage. Your wire speed is actually what controls your penetration, voltage controls the width of your bead. Also remember to push the weld, dont pull it. hope this helps.

Jax97cobra · Mar 14, 2004

I agree get rid of the flux core wire....it is useless for thin gauge metal. the gasless flux core is espesially useless. flux core is hotter and is used for deeper penetration and should be used with globular transfer (higher voltage and slightly lower amps)(wire speed)..... dont go to low or u will burn back into the tip. globular transfer means that the wire will form a ball at the end of it while welding. using solid wire and a sheilding gas...usually a 75 20 mix
u will usually use short circuit transfer which means the wire is actually coming in contact with the peice to be welded and and creating a short circuit which heats the wire and melts it.....this of course happens very fast.
that will create a high pitch frying sound. another method of mig welding is spray transfer which is used for heavygauge metals and can only be used when welding flat. that is my knowledge on mig for mild steel.
i weld as a civialian for the navy in jacksonville fl and mostly do tig welding.
but do urself a favor an buy the gas attachment for ur welder!

hllon4whls · Mar 14, 2004

Jax97cobra said:
I agree get rid of the flux core wire....it is useless for thin gauge metal. the gasless flux core is espesially useless. flux core is hotter and is used for deeper penetration and should be used with globular transfer (higher voltage and slightly lower amps)(wire speed)..... dont go to low or u will burn back into the tip. globular transfer means that the wire will form a ball at the end of it while welding. using solid wire and a sheilding gas...usually a 75 20 mix
u will usually use short circuit transfer which means the wire is actually coming in contact with the peice to be welded and and creating a short circuit which heats the wire and melts it.....this of course happens very fast.
that will create a high pitch frying sound. another method of mig welding is spray transfer which is used for heavygauge metals and can only be used when welding flat. that is my knowledge on mig for mild steel.
i weld as a civialian for the navy in jacksonville fl and mostly do tig welding.
but do urself a favor an buy the gas attachment for ur welder!

I have everything but the bottle and the gas. I will have to go one day to get what I need. I will start calling a couple of the welding shops. Unfortunately I dont have any shops in my area. I will have to run about 20 miles on a work day.

Any Idea what a good price for a bottle and the argon co2 mix gas?

Stang951 · Mar 14, 2004

How much did that welding machine run you. I saw a small unit at Harbor Freight for like 130.00 on sale and thought about getting it, but wasn't sure if it was good enough for welding on the stang.

By the way was that pass done at No Problem. I saw NPR In the tag and thought it might be.

hllon4whls · Mar 14, 2004

Stang951 said:
How much did that welding machine run you. I saw a small unit at Harbor Freight for like 130.00 on sale and thought about getting it, but wasn't sure if it was good enough for welding on the stang.

By the way was that pass done at No Problem. I saw NPR In the tag and thought it might be.

The welder is 600 at lowes. They also have a 135 amp and a 100 amp gasless. You have to watch the current rating if you want to weld tubing for roll cages and stuff. 135 will do fine. You do have to have a gas mig to do legal tubing in NHRA.

That pass was at NPR. Beautiful track. Wish I could be there every saturday to race.

Stang951 · Mar 14, 2004

I just want to make it there!!!!
Still need drag radials really bad...and the torque boxes welded, and the list goes on....

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