Got a lesser shield. What a dif., I can see the piece and the weld pool. Still having trouble with getting the arc to stay consistent. It's an 85 amp wire welder. I'm welding some edges together on some 1/16 steel. It gets adjusted and sizzles what I think is just right. Then it crackles and I need to dwell in that spot before if gets right again. Is this something that normally happens or is the wire feeder maybe not smooth enough on my "kinda cheapo" mig welder. I am using 75/25 AR,C02 gas with it. Thanks for any suggestions and please don't be too hard on me..I no I'm just a "melter" at this point!
it sounds like you just need to get the volts and wire feed speed set just right. also, i've had a lot of luck on thin steel with .024 wire
Yes that is what I am using right now. (.023) Maybe it's just a matter of learning how to maintain an arc. I sizzles along real nicely and I see a nice rounded pool of metal building. Then it starts to pop and crackle and I have to get the arc back. Usually it doesn't leave any real break in the bead.but sometimes it either breaks the bead or burns through while I'm tryin to get a steady arc back. The power settings on my mig are not to fancy- high and low. So most of my tweaking will be done with wire speed.
sounds like the volts need adjusted...but if you only have a high and low setting for the voltage, I don't think you'll be able to fine tune it enough to get a nice steady arc and weld pool.
I suggest you choose a voltage setting, chances are they overlap some, and then tune the wire feed until it smooths out. Remember that "stickout" needs to be constant. As stickout increases, amperage will drop and vise versa. So set everthing with the stickout you plan to use....probably about 3/8" for small wire. How far is the contact tip recessed into the nozzle, that ads to total stickout distance.
contact tip is set back about 3/16" into the nozzle. Just welded some steel with it (.075 thick) and ran some really nice beads. It still wants to sputter and pop every so often. Maybe I'm not setting my wire speed at the stick-out used for actual welding. Is wire speed adjusted for welding at different stick-outs? I've been more or less holding it on a scrap piece and adjusting it to get a smooth sizzle and arc. Not really paying much attention to the stick-out.
It sounds pretty good, only spitting every so often, but I have to ask is there any kind of coating on your base metal??
Electrical stickout is measured from the contact tip and not the nozzle. Yes, you would set wire feed speed, and consequently voltage, based on the stickout you will use. In wire that small you can probably vary the stickout 3/16 or so without having to change anything. As you increase stickout the sound will usually tell you when you are going to far.
reference: appendix 10, figure D, WELDING ENCYCLOPEDIA 18th edition (P647) "torch nomenclature" shows "stickout" to be measured from _nozzle_ tip, not contact tip. "Electrode extension", measured from contact tip, affects the arc & weld. Electrode extension is normally the same as the "stickout" plus the [contact tube] "setback".
Don't ask about how to measure or what to call it when you have a negative setback; a contact tip which extends beyond the gas nozzle (or is that a POSITIVE setback?). "Electrode Extension" eliminates any confusion and concisely identifies the variable we are concerned with while maintaining standard terminology.
Regards,
D
yeah right, and no one refers to Gas Metal Arc Welding as MIG anymore either. The proper term for "ground clamp" is Work Lead, but it's called a ground clamp in catalogs. We were trying to help a beginner understand that the total length of wire extending beyound the contact tube contributes to the resistance in that circuit. That's easier than adding electrode extension and contact tube setback. I seriously doubt the fella needing some help has the book. Speaking of books, if you go back and look in some of Hobart's Technical Guides you will find the illustration showing "Electrical Stickout". One would also find the same in notes from Wilbur McGrew, Howard Carey and Ed Pierre. As is the case in the U.S. we have many terms that mean the same, and do vary by what part of the country you are in. Dee your point is well taken, but it will be a long time before we all speak exact AWSese, especially beginners like we are trying to help. Thanks,
Andy
bzzzz,
You've got a lot of good replies and, as an another amature who has fought the same problems you have, maybe I can give you some less skilled advice. I have done a lot of stick and tourch welding but am recently new to the MIG myself (a small 125A) and asked similar questions on this forum. The folks are great here but they are usually too polite to tell us that our technique might be lacking. I had the shade problem (#9 works great for me now thanks to advice here) and I had the sputtering problem which turned out to be mostly technique versus settings. After a lot a practice over the last couple months, I have succeeded in becoming marginally proficient with the MIG ( I can still do much better with the stick though). I do believe that it will be easier than the stick with more practice as I'm rapidly gaining ground and I espescially like it in off position welds. Keep practicing and asking advice!
Bob
If there is a one line advice for mig welding it is "feed the front of the puddle". It's essential for good fusion and makes a lot of instability go away.
Bill
How do you get a reasonably large area of fusion that way? Is this where weaving would come into play. I notice with my small mig that it stabilizes the arc if I move fairly fast, keeping well in the front of the pool. The only problem is, I have difficulty hitting both of the pieces with the small bead this creates. Is this partly a function of the small size of my welder. (85 amp.-120 volt)? Also to stay in front of the pool really requires some fast movement of the gun. (making it all the harder to put the bead where I want it!) Just a part of mig welding?
There might be a little confussion here, I think Bill is saying stay on the front or leading edge of the weld pool, don't try and run away from it. By staying on the leading edge of the weld pool you are allowing the arc to do it's job, that is melt the material(s) you want to be fused. By staying in the middle of the weld pool or there abouts, lack of fussion is more likely, not usually a concern on light gauge material.
John T is exactly correct. Try this- set up two pieces cut nice and straight with a tiny gap between (say the thickness of a business card). Tack the ends. Weld- the little gap will help you see where you are going. The puddle should be kind of horseshoe shaped showing a little melted zone up each edge and then back to where the puddle joins the two pieces together. That's where to feed the wire. You will probably feel like you are going a little fast but once you get the picture right the motion is automatic. The bead will indeed be narrow perhaps 1/8 inch on such thin material. Burn up a little wire- enjoy your machine- nobody here sprang from the womb able to do this well on the first try.
Bill
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