My welds are atrocious...

[Missourian]

Sure, it's joined together...but man...I just cannot get the hang of this wire feed welder...



Any advice is appreciated. I don't do a lot of welding...but this is just terrible.

 

[progressive hunter]

Sure, it's joined together...but man...I just cannot get the hang of this wire feed welder...

View attachment 417657View attachment 417658View attachment 417659

Any advice is appreciated. I don't do a lot of welding...but this is just terrible.

best thing to do is just practice,,, and listen for that steady buzz,,,

it does help to clean or grind before you weld, more so if youre a beginner,,

 

[The Breeze]

One good thing about being a poor welder is that you become an outstanding grinder.

 

[Dick Foster]

Sure, it's joined together...but man...I just cannot get the hang of this wire feed welder...

View attachment 417657View attachment 417658View attachment 417659

Any advice is appreciated. I don't do a lot of welding...but this is just terrible.

Mine are a lot like buggers holding hands. One thing it looks like you didn't do is clean the surfaces to be welded. Dirt and rust just won't ever weld fer shit.

 

[Missourian]

it does help to clean or grind before you weld, more so if youre a beginner

One thing it looks like you didn't do is clean the surfaces to be welded

Thanks for the replies.


That's probably it...I hit the surfaces I was joining with a wire brush...but that might not have been enough.

Next time I'll hit it with the grinder.

 

[Gdjjr]

There's an old saying that holds true in everything: Practice makes perfect.

 

[progressive hunter]

it does help to clean or grind before you weld, more so if youre a beginner

One thing it looks like you didn't do is clean the surfaces to be welded

Thanks for the replies.


That's probably it...I hit the surfaces I was joining with a wire brush...but that might not have been enough.

Next time I'll hit it with the grinder.

are you using gas or flux wire??? if flux you really need a clean surface

when youre welding does it kick back,, if so turn down the wire speed or increase the temp

does it burn the wire to fast,, if so turn up the speed or turn down the temp,,,

point is play with speeds and temp to match the material thickness,

and watch your stinger angles,,, not to much but not straight up,,,

 

[justinacolmena]

Any advice is appreciated. I don't do a lot of welding...but this is just terrible.

Arc welding is quick and dirty. You can't dwell in one spot with it or be too fussy with it. Keep it moving at an even speed.

If you want to do fine work, try gas welding with oxy-acetylene. That's more stuff to keep moving, though.

 

[progressive hunter]

this guy can teach you a lot,, just dont get pissed cause hes so good,,

 

[cnm]

Youtube may be your friend.

edit...Oh, done, I see.

 

[Dick Foster]

it does help to clean or grind before you weld, more so if youre a beginner

One thing it looks like you didn't do is clean the surfaces to be welded

Thanks for the replies.


That's probably it...I hit the surfaces I was joining with a wire brush...but that might not have been enough.

Next time I'll hit it with the grinder.

Yep you want it really clean.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Get a decent welder and ditch the flux core.
I bought a Hobart 210 and couldnt get it to weld for shit until I started using shield gas.
It made a world of difference!!! I'm no expert but I've welded leaf spring mounts that have endured a shitload of abuse in some serious off road conditions.
You can see the difference here. The left is with shielding gas the right with flux core in the exact same conditions. The porosity with the flux core is ridiculous!!!
Oh...when in doubt turn up the heat!!

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Get a decent welder and ditch the flux core.
I bought a Hobart 210 and couldnt get it to weld for shit until I started using shield gas.
It made a world of difference!!! I'm no expert but I've welded leaf spring mounts that have endured a shitload of abuse in some serious off road conditions.
You can see the difference here. The left is with shielding gas the right with flux core in the exact same conditions. The porosity with the flux core is ridiculous!!!
Oh...when in doubt turn up the heat!!

View attachment 417719

You can see where I turned up the shielding gas from the fourth bead to the third bead going from left to right.

 

[Likkmee]

Reverse the polarity. You're welcome . Drag flux, push gas.

 

[Likkmee]

BTW . The guy in the video posted above is Jodie Collier... we worked together 35 years ago in FL. He is The Best on the tube...no doubt. Bob Mofatt is another.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Sure, it's joined together...but man...I just cannot get the hang of this wire feed welder...

View attachment 417657View attachment 417658View attachment 417659

Any advice is appreciated. I don't do a lot of welding...but this is just terrible.

Mine are a lot like buggers holding hands. One thing it looks like you didn't do is clean the surfaces to be welded. Dirt and rust just won't ever weld fer shit.

I've always heard them referred to as seagull droppings.

 

[Sunni Man]

I learned using stick welding and that's the way I welded everything for many years. When the boss need something welded he had me do it. I was even certified on high pressure pipe.
When wire feed welding got popular I tried it, but never could get the hang of it. My welds always looked like amature hour. ...

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I learned using stick welding and that's the way I welded everything for many years. When the boss need something welded he had me do it. I was even certified on high pressure pipe.
When wire feed welding got popular I tried it, but never could get the hang of it. My welds always looked like amature hour. ...

If you can stick weld better than mig congratulations.
I hate stick welding!!!
I'd want to learn how to mig but I really dont do any welding that requires that kind of precision.

 

[Likkmee]

Wire is easy to make pretty. It's tough to pass structural inspection. Many clown want to wiggle-wiggle so it looks like tig. BS. Run straight steady and smoothe like a machine

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Reverse the polarity. You're welcome . Drag flux, push gas.

That would be assuming you had it wrong in the first place.
Ask me how I know.