New member

[Jcope]

Hello. Just joined up. I’m an old guy not willing to give it up. I live in Jackson, TN. USA.
im currently involved in the construction of a sort of utility Kart to use around the place. It is an electric motor driven and a metal frame. I own a Lincoln 100 Welpak I’ve had for around 30 years maybe. I’ve used it some but never really been able to master the process. Now I need to use it on the Kart in a serious manner. Construction is 1/16” mild steel square tubing of 1” OD. I’ve taken care of a proper power feed i believe. I am aware of the need for proper preparation of the target although I may not be doing a proper job of it.

My problems are, excessive splatter, inconsistent penetration, both excessive and inadequate metal depositing, and very large “wasp nests”. Also, I have trouble seeing the puddle which I’m sure influences every thing else.

I feel I don’t understand the A, B, C, and D settings well enough. Wire speed I’ve got.

i read about the large values of voltage values being used, but im confused about relating those values to those actually at the tip, and also that the line voltage is only 120 volts.

i more than likely am confusing values involved in other type welders, like stick these, to those in the flux wire variety.

I could use some counseling in all this if possible. I may have already worn out my welcome but hope not.

Thank you very much..
jim cope

[Dale M.]

Welcome aboard, can't help you with the Welpak 100 as I am not familiar with machine... BUT to be really proficient once you understand the machine and its voltage settings, it is all about practice and more practice till you get the technique of welding perfected.....If you are using flux core wire spatter is just something to expect....If solid wire and shield gas, not so much.... Gun angle and stick out and how you form puddle will also control spatter.... As for being able to see what weld/puddle is doing, you can dial back darkness if you are using a AD hood... Another solution is to add a lot of ambient light to area where you are welding, sound odd to add light and you are seeing through dark hood, but that is the way it works ambient light actually illuminate the work, the dark hood shields your eyes from the arc flash....

Really good site for welding tips is:

http://weldingtipsandtricks(dot)com

Jody is about as good as the come...

Also..

https://www.youtube(dot)com/watch?v=Xod-ByrxHg4


Replace the (dot) with a "."... Because admins/corperate does not know how to set up system to allow validated users to post web site addresses(URL's)....

[MAC702]

Help us help you. You didn't tell us what process you are doing, what wire you are using, and what settings you've tried, including the polarity. Pretend we are looking at your machine and watching you weld. Tell us what we are seeing. Pics are a bonus.

Get lots of light onto your work. Ambient room light, even in a shop, is often not enough for welding, especially as we get older. Get a focused task light on the area you are welding, but don't have it behind you shining into the back of your hood. Make sure your hood has a clean cover over the lens. These smoke up from time to time, and need cleaning or replaced.

A, B, C, and D settings are the voltage RANGE for the thickness RANGES. For thin material, you'll use voltage RANGE A, and then fine tune the wire speed for the exact job. Etc.

Input voltage to the machine is 120 VAC. Output voltage will vary, depending on the range you select, but will be a much lower VDC.

[Dale M.]

IS there a label inside door panel the explains setup for different voltages/wire speed/polarity of operation?... Looking at PDF file online. it seems Lincoln forgot to add the heat/voltage to the file....

https://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/servicenavigator-public/lincoln3/imt460.pdf

[Jcope]

Thanks for the responses.
i am using .035 flux wire. MYweld brand
I am welding soft steel square tube 1/16” wall thickness
i have tried various voltage settings and have settled on D
wire speed is near setting #2 on the Lincoln.
Volt polarity is at (-)

Since my original posting I have
Cleaned my hood window…actually helped alot
I’m using an auto dim helmet. I read up on those and decided I could use a less dark setting with eye injury..that helped
placed my hood closer to the work….That helped
Those changes have made enough difference that I now can see very near what I need to see I think.
I tried using anti splatter gel on the tip….marginal I provrment

as per MAC702
I already ground off all the splatter and trashy stuff so I’ll try to describe until i weld more. I’ll photo shat I get and repost.
Sometimes I get lots of metal buildup but with no penetration.
Sometimes I burn through the metal
I know sometimes the tip is way to close to the work.
Sometimes the splatter is horrendous.

I read some material recommended by you guys and tried it out today.
The weld was much improved thank you very much, but still not there.
I’m having trouble now with speed of my travel and I think wire speed.
I’m not sure how to gauge my hand speed along with wire speed.
I’m not sure about correct tip distance from the work. I’ve read that there can be a range of distance ok.


So I shall weld again keeping all this in mind as see what I can get. I’ll photo and post.

You guys are very helpful. I shall look into a new Hobart machine once I get the technique working and decide if I need to start using gas.

thank you

[Jcope]

This was done tonight.
Voltage. D
.035 wire
tip distance about 3/4”

[Dale M.]

Move tip closer, 1/4 to 3/8 inch should immprove heat and penetration and bead appearance.... When you get it right weld will sizzle like frying bacon...

[MAC702]

Agreed. My wire stickout always shorter than some manual told me it should be. D sounds like too high of a voltage range, especially with FCAW. That's the highest one, right? 1/16" steel should maybe be a B. Feel free to hold position and let it fuse. If it builds up with no penetration, then try C.

Take wire cutters and snip the ball off the end of the wire before the next weld. It helps with consistent starts on thin material, when it matters more.