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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / need advice/solution
- - By mrcleanguy (*) Date 10-19-2005 23:14
I am having a great deal of trouble with the the MIG welding machine at work. Most of all the welds at work are done in the flat/horizontal position. When moving back and forth along the weld joint, on the backstroke all hell breaks loose. It runs extremely rough, spatter out the ying yang, loud, etc. I have tried asking th journeyman, but I dont really think that he knows that much cause he couldn't give me any advice. I want to learn to be the best welder that I can, but find it very hard at my company to learn anything new. Please help me, and thank you in advance.

Kyle
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 10-19-2005 23:22
GMAW(solid wire) isn't as forgiving using a whip action(gouge ahead and back up to fill) motion as FCAW(tubular wire) is. Try running straight stringers and see if your spatter goes away. Turn your voltage up a smigit until it smooths out or turn your wire feed speed back a smigit. The puddle shouldn't shake and splash.
Let us know how that turns out,
John Wright
Parent - - By ssbn727 (*****) Date 10-20-2005 07:51
Hi JW!!
Is'nt this word "smigit" spelled "smidgit"?
LOL, Pal!!!
Respectfully,
SSBN727
Run Silent... Run Deep!!!
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 10-20-2005 11:47
Thanks for the help SS, I have to laugh at myself somedays, I come up with new words all the time:) Thanks for keeping my spelling in check.
LOL :) that's what friends are for, (w)right?
John Wright
Parent - - By tool_man (*) Date 10-20-2005 16:20
This one made me laugh so hard, it brought tears to my eyes.A guy at work told me he was having problems making a weld "stick",and asked if I would help him.I grabbed my welding hood and and went with him.I told him to try welding the joint and I would tell him what he was doing wrong and how to correct the problem.What followed was amazing.He stood back 3 feet...pressed the trigger...and made course corrections to the part.Then he cut the wire...raised his hood...and looked at me with a confused expression on his face.I told him to do that again...I didn't quite get the finer points.I know....that sounds cruel but I really did want to see it again.After I regained my composure I welded the joint...took him to the shop and gave him a mig welding class.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 10-20-2005 16:24
He must have had an autodarkening hood, since he was making course corrections while approaching the joint.
John Wright
Parent - - By tool_man (*) Date 10-20-2005 16:36
Yes he did.All our welding hoods are auto darkening.Mine has adjustable shade,and sensitivity control.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 10-20-2005 16:41
That is funny! However I have to make small "course corrections" when running 3/4" to 1" stickout, so I bet that was really funny seeing that wire wind all around standing three feet away.
John Wright
Parent - By tool_man (*) Date 10-21-2005 04:20
I have heard that seeing is believing but,my mind had a hard time believing what my eyes were seeing.Hard to get shielding gas that far down a wire.
Parent - By tool_man (*) Date 10-20-2005 16:42
I keep an old fixed shade for some applications and as a backup.
Parent - - By CHGuilford (****) Date 10-20-2005 21:16
Did you, by any chance, happen to get that on film? I would pay admission to see that. Who said slapstick comedy is dead?
Chet
Parent - By tool_man (*) Date 10-21-2005 04:15
No....I was not able to get it on film.I wish I had.If I had it I would give it to you.The confused look on his face is permanently etched in my mind.Similar to the look on my dog's face when the vet stuck a thermometer up his butt to take his temperature.
Parent - - By RonG (****) Date 10-20-2005 16:50
Ahem! "Smidgen" gentlemen SMIDGEN"
Parent - - By swnorris (****) Date 10-20-2005 18:38
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amazing huh?
Parent - By QCCWI (***) Date 10-20-2005 18:52
Amazing? YES It would have taken me a week to type it which is odd considering it took me about 10 seconds to read it.
Parent - By tool_man (*) Date 10-21-2005 04:22
That looks like some of my girlfriend's e-mails.
Parent - By Arcandflash (**) Date 10-26-2005 00:13
While we are on useless facts about words:

You can usually make out what a printed word is if the bottom 50-60% or so is covered over. If the top is covered by the same amount the word is usually unintelligible or uncertain.

