Welding Tips and Tricks

I've got to do a welding cert for my work. It's 1/2 plate vert and overhead. I've done the plates once and they didn't pass the bend test. I welded them too cold. I've done welding certs with the air force a 1" tube on a 45 angle. I'm useing a miller matic350 p .035 wire, co2 argon mix. I see from the company I submitted the test to that I was not running hot enouugh. I ran my test plates at 19 ipm and 220 on the wire. The examiner says 27-33 and 450-650 fpm

If you've done it for the military, then you know what a WPS is.

You know what the specifications are.

What, exactly, are you asking?

BTW, those specs sound like Flux-core dual-shield. The 27-33 is open-circuit voltage. The "450-650" is IPM.

If you don't know what the hell you're talking about, just say so. We can help.

Steve S

Apparently I didn't weld these plates hot enough. I'm useing a miller mig

RR41Mag.

Tanks for the example.

Were the tests face bends, root bends or side bends?
Look at the bends and try to understand where the coupon failed and with which type of defect.

Welding 'too cold' may promote lack of fusion along the bevel and between passes.

If you are running cold, then you will need to adjust your welding parameters volts and amps (wire speed). If you follow the welding procedure given to you by the employer for the test, you may still need to fine tune the parameters. If the parameters in the welding procedure do not tally up ... inform the employer. Perhaps there is an error in some way.

Alexa

I gue what I'm aking for tip on how to weld this joint. it seems when I weld it hot that I have problems with the weld sagging. Do i need to speed up? How much of a land should I have? I know I didn't gap my plates enough. 1/8th How much should I gap? They tell me 1/4. Like I said I've done .032 tube but never 1/2 plate.

RR41Mag.

Describe the joint to be welded.
So far you have wrote:
One joint in vertical position.
One joint in the overhead position.
Plate thickness: 1/2"
Wire diameter: .035"
%Gas: CO2 (??%)+ AR (??%)
Bevel angles on each plate: ??
Backing plate or open groove: ??
Type of filler metal (wire): ?? ER .....
Type of base metal (plate): ??
Etc:

The more information you give us ... the easier it is to make an evaluation.

Otto Nobedder mentioned the Wps (welding procedure specification). Usually this Wps is given to the welder to give him guidance on how to weld the joint. This is important.

On that Wps you will find all the information required to prepare the joint and weld it out.
You will need to make some fine tuning type of adjustments of the voltage and wire speed (amps).
You will use your own technique orienting the torch to improve control of the puddle as you weld.

In the case you do not have that Wps, then it is important to give us as much information about the joint to be welded. In that way we can give you some feedback. For example, if there is a backing plate, then most welders would recommend zero land and a 1/4" gap. If there is not a backing plate, then we need to look at the bevel angles, type of filler wire, the wire diameter and come up with a correct mix of gap/land.

With enough information, more than likely we will also be able to find you a link to watch that same joint being welded out.

Tanks for the patience.
Alexa

Oh ok there's a 1/8th backing plate .035 wire from a miller mig. both plates are 1/2 thick with a 45 angle. What else?

base metal 4130

4130 is a chrome-molybdenum alloy, requiring, at minimum, E80 wire, preferably S2 with a very clean interface before the weld. You may even need a chrome-moly specific wire, depending on the specs for the finished product.

Best results with 4130 in my experience are with TIG and ER80, or Oxyfuel with ER80 or 4130. However, many NASCAR, NHRA, etc. crews MIG this, generally with E80-s2, if I recall. There's a member here who does this who can confirm, if he's watching.

You will not get satisfactory results with E70, it will almost always fail tensile tests, though the bends may perform fairly well if the interface is wide.

Steve S

I'm useing er 70 wire. So you think that may be one of my problems

What wire do I need to use? I'm using er70s-6 now

Hey,

If its the wires fault, tests will show that the test failed in the weld deposit . It the settings are off you will see evidence of lack of fusion between the runs and the weld and plate. Also , do a google seach of 4130 mig procedure . Dont just wait for info here because the people who know may not be here all the time.

Mick

rr41mag wrote:What wire do I need to use? I'm using er70s-6 now

My gut reaction is E80s-2, with, as I mentioned before, a very clean weld zone.

I'd still like to hear input from someone who does a lot of this.

Steve S

WPS ,Tells it all.Some people prefer the lower ranges on heat ,wire, some people burn at the absolute high end (on wire and heat)on the wps ,wherever comfortable.If your practicing at home or a shop you need a copy of the WPS.Then have somebody throw a volt, amp meter on your stinger, while you tune the machine to the required volts ,amps, ipm, other wise you can practice all day,and not accomplish a thing,Best of luck! hope this Helps.