Bsmith wrote:But why are you welding it out? It doesnt look like it needs it.
The manufacturer intends it to be, every photo I can find of others, are fully welded.
Unfortunately the straight runs are giving me even more difficulty than the circles did. The bottom side especially, with the nozzle pointing up. I'm producing some horrible looking welds.
Horrible looking how? Do you have a picture?
I hit it with a grinder to knock it down a little, make it look slightly better. I have a bunch more to do so ill take a pic after. It's just real inconsistent, cold looking, tall. I'll have to look up overhead techniques, it's not physically overhead but the nozzle is pointed up.
I didn't think it would matter but I feel like I need more light. The arc alone isn't enough to see where I'm going on the material. I'm also welding from tack to tack and it's not really filling between the beads or Im stopping to soon.
yamahablue wrote:
I want to try that technique but I'm concerned about shock. It's not possible get shocked doing it like he does?
Just don't touch the ground clamp or anything that the clamp is touching. The burn would be much worse than the shock anyway. Wear gloves. Direct current doesn't tend to kill people unless it's high voltage.
Side note:
CO2 fire extinguishers can build upwards of 10,000 volts of static electricity just by sitting around doing nothing. When you squeeze the trigger on one of these little beasties they can produce this full charge all at once. It is a phenomenon called electrostatic discharge. It works just like a capacitor. This current can and will travel up your arm, through your heart, down your leg and into the ground.......and kill you. It's like hitting you heart with a defibrillator and it will stop pumping. To keep this from happening you simply set the extinguisher on the ground when squeezing the trigger for the first time. Static discharges through the ground instead of through your ass. You can then immediately pick them up and cary them safely while getting on the trigger.
Migs produce less than 30 volts and are not dangerous in this regard but the amperage will burn the shit out of you.
Bsmith wrote:But why are you welding it out? It doesnt look like it needs it.
The manufacturer intends it to be, every photo I can find of others, are fully welded.
Unfortunately the straight runs are giving me even more difficulty than the circles did. The bottom side especially, with the nozzle pointing up. I'm producing some horrible looking welds.
Horrible looking how? Do you have a picture?
Okay, ran a few more tonight so here are some pictures. There are some obvious travel speed inconsistencies, I also catch myself at different distances from the weld. These are all uncleaned.
This is the first one i did tonight, on the top.
And a couple more on the top.
And heres where it gets really ugly, on the bottom. Unlike the top, it seems like gravity is working against me. Every bead I try on the bottom side turns out similar to this.
yamahablue wrote:Damn, that's some crazy info. Thanks
Compliments of U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, IL via a jackass BT2 screaming in my face during fire fighting/damage control training.
Poland308 wrote:Drive rollers do wear out. If the flats on the wheels bottom out on each other before they grab the wire it can cause feed issues. But pictures of the finished weld will help you get the answers you want.
Looks like you are closer than you think to good looking welds. Over head is tricky till you learn to watch the puddle. After some more practice you will learn how to vary the speed of your weave pattern based on when it looks like it's about to drip.
Bsmith wrote:Some look too, too fast, too far away from the weld.
You look like you aren't bracing against something to steady yourself. Are you using both hands.
Do you know what the piece is use for?
Wich ones look too too fast and far away? Honestly the ones on the top I can live with but would love some suggestions to improve what faults can be seen. The bottom side has me stumped, and it's really bad.
I am bracing whenever possible, and using 2 hands the whole time.
Lol, yes, the piece is used for what I'm using it for. It's called a frame reinforcement plate, could easily be made by ones self but I chose to buy pre cut pieces, made by trail gear.https://www.trail-gear.com/TG/Rock_Defe ... 2IH7HplDqA
The overhead I thought you were too far away. But as Poland said its about to drip. I'd turn the machine down when doing over or practice some over head first.
Bsmith wrote:The overhead I thought you were too far away. But as Poland said its about to drip. I'd turn the machine down when doing over or practice some over head first.
I feel like I have the nozzle pushed up close, but the position feels very awkward. The fact that it gets droopy probably makes me speed up and maybe even pull away. I can't really see much, mostly trying to go at a certain pace like the other welds.
I watched one of Jodys' videos on overhead mig welding. He said to set the machine hot, same as on the flat. Of course he makes it look easy so I tried that.
If I turn it down would you suggest both, wire speed and volts?
Yes it's a balance when you turn down both a little at a time. I would just try more practice before you start changing your settings much. If your getting good welds sometimes but not others then you just need to practice till you get more comfortable.
Poland308 wrote:Looks like you are closer than you think to good looking welds. Over head is tricky till you learn to watch the puddle. After some more practice you will learn how to vary the speed of your weave pattern based on when it looks like it's about to drip.
Maybe that's one of the problems, I don't actually do a weave, most of the time I do a forward and pause kind of motion or try to keep a certain pace. Overall it's hard for me to see much in that position.
Because I question things like the black and brown around the welds, does that mean something could use adjustment. It's also a little weird to me that I have it turned up slightly higher than the suggested settings for 3/16 but my base metal is 1/8. It seems cold if I go lower. Even at those higher settings it still doesn't seem right.
Try useing the e pattern Jody describes. The motion as you travel will help you control the puddle. The discoloration / smoky residue doesn't look like much to worry about for now it could just be from rust or other contaminates on the steel. You may have to lay on the floor or crouch down to get an angle where you can see and get some angle on the gun. Unless you can roll the part so that everything is flat?
Poland308 wrote:Yes it's a balance when you turn down both a little at a time. I would just try more practice before you start changing your settings much. If your getting good welds sometimes but not others then you just need to practice till you get more comfortable.
Thank you. So far the overhead have never been good.
Focus your practice on the over head then. Put some practice pieces in a location where you have comfortable arm position and good visibility. Slant some plate a little down hill but mostly flat and just pad some beads overhead. After you get comfortable / confident then make the plate totally level and try again.
yamahablue wrote:Damn, that's some crazy info. Thanks
Compliments of U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, IL via a jackass BT2 screaming in my face during fire fighting/damage control training.
"Great Mistakes" The place where is can rain indoors..........
AWS D1.1 / ASME IX / CWB / API / EWI / RWMA / BSEE
Scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality." Nikola Tesla
The last time I saw it rain inside, I had just finished my own 45 minute workout and they put us through another two hours of eight count body builders and everything in between. All because some jackass wouldn't own up to leaving a newspaper out. I was in much better shape than most of those punks but I was ready to kill someone over that little stunt.
I never had any bad experiences with warrant officers and didn't dislike them like a lot of guys do.
God bless all chiefs. Nothing could get done without them. I only ever met one chief who I didn't like.
Poland308 wrote:Yes it's a balance when you turn down both a little at a time. I would just try more practice before you start changing your settings much. If your getting good welds sometimes but not others then you just need to practice till you get more comfortable.
Thank you. So far the overhead have never been good.
Poland308 wrote:Yes it's a balance when you turn down both a little at a time. I would just try more practice before you start changing your settings much. If your getting good welds sometimes but not others then you just need to practice till you get more comfortable.
Thank you. So far the overhead have never been good.
How's it coming?
I just got back from being out of town for a week. I haven't tried since those last pictures, maybe I'll give it a try again tomorrow.
