Welding Tips and Tricks

Picked up my plates today. If any of you wanna come up to Canada for vacation and weld for a couple days you’re sure welcome!!

230 T joints and 250 plates welded to 5 inch channel.

Getting the stud welder end of this week I believe, looking forward to that

Julian

I'll need a Niagara recliner with heat & vibration and the coffee pot must be within easy reach.

What's the temperature in the shop? In Farenheight!

Franz© wrote:I'll need a Niagara recliner with heat & vibration and the coffee pot must be within easy reach.

What's the temperature in the shop? In Farenheight!

I already set the heater for you

Besides. With this balmy forecast this week I was planning more along the lines of beer fridge than coffee pot...

Coffee's fine. I still have nightmares from my time in the beer foundry.

So,welding up these plates I’m playing around with the welder settings. I’ve tried pulse mig a couple times before but it seems to work decent on this. Cranked up, it seems to put down a really hot bead, I mean my gun and is smoking after each pass.

In Pulse mig mode (14) the voltage readout changes to “Trim” and defaults to 1.00. I’m playing around with that and it seems to do the same thing as changing voltage would in regular GMAW. Anyone have experience with this? Is this even what pulse is designed for? Or is it more for thinner stuff, like pulse TIG is.

Thanks for any advice

Looking nice. What gas you running that the gun is getting that hot?
If you had to cook them on a production basis you'd probably want to go to a water cooled gun.
At least you're running that job at the right time of year when adding heat to the building is a benefit.

I suggest you spend a bit of time reading Ed Craig on welding steel with pulsed -v- nonpulsed. Ed has some very good information you can get for free.

[quote="Franz©"]Looking nice. What gas you running that the gun is getting that hot?
If you had to cook them on a production basis you'd probably want to go to a water cooled gun.
At least you're running that job at the right time of year when adding heat to the building is a benefit.

75/25 mix gas. .035 solid wire I haven’t decided if I’ll try flux core yet I’ll play around with this for a while. I looks like spray arc almost. I’ve never done spray so I have no idea what it really looks like but it’s definitely not short circuit. The wire disappears before it hits the puddle, and if I turn the “Trim” up to 1.25 just to try, the wire never even makes it out of the gas cap/end of the gun/ gas cup whatever it’s called I can’t even think of the name. It’s like trying to weld with a pressure washer I can point the gun into the root, and drag it straight back the “pressure washer effect” fans out the bead to a half to 3/4 inch wide bead with no gun manipulation whatsoever. I’ve never tried these settings before it’s pretty darn interesting.


Where can I get that information?

Is that the Ed Craig on weld reality? I just googled the name.

Wow. He sure has no use for pulse mig lol

That would be Ed. He has a considerable accumulation of knowledge when it comes to MIG, I don't know if his commentary is still up regarding the gas industry and all their supermixes. Ed spent a few years in the gas side of MIG, and there too knows of what he speaks.

You can't get into spray with more than 20% Co2, but you can get into some damn hot globular.

Personally I'd run that job with straight Co2 for both max penetration and max gun cooling.

Ig you ducttape the gun to a broomstick and remote the trigger you should be able to sit back comfortably on that job.
Probably want some tiewraps or tie wire on with the duct tape.

Franz© wrote:That would be Ed. He has a considerable accumulation of knowledge when it comes to MIG, I don't know if his commentary is still up regarding the gas industry and all their supermixes. Ed spent a few years in the gas side of MIG, and there too knows of what he speaks.

You can't get into spray with more than 20% Co2, but you can get into some damn hot globular.

Personally I'd run that job with straight Co2 for both max penetration and max gun cooling.

Ig you ducttape the gun to a broomstick and remote the trigger you should be able to sit back comfortably on that job.
Probably want some tiewraps or tie wire on with the duct tape.

Yeah he had some cartoons about gas companies and their “wonder gas”.

