larrynjr Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I received my replacement MIG gun from N.T.'s the other day and today I installed it and tried my hand at welding. The first pieces I tried were these 2 pieces of cut off tongs. My second attempt was a RR spike to one of the bus brake drums, that held on a downward hammering but broke off on a sideways strike. The 3rd and last of the day was 2 pieces of 1" x 1/4". First I welded right down the seam of the join, then I flipped it over and ran a bead back and forth, perpendicular to the seam. I used flux core wire for all the welds. I can tell this is going to take some practice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Gomez Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Not bad for a first effort. The only way to get good at anything is with ample amounts of practice. Here is some light reading about flux cored arc welding for you Flux-cored arc welding - Wikipedia Hope it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dean Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Hi Larry, if you don't mind may I critique, if you do please disregard. Looking at the 4th picture, not too bad but yes there is room for improvement. Looks like your heat and wire speed is pretty close. Practice consistant travel speed. That is what gave you the fat then skinny weld bead. A couple of things to watch for on surface appearance is undercutting and poor fusion at the edges of the weld bead. Another thing is evenly spaced ripples in the weld bead that look like this ( not this < the first is proper heat and travel speed. This < is fast travel speed don't do that. Another item that causes heated debate is making your weld bead look like a stack of dimes rather than smooth evenly deposited filler material. I personally prefer not wasting time making the stack of dimes and I think that it makes for a weld bead with less stress points. I'll try to find some pics from some people I hold in very high regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Thanks Jose and Dr Dean, I appreciate the critique that's why I posted the pictures to get just that. I know I need lots of practice and getting helpful info from the great people here is,................ well,..................helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I see a big improvement in the pics you posted, keep practicing, it's a lot like grinding blades but I like welding more, not that I'm any better at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 One thing I didn't anticipate was how hard it is to see through the glass of the welding helmet. Until the arc starts, it was almost impossible to see where I wanted to start welding. I ended up moving outside for some direct sunlight to help me be able to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Ink Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 larry fill those plates up!!!!when I was in welding school we started with a 3/8'' plate and our teacher would make us weld on the same plate till it was 1.5''or more.Fluxcore was one of the trickiest welding styles to learn for me cause the molted steel and flux are so close in color.The best advise my teach gave me and I hope it helps you is dont just watch the puddle look 360*,in other words watch where your going and where you been.Hope it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Gomez Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Moving outside was probably a good idea, especialy with the ton of stinky smoke generated by self-shield wire. If you are going to weld indoors make sure that you have adequate ventilation. Also be aware that self-shield produces tons of sparks that are extremely good at lighting things on fire, and that fire is very dificult to see through a welding hood, which usually gives the fire a pretty good head start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dean Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Larry in all honesty I prefer to teach the way I learned. Start with oxy/acetlene then move to stick. After you are compentent with both then running wire feed is a walk in the park. You'll know you got it figured out when the slag peels off by itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 I'll need to wait a bit before I try it with Oxy/Acet. My cheap regulator(s) that I bought don't work anymore so now I need to buy some good ones. For Oxy/Acet welding do you use the same rods as if I was stick welding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agsolder Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Larry-- No-- stick uses consumable flux-shielded electrodes, O/A uses consumable bare steel rods. Some general thoughts: first of all, get an absolutely totally safe, clean, uncluttered place to work, well away from anything combustible, anything you might trip on. Sunlight is a great idea, but the wind can be a problem with MIG, maybe not with flux-coating, dunno. I agree starting with O/A is the ideal way to go. You can see the puddle better. But if that's out of the question for now, work on getting comfortable while you are welding, wear lots of protection, jacket, gauntlets, high-topped lace-up boots, cotton or woollen cap, brace your elbow and hand if possible when running a bead. Work hard on learning to see what is really going on down there amid all the sputter and spatter, the razzle-dazzle of the sparks and smoke. Problem with MIG is, it can look great but have no really solid penetration. After taking care of all that, it's like the old bopster joke says about how do you get to Carnegie Hall-- practice, man, practice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnW Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Larry, just in case you don't know this (I've only read of it), to find your starting point when stick welding (and I suspect for mig welding), start with your visor up, put your hands in the welding position, nod your head to put the visor down, start welding. Or get an auto-darkening helment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dean Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Larry here Is the website that I've been looking for. If you need quality work... The fellow who did all this is Known as Engloid. Another good place to look around Is the other website I frequent. Shop Floor Talk Have fun and keep on burnin the wire. If you ever get in my neck of the woods stop by! