Welding Tips and Tricks

Just got my Miller bobcat 250 mounted to my truck and started laying down a few practice beads. Haven't touched a welder since high school 12 years ago. Machine was set to DCEP, I'm guessing 110-120ish amps, still trying to get used to the settings on the machine. 1/8" 7018 on some 1/4" plate. Rod angle varied between 0-20 degrees, I'm just trying to get a feel for what does what. any comments are welcome!

Don't whip 7018 - it will lay smooth as butter if you don't.

Welcome to the forum!

I agree, I wouldn't whip 7018 in the flat position. Try higher amperage if for nothing else to see the difference. I would drag that rod as smoothly as you can and practice away. It's looking good though.
-Jonathan

Treat it like a good woman. Lower, slower and make little circles!
I prefer tight circles to dragging. It keeps my old ass from falling asleep under the hood!
I prefer 125 to 135 amps and keep a tight arc. When the slag just rolls off by itself,
you're in the pocket!

No intentional whipping was going on, was getting dark and I was getting a lot of glare in my hood so I was having trouble keeping a straight line. Picked up a leather chin flap to help with the glare.

When you guys talk about keeping the arc tight and dragging, should I literally be dragging the rod on the workpiece? I'll crank the amps up a little and work on keeping a steady smooth feed. I've read 6-8" of weld per rod is pretty average?

I drag slightly pretty often - edge of the flux lightly touching the plate.

I also like 125-135 amps as well.

I use a little side to side, or other small motion since I'm going to move and sway a bit anyway - so I just go with it.

Thanks guys, I started to kinda get a feel for slightly dragging the flux. I think I'll try setti my course adjustment to 60-130 and fine adjustment to 10 and try that.

That position on th dial should be about 65-70 amps that may be a bit low for an 1/8 in rod. Try a 3/32 rod at that setting. I don't usually bump up in rod size to 1/8 unless I'm doing 1/2 in or thicker material. But most of my stuff is position welds so I trade the speed of the 1/8 for a little control.

Poland308 wrote:That position on th dial should be about 65-70 amps that may be a bit low for an 1/8 in rod. Try a 3/32 rod at that setting. I don't usually bump up in rod size to 1/8 unless I'm doing 1/2 in or thicker material. But most of my stuff is position welds so I trade the speed of the 1/8 for a little control.

Some fine adjustment dials are 0-10 instead of 0-100, his may be one of the 0-10.

Not bad..when the beads get that peaked/tented/vee shape to them, it is a pretty good indicator of progressing to quickly and/or too much rod angle.

MinnesotaDave wrote:

Poland308 wrote:That position on th dial should be about 65-70 amps that may be a bit low for an 1/8 in rod. Try a 3/32 rod at that setting. I don't usually bump up in rod size to 1/8 unless I'm doing 1/2 in or thicker material. But most of my stuff is position welds so I trade the speed of the 1/8 for a little control.

Some fine adjustment dials are 0-10 instead of 0-100, his may be one of the 0-10.

Yup, 0-10, so 60-130 and 10 should be the full 130, correct? I'm still trying to get used to the settings. On this machine if I'm set to 60-130 and 7 that should be about 110 amps right? I'm figuring this based on 70% of the 70 amps between 60-130. Is that right?

Dirt_man wrote:

MinnesotaDave wrote:

Poland308 wrote:That position on th dial should be about 65-70 amps that may be a bit low for an 1/8 in rod. Try a 3/32 rod at that setting. I don't usually bump up in rod size to 1/8 unless I'm doing 1/2 in or thicker material. But most of my stuff is position welds so I trade the speed of the 1/8 for a little control.

Some fine adjustment dials are 0-10 instead of 0-100, his may be one of the 0-10.

Yup, 0-10, so 60-130 and 10 should be the full 130, correct? I'm still trying to get used to the settings. On this machine if I'm set to 60-130 and 7 that should be about 110 amps right? I'm figuring this based on 70% of the 70 amps between 60-130. Is that right?

That sounds about right.
Just adjust the machine till the puddle is right.
Numbers don't mean anything.

0-10 0-100. As long as he knows how the dial system works that's the important thing. Seen lots of guys who don't know and then don't ask until a box of grinding wheels later.

Little more, one side is 7018, 6011 on the other. Bumped it up to 130 amps. Getting slightly better, still has a pretty tall crown to it.

Above the file tang is the 6011, first time using that rod, tried a few different rod manipulation Styles.