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[Webby the Bear]

Also use this calculator for settings / wire speed to get you started and tweak...

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/calculator.htm

Damn site better than what Clarke recommend in the manual 

[Darth Loo-knee]

I have done alot of welding on cars and with my job too...
Probably the best advise would be to make what your welding as clean as possible. With that I mean clean from rust ( so go back to bare steel ) ... paint, grease etc....

Another thing I still do now is listen to the sound the welder makes when you pull the trigger. Your listening for a nice crisp crackling sound... Get some scrap steel (I would say the thinker the better to start with) holding your torch over the steel, pull the trigger whilst the other hand alters the wire speed up and down... if the wire speed is too high it will sound like its spitting, much too high you may even feel the torch moving as the wire is almost stabbing the steel if that makes sense.... turn the thing up onto full then down too minimum. ..see for yourself

Getting yourself comfortable,  able to see where your supossed to be welding... ( sounds silly, yet I am trying to teach an apprentice at work how to weld. I seem to be telling him that his wrist actually moves, and that he can move his head into a different position to enable him to see the two pieces of steel he is trying to weld...

[Darth Loo-knee]

I have done alot of welding on cars and with my job too...
Probably the best advise would be to make what your welding as clean as possible. With that I mean clean from rust ( so go back to bare steel ) ... paint, grease etc....

Another thing I still do now is listen to the sound the welder makes when you pull the trigger. Your listening for a nice crisp crackling sound... Get some scrap steel (I would say the thinker the better to start with) holding your torch over the steel, pull the trigger whilst the other hand alters the wire speed up and down... if the wire speed is too high it will sound like its spitting, much too high you may even feel the torch moving as the wire is almost stabbing the steel if that makes sense.... turn the thing up onto full then down too minimum. ..see for yourself

Getting yourself comfortable,  able to see where your supossed to be welding... sounds silly, yet I am trying to teach an apprentice at work how to weld. I seem to be telling him that his wrist actually moves, and that he can move his head into a different position to enable him to see the two pieces of steel he is trying to weld...

[CaptainZok]

I have done alot of welding on cars and with my job too...
Probably the best advise would be to make what your welding as clean as possible. With that I mean clean from rust ( so go back to bare steel ) ... paint, grease etc....

Another thing I still do now is listen to the sound the welder makes when you pull the trigger. Your listening for a nice crisp crackling sound... Get some scrap steel (I would say the thinker the better to start with) holding your torch over the steel, pull the trigger whilst the other hand alters the wire speed up and down... if the wire speed is too high it will sound like its spitting, much too high you may even feel the torch moving as the wire is almost stabbing the steel if that makes sense.... turn the thing up onto full then down too minimum. ..see for yourself

Getting yourself comfortable,  able to see where your supossed to be welding... ( sounds silly, yet I am trying to teach an apprentice at work how to weld. I seem to be telling him that his wrist actually moves, and that he can move his head into a different position to enable him to see the two pieces of steel he is trying to weld...

You forgot the bit about your fire watcher not buggering off while you set his car on fire Dazzle.

[Darth Loo-knee]

 
now thats a while ago...and was so funny
Opening the boot to find clouds of smoke bellowing out

[F1 9LFG]

thanks all for your comments. I have breathing mask & face/head/eye mask with an auto-dimming function that works very well.

I've laid quite a few welds on scrap bits and I am getting fairly good results.

Thanks for the 'wire speed tip' managed to get a much better seem after using my ears to hear the sound difference.

I see that galvanised fumes are deadly!! I'll be grinding the coating off as best as possible in the areas I'll be welding. Most of the welds will be spot weld as I'll be using a lot of welded-wire-mesh for the walls.

I'll be starting the dog cage the weekend so will take photos and post here.

Thanks!

[Webby the Bear]

I hear you're the man when it comes to welding, Daz 

Spot on about the sizzling sound. They say it sounds like bacon sizzling.... I'd say it sounds more like tearing cloth i.e. the sound when you rip a t-shirt in two.

[Webby the Bear]

Good luck with your project mate.

This is todays progress on the welding cart. it'd be done now if my fit up wasn't bad and I had to go back and correct it  I basically got carried away with the welding, forgot to tack stuff and it subsequently moved out of position 

...I can smell the paint though 

 Just going to have a spot of lunch and then angled supports for the top tool tray, then the wheels, then a handle and ill see if I candig out a big enough plate for the tray  if I can get that done before the end of the day ill slap some primer on 

[Darth Loo-knee]

Mitered corners always look better on Box Section

[Webby the Bear]

Completely agree mate. Sadly though I only have an angle grinder so I did it this way to avoid bad fit up. I'll then go in and fill in the holes with 1" square pieces welded in. Bit more hassle but as said fitment seems poor when trying to cut straight lines with the grinder.

Almost done though...

[Andy B]

...... I basically got carried away with the welding, forgot to tack stuff and it subsequently moved out of position  ....

When welding you always have to tack the whole thing up before welding proper ...... even then, it'll move a bit.

Mitred corners don't have to an exact 45 degs, the weld will fill the gaps ..... within reason 

[Webby the Bear]

Definitely Andy  As said I just forgot  eager bear! haha 

[EMD]

Almost done though...




Cant see , did you grind the welds back 

[Webby the Bear]

Nah, not yet steve. Couple more things to do. . . Grind, handle, tool tray plate, prime n paint 

[F1 9LFG]

Well thanks to all of you for your help so far. I brought the Clarke 140amp gas/no-gas welder and have been using it without gas (flux-core wire) and I'm very pleased. I know I'm not actually 'MIG' welding as I'm not using gas, more Arc welding but nonetheless I'm getting the results. Using 2mm angled mild steel & 2mm welded wire mesh the dog cage is taking shape!

I'm having to grind my welds flat as firstly, they are not that great yet! and secondly once it's finished it'll be powder coated so I need a smooth finish.

so.....
Square frame welded with Mitres and one of the side walls done.



Getting the angles right as I want to maximise the surface area of the boot for when the dogs are laying down.



Both side walls finished and the rear brace in place







I keep sliding it in and out the car to ensure nothing is out of place and to make sure it is removable!



Weather permitting I can manage another few hours at it this weekend and I'll update photos from there.

Again - thanks for the help & advice!

Rob