I could get a small tank of CO2 I guess but this seems to work pretty good. Not sure if it’ll be worth my time and money to run 45 mins to town for a tank of gas just for this one project. Tho I do need some more tips anyways :/

I’ve got the little welder maxed out for the first time ever. 700 IPM with the 0.035. Still haven’t kicked the over temp yet tho

Hmm. Hotwire the foot pedal from the square wave onto it...aluminum pipe instead of brookstick... might be just crazy enough to work!

As you may have noticed, Ed has a very accurate opinion of Engineers. I agree with his assessment most days.

Scrap the aluminum pipe idea unless you'll be running cooling water through it. Hunt up a wood snow shovel handle, comfortable to use ergonamic and all that crap.

You do stack very neatly. If the welding goes to hell you should find employment in the shipping and distribution industry easily.

Go grab 20# of Co2, you'll save a lot of money on the job. If you get lucky you'll be rewarded by getting the fun job of running the press to straighten all those T brackets. Who knows, you may even get a promotion.

Franz© wrote:As you may have noticed, Ed has a very accurate opinion of Engineers. I agree with his assessment most days.

Scrap the aluminum pipe idea unless you'll be running cooling water through it. Hunt up a wood snow shovel handle, comfortable to use ergonamic and all that crap.

You do stack very neatly. If the welding goes to hell you should find employment in the shipping and distribution industry easily.

Go grab 20# of Co2, you'll save a lot of money on the job. If you get lucky you'll be rewarded by getting the fun job of running the press to straighten all those T brackets. Who knows, you may even get a promotion.

I’m insulted that you think they’ll need straightening!and to think I even invited you here to help, bought that recliner you wanted and everything!

Snow shovel? What’s that??? me thinks that would be charcoal after and hour or so.

Stacking them is easy now. We’ll see how they stack with 6 inch studs on the bottom.

And no. I did NOT take this piece to the press before I snapped a pic

JayWal wrote: And no. I did NOT take this piece to the press before I snapped a pic

Excellent!!

JayWal wrote:

Franz© wrote:As you may have noticed, Ed has a very accurate opinion of Engineers. I agree with his assessment most days.

Scrap the aluminum pipe idea unless you'll be running cooling water through it. Hunt up a wood snow shovel handle, comfortable to use ergonamic and all that crap.

You do stack very neatly. If the welding goes to hell you should find employment in the shipping and distribution industry easily.

Go grab 20# of Co2, you'll save a lot of money on the job. If you get lucky you'll be rewarded by getting the fun job of running the press to straighten all those T brackets. Who knows, you may even get a promotion.

I’m insulted that you think they’ll need straightening!and to think I even invited you here to help, bought that recliner you wanted and everything!

Snow shovel? What’s that??? me thinks that would be charcoal after and hour or so.

Stacking them is easy now. We’ll see how they stack with 6 inch studs on the bottom.

And no. I did NOT take this piece to the press before I snapped a pic

I have witnesses who signed written statements you picked the recliner off a curb after you found it on Kajai. I live in fear of where you came up with the coffee pot from.

I also have witnesses, citizens of Oz, who swear you only found 1 piece on the skid the square fit. The witnesses are absolutely truthful .

You'll be needing a Packaging Engineer to generate an Autocad plan to stack them things when the studs get stuck on.
Maybe an old tater bin with sides might save you. Or just turn them 90° and go with thick cardboard between layers.

Hey don’t judge! Free recliner doesn’t come along every day. Especially one with vibration/massage. How should I have know the latter was actually rabid rats fighting in the cushions. And coffee pot...used oil filter...same cloud,different park.

I was considering the tater bin, but I have to ship them to get galvanized.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have about 60 pics to snap and upload to clear my reputation.

JayWal wrote:Hey don’t judge! Free recliner doesn’t come along every day. Especially one with vibration/massage. How should I have know the latter was actually rabid rats fighting in the cushions. And coffee pot...used oil filter...same cloud,different park.

I was considering the tater bin, but I have to ship them to get galvanized.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have about 60 pics to FAKE and upload to clear my reputation.