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 I'll try that method John and see if that helps me, it should. An auto darkening helmet will be further down the road. Thanks for the links Dr Dean, that Engloid does some incredible work. I can really see now what you were talking about with the smoothness of the welds. Without changing careers I doubt I'll ever get to that quality of welding but with some effort I hope to get to at least serviceable and safe, with a bit more smoothness than I can now. I'm off to the welding store now to see what I can afford and then the steel yard to pick up more scraps to weld and beat on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Ink Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 No Larry you use a bare wire that faily cheap.Ive heard of farmers and body men using coat hangers.You use a neutral flame for welding .And if you get good Tig will be even easier.Oxy/ace is alot of fun and very forgiving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 I went to the Oxarc store today and even through the website says they are open Sat. 8am to noon, they were closed.:mad: So I went to the steel yard and loaded up on scrap pieces that I can use for projects, practice welding and pounding. At $.15 a lb. it's hard to go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dean Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 No Larry you use a bare wire that faily cheap.Ive heard of farmers and body men using coat hangers.You use a neutral flame for welding .And if you get good Tig will be even easier.Oxy/ace is alot of fun and very forgiving Boy it's a good thing that I'm also a farmer! Bailing wire, whatever's handy heck I've even used barbed wire out in the middle of a field to patch up holes in combines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eburgblue Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Larry for OA welding you will normally use a bare rod with no flux on it. Depending on what you are welding I have even used baling wire. Actually it is good cheap way to practice your technique. And by the way I also wanted to say HI to a neighbor..... I see you are from Tieton.... I live over in the Yakima river canyon. Maybe if you want to practice sometime we could get together. I have several welders, torch, plasma etc. Looking for a small forge.... anyway HI neighbor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 eburgblue, howdy neighbor! I'd love to get together sometime(s) and work on welding / forging. What type of forge are you looking for? Gas or coal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eburgblue Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I think I am leaning more towards a gas due to the quickness of heat and the lack of fleas and such and I think I could put a valve in that would allow to me to vary the heat as I see fit. Seems like it would be more efficient than coal and since eventually I plan on adding propane heat to the shop I would be able to pipe it to the forge and use the heat from it for the shop also. Yes it would be nice to practice with someone on occasion and as close as you are we should consider it. I could PM you or you me with a phone#. I am usually around as for now....... I am retired and trying to stay that way. My goal is to do metal work to take up some financial slack if needed. You can find a few examples of what I make in the gallery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Larry, Congrats on the attempts. I am part way through a stick welding 101 class (we are doing vertical up and headed towards overhead) and I learned early on that those that are good at it make it look super easy Next time I go to class, I will take some pics maybe. I will agree with what has been said already, speed is key, and watch your puddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 I could PM you or you me with a phone#. You have a PM sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eburgblue Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Short email back to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawblacksmith Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 if you don't have anything else, you can use the welding rods. just knock the coating off and you have wire! i've used all manner of wire, including wire hangers. move the autohelmet up the list... makes all the difference when learning...unless you just want to wreck your neck flipping the hood all the time. remember too that much welding is done with no helmet...no room to get both it and your hands in to where the weld needs to be. i learned much mechanicking from a blind man...welding can be the same, going by sound...stay away from braille welding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 The sound of a *good* weld in progress is very distinct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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