The "Teach TheBoy to Weld" thread

[TheBoy]

Well, it ain't pretty, and it probably ain't that strong, but I've welded my first 2 bits of steel together with a MIG welder.



I tried belting it with a mallet, but the plate bent instead, so it has some element of strength.

Anything I should specifically check for to check the weld is any good?  Any other advice for improving ?

This was 2mm plate, I guess more normal 1mm is more difficult?

Turn it over and post up another piccy.

Cant beat a bit of penetration....

Ooooo Matron!!   

its an odd shaped bit of metal, can't get camera in and take useful piccy.  Hasn't come through, but a couple of 'heated looking' areas, but not uniform - just patches

[Andy B]

Well, it ain't pretty, and it probably ain't that strong, but I've welded my first 2 bits of steel together with a MIG welder.



I tried belting it with a mallet, but the plate bent instead, so it has some element of strength.

Anything I should specifically check for to check the weld is any good?  Any other advice for improving ?

This was 2mm plate, I guess more normal 1mm is more difficult?

I can compare it to my bit of vertical stick/arc/MMA/whatever-you-want-to call-it the other day it work! That wasn't pretty either!           

[Marks DTM Calib]

Yep, lets see the penetration.

[TheBoy]

Yep, lets see the penetration.

Can't get a pic. Nothing come through on back, but a couple of inconsistent areas that look like they've got hot.

Would I be better off cutting off 2 bits, and butting them up together and welding them together?

Is there a better way to cutting it rather than angle grinder - eating up discs . Its around 2-2.5mm thick

[TheBoy]

Yep, lets see the penetration.

Can't get a pic. Nothing come through on back, but a couple of inconsistent areas that look like they've got hot.

Would I be better off cutting off 2 bits, and butting them up together and welding them together?

Is there a better way to cutting it rather than angle grinder - eating up discs . Its around 2-2.5mm thick

Is that not enough penetration?

[CaptainZok]

Hmm might have to get the mig set out and have a play myself.
We could turn it into an OOF college sort of thing.
First one to build something useful wins. 

[RolandL]

I built the car on the left !

do I win   

[Darth Loo-knee]

From your last picture you have a bit of "Spatter" which means your wire speed is slightly to high.
I could be wrong but from the picture you maybe welding the wrong way.... meaning welding into the pool..
e.g if your right handed, you have your two pieces of metal clamped together to hold them. Put a tack each end. Then start from the right welding left, holding your torch on a slight angle. This way also you can see the join you need to be welding.

Lefthanded, go from left to right.

You can tell by listening to your car if it is running rightly or wrongly..... and so you can with a welder.

The sound needs to be a nice Crackling sound, not spitting ( wire speed to fast) or a fizzing sort of noise (when wire speed to slow). I would suggest 5-6 mm steel to start with, you can press the trigger on a piece whilst you play with the controls to get the sound right

[p j morgan]

well said daz!

[albitz]

Sounds like a remix of a 1970,s New Seekers song.
Id like to teach the boy to weld
to weld a perfect bead..................

[Debs.]

Sounds like a remix of a 1970,s New Seekers song.
Id like to teach the boy to weld
to weld a perfect bead..................

 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Well last night, I did a shed load of welding.

Fixed the step back onto a JCB (they really are poorly built). Took a lot of welding and a lot of bending as it had been smashed off when the digger was driven past a set of buffers whilst not allowing enough clearance so was very bent!

Also did some more welding on an 08 exhaust, got a bit mroe to do to that one yet to finish it.

Tonight, I am fabricating a repair piece for an Atco Admiral rotary mower so will be striking the welder up again!

[Marks DTM Calib]

From your last picture you have a bit of "Spatter" which means your wire speed is slightly to high.I could be wrong but from the picture you maybe welding the wrong way.... meaning welding into the pool..
e.g if your right handed, you have your two pieces of metal clamped together to hold them. Put a tack each end. Then start from the right welding left, holding your torch on a slight angle. This way also you can see the join you need to be welding.

Lefthanded, go from left to right.

You can tell by listening to your car if it is running rightly or wrongly..... and so you can with a welder.

The sound needs to be a nice Crackling sound, not spitting ( wire speed to fast) or a fizzing sort of noise (when wire speed to slow). I would suggest 5-6 mm steel to start with, you can press the trigger on a piece whilst you play with the controls to get the sound right

Possibly, but can also be due to contaminants or no shield gas.

Hence why I wanted to see the penetration because if the power was about right then the a wire speed set to fast would push the wire through the weld pool.

[Elite Pete]

Well last night, I did a shed load of welding.

Fixed the step back onto a JCB (they really are poorly built). Took a lot of welding and a lot of bending as it had been smashed off when the digger was driven past a set of buffers whilst not allowing enough clearance so was very bent!

Also did some more welding on an 08 exhaust, got a bit mroe to do to that one yet to finish it.

Tonight, I am fabricating a repair piece for an Atco Admiral rotary mower so will be striking the welder up again!

We all know why

[TheBoy]

From your last picture you have a bit of "Spatter" which means your wire speed is slightly to high.I could be wrong but from the picture you maybe welding the wrong way.... meaning welding into the pool..
e.g if your right handed, you have your two pieces of metal clamped together to hold them. Put a tack each end. Then start from the right welding left, holding your torch on a slight angle. This way also you can see the join you need to be welding.

Lefthanded, go from left to right.

You can tell by listening to your car if it is running rightly or wrongly..... and so you can with a welder.

The sound needs to be a nice Crackling sound, not spitting ( wire speed to fast) or a fizzing sort of noise (when wire speed to slow). I would suggest 5-6 mm steel to start with, you can press the trigger on a piece whilst you play with the controls to get the sound right

Possibly, but can also be due to contaminants or no shield gas.

Hence why I wanted to see the penetration because if the power was about right then the a wire speed set to fast would push the wire through the weld pool.

Power was set according to the Clarke instructions for 2mm mild steel.  co2 was set to around 3 on their scale, and it was done in the garage with garage door shut to reduce the chance of wind being a problem.

Hopefully over weekend I will get time just to simply weld 2 bits of plate together, so both sides can be photo'd.


What I did notice was I struggled to get a decent 'pool' going like you showed me, and often the the weld would form on top of the metal, rather than in it.