can,t mig

[Twell]

I am 15 years old and own a buzz box and a torch, both of these processes I can do fine but I can't get a hold of mig. I hear and see that every one is using mm135's or175's but pearsonaly i find my hobart AC/DC box much easier. I have used mm135's and mm90's, thr 135 being new. every thing was properly ajusted for 18 ga steel but I just did not like it. I would like to know, Is welding stainless and aluminum any different, if so could some one please send me some properly done beads using mig,and what might have gon wrong that day I tried mig.

Thanks

[Roger]

When a stick weldor starts welding with MIG welder they tend to feel the machine is in control. Just a guess that you were using .035 fluxcore wire trying to weld 18ga. steel. Sure it is possable but much easier when using .023 or .030 solid wire with 80/20 argon/co2 mix on thin metal. I have welded 24 ga. easly.

Using .035 fluxcore to weld 1/8" steel it feels, sounds and smokes alot like stick welding. Just like stick welding it takes some practice to make sound welds.

[Old Man Stick]

Trust me here ,

Dont feel bad. It will take some time to get use to mig welding. I was like you at first. A buddy of mine had a mig and would always ask me if I whanted to give a try at it. I would lay a few beads from time to time there but was never happy with the welds or the way to weld. Just did not like mig. Hated it for a few years. Then got in to doing some body work on one of my trucks. Got a HH 175 "just for body work" after a few months of playing around and patching holes. I started to really like mig. Now for me its just easyer to roll the mig over and buzz a bead then pull the cables out on the stick welder. I like the fact that it takes a long time to run out of 10 Lb of wire ( not having to change rods every few min ) I still have my stick and use it from time to time on heavy stuff but for fast stuff or small projects I'll mig it.

In closing if you like to stick weld and your good at it Stick with the stick! Some people just cant stick weld. ( I know atleast 10 ! LOL ) So be proud that you can stick weld its not as easy as some people think. Just like learing stick with mig your going to have to give it some time. Like I tell my guys ... Some times you just hae to play with it a bit

OMS

[Al T.]

How true that is!

After 20 hours of practise my stick welds finally were acceptable. Bought the hh175 and found it easy to use, cleaner and never change sticks. Love it.