suggestions

[aggielr]

Give me some tips or advice. I know the picture isn't the clearest in the world, but if you see anything that needs changing, let me know. That is 1/4 box tube, welded with a Millermatic 175 w/ gas shielding, horizontally welded and pulling the weld. I have been told that I need to slow the weld speed down and move back and forth more. Any other tips or advice?

[Arbo]

It's hard to tell from the pic. It looks like the width of your bead is incosistent. I think the biggest thing you need is practice. Thry resting your hands or arms on something as you are working the bead. It should be nice and steady with an even weave. If you see globs and then gaps inb your bead, that means that your speed is not steady. Keep trying, it'll come to you.

[Bob]

If the brown tone in rust ?? it could be interupting good contact of the welding wire.

Moderate amount of splatter might be inadequate shielding, possible torch too far back (too much stick out). Stick out range of 3/8" to 5/8" seem pretty consistently recommended for all but really heavy duty welding. I did a lot of getting too far back and too much tilt at first, while trying to get better visibility of the weld itself.

The sound is also a clue. Should be a fairly steady "sizzle". Too much snap, pop, seems to go with lack of shielding. A little of that pop, snap just as a bead starts seems hard to unavoidable, but it should smooth out quickly.

Let us know how it goes
Bob

[aggielr]

no, that brown look isn't rust, that was all new metals and i wire brushed it down even though it was clean. What pressure should the shielding gas be on? I've got it running pretty high (at least i thought) but maybe i need to turn it up a little bit more?

[Bob]

I don't know by heart, or have the charts with me, but I think 20 to 30 cfh (cubic feet per hour) is most common.

I have also gotten a brown tone like that with the flux in the self shiedling wire types, but assume you are using solid wire?

[aggielr]

yep, its solid wire with co2/argon mix for shielding

[Bob]

... 'bout exhausts my ideas. Go with Arbo's suggestion of getting a comfortable position with something to steady your elbows/forarms. I second, the advice to go more slowly along the weld.
I am pretty new at this myself, but there seems to be both metal thickness and metal mass as part of how fast you move along the weld. Small bits of 1/8" material take less heat to melt through than larger sheets. And 1/4" material is not only that much thicker, but has that much extra heat conduction away form the weld.
More practice.
Bob

[Guest]

Re: suggestions

Originally posted by aggielr
Give me some tips or advice. I know the picture isn't the clearest in the world, but if you see anything that needs changing, let me know. That is 1/4 box tube, welded with a Millermatic 175 w/ gas shielding, horizontally welded and pulling the weld. I have been told that I need to slow the weld speed down and move back and forth more. Any other tips or advice?

The weld looks as though it were more on the square tube that on the other metal. Could just be the picture, but I put some comments on the picture. Over all, I would say it looks fairly sound. I'd really like to see a better picture...it's not easy to diagnose a weld in a picture anyway.

[Arbo]

Yo Rocky D

What software did you use to add text to the pic like that...COOL

[Guest]

Re: Yo Rocky D

Originally posted by Arbo
What software did you use to add text to the pic like that...COOL

Adobe Photoshop Elements....I used it to make my avatar, too.

[DocSavage]

Howdy there Aggielr -

I spent a few years at good 'ole TAMU a while back... Are you taking welding in one of your classes or just arcing and sparking for fun?

Andrew Galewsky '77

[aggielr]

this is what i'm weldin on, i am goin to take a welding class in the spring, but i've been doin it for a while, just bought my welder a few months ago, i was using my old man's for a while