Bill
Parent - - By mrcleanguy (*) Date 10-21-2005 00:07
Hi John

I tried what you suggested, but no change. Even with the straight stringers, it still acts up. It is very weird as one minute it will be running fine then it goes back to running all nasty. I am using 045 wire(praxair), spray transfer, and if you watch the end of the wire as you are welding and it is running rough, there is "balls" of molten metal coming off of the end of the wire. I tried changing out the roll of wire, I tried adjusting the heat and speed, I tried a different cylinder of "Mig Mix Gold"(praxair), I tried different adjustments on the drive roll tension. HELPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!
Parent - By Lawrence (*****) Date 10-21-2005 03:26
Sounds like your in the zone between Spray and Globular transfer. Or some condition is stopping your wire from being delivered consistantly.

In a true spray transfer you ought to be able to see the metal "pinching" from the tip of the wire above the pool. Never should the wire short circuit into the pool. The filler wire end should actually get pointy, if you see it balling up you must increase voltage.

Don't know your gas mixture so these numbers are rough. If you are working to a WPS you must keep your parameter numbers within it.

Start out on a scrap piece with 240 amps @ 29 volts and a 3/4 inch stickout and a push angle with no weave.. Just straight stringers with no whip. Look at the arc, if the arc is longer than 1/8 inch above the metal than lower the voltage until it begins to short circuit and then turn it back up. If it is already blobbing than increase voltage.

Consistant arc length is also important. Recess your contact tip into the nozzel about 3/8 inch and keep your distance the same as you progress forward.

Whipping and weaving spray transfer welds with mild steel might make a pretty ripple but as far as quality goes it really increases the chance for lack of fusion and spatter. If the boss requires the pretty ripples than you will have to learn to make them with a minimum of motion to get at least the best quality you can.

Another reason wire may "ball up" can be something keeping the wire from feeding consistantly. Dirty liner, spatter on the tip, kinked gun line, clogged wire guides going in and out of the wirefeeder and between the rollers are easy quick things you can check and make sure all is well.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 10-21-2005 11:41
I'm trying to look up something on the wire and gas you are using, but I have struck out so far online
. Let us have all of the parameters to see if we can get you closer to what you need.
Solid Wire dia. = .045"
AWS Wire designation(ER70S-??) and classification(AWS A5.??)
Gas composition/blend?
Amperage?
Voltage?
cfh of gas flow?
travel angle?
push or drag?

If you can fill in a few answers to these questions, we should be able to get you in the ballpark as far as your parameters.

For instance: ESAB's .045" wire(ER70S-2) (AWS A5.18)has parameters for spray transfer suggested like this:
DCEP(electrode positive)
CFH rates of 25-45
260-340amps
25-30volts
300-500ipm(feed rate)

with optimum spray settings listed as:
300amps
27volts
350ipm
Parent - - By mrcleanguy (*) Date 10-22-2005 00:35
Hi there

-The wire is solid .045 ER70s-6, classification AWS A5.18
-Gas comp is Argon/CO2 but not sure the exact ratio
-Amperage im not sure cause the machine doesnt display it
-Voltage I had set at 25.4, but lately it seems that it has to be set around 27 to run nice
-Gas flow @ 35cfh
-travel angle 15-30 degrees
-push

thank you hope that this helps. I have only been in the trade for about 1 year and havent had any formal instruction yet

Kyle
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 10-25-2005 18:06
TTT...

Kyle,
Have you had better success yet?
Just checking....
John Wright
Parent - - By mrcleanguy (*) Date 10-25-2005 23:12
Hi there

Yes it seems to be much better, now that I cranked the voltage up to 27. I dont know if the wire changed, because I used to have it running fine at 25.4 and 275ipm?

Thank you

Kyle
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 10-26-2005 11:19
Hi Kyle,
You'll find that the more you weld with that machine, the more you'll learn it's personality and what it likes to run well. Keep plugging away at it and ask any questions you may have, many people that frequent this board have lots of experience to draw from.
Take care,
John Wright
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / need advice/solution

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