You could have reamed the damn oil soaked paper out of the filter while I was driving up, but NO, you couldn't bother being a good host.

Well I’m sorry My High Class if that’s all I can afford! ‘Sides. The grit saves on coffe grinds. Nobody can afford using pure Tim Hortons grinds.

Guess I can return the hockey tickets too then.

Timmy never did much for me, and truthfully I have no idea why he invaded the S Shore of Lake Ontario with all the coffee stands.
I'll teach you how to use a rolled paper towel to skim the grease off the top of the cup.

Any chance you can swap the tickets for a hundred or so used pucks?

Well my day looks pretty interesting. If I can figure out how this thing works. Was really looking forward to have Franz here “helping” by now but oh well. Guess we just, “fell outta love”

I'm still at the Vet Office waiting for my flea bath thanks to that damn cheap ass recliner you got me.
Friggin Canahodia Health place wouldn't let me in. Woman sat behind her thick glass window threatening me with teargas.
Not only don't they dofleas, they don't take my Medicare card for payment.

Like I told you, set up a bench so you can work that gun at a comfortable height.
Pointy end toward the steel plate - blunt end in gun.
Did it come with an nstruction book?
Did you at least look at the pictures in the book?

I paid good money to include the fleas. Send em back if you don’t want em don’t kill the cute little buggers!

Instruction book? Oh that’s what it was:/ assumed it was a waiver or something

I read the chart in top that said 3/4 dia...1500 amps...0.9 sec..then like you said blunt end back, pointy end against the plate and pow. Like magic.

About the gun overheating, I did all these in an hour. It’s definitely warm, but sure wouldn’t call it hot. And I haven’t had a failure to weld yet.

You want the damn fleas grab a flea come and get over to the Vet Office. I'm still waiting to get dipped.

They even encased me in a giant garbage bag and have me breathing through a tube.

DON't get a chunk of that ceramic in your boot sole unless you want to leave tracks in concrete.

BTW, your stacking is getting sloppy on the studded units.
Can you still hear?

Franz© wrote:You want the damn fleas grab a flea come and get over to the Vet Office. I'm still waiting to get dipped.

They even encased me in a giant garbage bag and have me breathing through a tube.

DON't get a chunk of that ceramic in your boot sole unless you want to leave tracks in concrete.

BTW, your stacking is getting sloppy on the studded units.
Can you still hear?

Wouldn’t be my first time doing the funky welders dance. I’ve got them moves down pat

Still waiting?? You must have Canadian health care.

And cmon man it’s friday. Nobody does their best work Friday afternoon. I’ll be stacking like a beast come Monday.

Anyways I did about 400 studs, had to go to town So I had a buddy take over. When I got back he was standing holding a melted contact part. The part that holds the stud melted away.

I was expecting loud. But if it wasn’t for the angle grinder to take off mill scale I almost wouldn’t need ear hole pluggers. Not bad at.

But dang the thing needs juice. I have it wired to a 90 kw diesel genset and it the poor things sends up a smoke signal every time I pull the trigger. The gauge goes the about 45-50 kw every shot.

Self medication for the cute buggers is a simple bath in bleach does the trick. Who knows. Blonde hair might suit you.

Didn't I mention SPARE contacts?

My impression of Nelson guns has always been the contact tips must be a consumable, and unless you change them at the right point you'll be having problems. Often wondered if they shouldn't include some kind of contact enhancing jelly like the defib paddles use.

Franz© wrote:Didn't I mention SPARE contacts? Huh. I must’ve FORGOTTEN. So sorry.

My impression of Nelson guns has always been the contact tips must be a consumable, and unless you change them at the right point you'll be having problems. Often wondered if they shouldn't include some kind of contact enhancing jelly like the defib paddles use.

It was like new when I gave it to him! He did maybe 20 studs and melted the thing. Ah well. I’ll have time to finish welding up the plates now was only half done.

So do you do have an address where I should sent those used hockey pucks?