Hey guys! How am I doing?

[Idually]

Hi Gang! I haven't been around for quite some time, but I stop by to see what is going on as much as I can.

Here are couple of welds from today. 1/4" flat stock. Anything wrong?

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u227/aspoonhour/angleoutside.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u227/aspoonhour/angleinside.jpg

Thanks in advance!
Andrew

[Zorch]

Whatcha usin' fer a welder?

[556man]

I'm no expert at welding but your weld looks good to me. I've read that cutting the part would let you see the penetration of your weld.

556man

[Idually]

I've been using an Lincoln SP135T. Just a little 120v w/ Flux core wire. I know it's a bit underpowered for 1/4", but I don't do anything structural. More playing than anything. I've been getting ready to upgrade in the spring.

I actually don't mind using the Flux Core wire. Honestly, I've never used a MIG w/ shielding gas. I've read good and bad things about the flux core, but the one thing that I read sometime ago, is that it is a bid more forgiving and is better for heavier guage materials. True?

Thanks!
Andrew

[treborly]

I've been using an Lincoln SP135T. Just a little 120v w/ Flux core wire. I know it's a bit underpowered for 1/4", but I don't do anything structural. More playing than anything. I've been getting ready to upgrade in the spring.

I actually don't mind using the Flux Core wire. Honestly, I've never used a MIG w/ shielding gas. I've read good and bad things about the flux core, but the one thing that I read sometime ago, is that it is a bid more forgiving and is better for heavier guage materials. True?

Thanks!
Andrew

fluxcore has a little more penetration than gas
the steel doesnt have to be as clean as it has to be for gas.
great for outdoors.

[weldone]

Steady your hand.... increase your TRAVEL speed... and pratice those re-starts they ARE VERY IMPORTANT:) And adjust your Work angle a bit. And I belive you will be good to go But for the most part very good. How long have been at it

[Idually]

Thanks for the replies. Steady. I agree. I'm still a newbie. Little over a year of being serious about it. Having NO distractions seems to help. Slow down...again, I agree. I've caught myself more than once "Cruising along". It's easy to do. Restarts. Again, a weakness, but is there a right way? I always try to start the welding a stay put for a sec or two before starting to move. On a "new" weld, it's easy to do, but there is already a pile there when you "restart". I'm trying not to pile up more material, so I tend to move quicker. Any advice?

Thanks again!!
Andrew

[tigster]

i wish i could have put down a bead that well when i first started out. looks good.

[Some Creep]

My only suggestion would be to get new counter tops.

:D


Other than that, post some shots on thinner material.........???

[Roger]

Restart ahead of where you want to start sort of a little tack then whip back to your desired start point filling in stop crater if needed and continue over your starting tack. This fills in stop crater and prevents cold start welds. When done right this makes starts blend into last weld so they are hard to see by non welder.

[Idually]

Hi gang. It's been a while since my last posts above. Thanks for the input. From the comments that were made it seems that I have some sort of handle on this welding thing, BUT I discovered something yesterday, that bummed me out.

I took the above piece out the driveway and gave it a few whacks with a large sledge hammer. The piece simply broke. Not much bending before it broke either. I looked at the weld and to me it looks like "pot metal". Actually broke like pot metal too. I'm figuring it's a power problem. Again, I know my SP135T is underpowered, but I wasn't expecting the weld itself to break.

I went back to the garage with the same pieces, cleaned a new area and beveled an edge. Then used the "recommended" setting(full power and 3.5 speed...I'm sure it's the same setting for the above welds) and tried again. I got, what I thought were even better welds than before, but again, the piece broke rather easily.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u227/aspoonhour/bad3.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u227/aspoonhour/bad2.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u227/aspoonhour/bad1.jpg

Sadly, these welds didn't even get to the bottom of the beveled edge. Made more of a bridge. These welds looked nice on the surface but are obviously cold and very brittle. Very little penetration into the base metal.

Am I missing something, or are we seriously underpowered. Is the Flux core wire the problem? Still .035 Fluxcore.

If I'm THAT underpowered, I guess I need to upgrade my welder...Soon. I'm moving toward some "heavier" more serious welds on my project and these won't do, obviously. I want to upgrade, but didn't want to quite yet. My confidence in any of the welds that I've done (Max of 3/16" steel and no serious structural) is all but gone. I'd rather have my welds looking like crappy welds, than actually being crappy welds.

Whatcha think?

Thanks, as usual!!!

Andrew

[Dan P]

Try a piece of 1/8" steel weld it and then do your sledge test and see where you stand. or if you want try a flat joint with the 1/4" and bevel the steel and leave about 1/6"gap for the gap top fill and try a side to side motion. and since your sp135 is underpower if your fc wire alows it do more than 1 pass probably 3 passes on 1/4" steel and make them over lap. its easier to start with flat joints than corner joints you can control the puddle and arc to both pieces of steel better.

btw your weld does look pretty nice wish mine looked that nice so just keep working at it. :)

look here http://64.78.42.182/sweethaven/BldgConst/Welding/lessonmain.asp?lesNum=3&modNum=3

[Rocky D]

Andy, here's what happened...you were traveling too slow, allowing the wire to pile up and not get into the root. Penetration occurs at the point where the arc touches the base metal...when you don't allow the arc to sweep over the new metal, it just piles up, and you see the result. Travel in a circular motion, and every time you make the circle go forward, on the edge of the previously laid metal, or puddle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/RockyD/My%20Favorite%20Tools/HOBART/weldmotion.jpg

[Idually]

Dan and Rocky. Thanks as usual. Sounds sort of like giving up or a cop out, but I sold my SP135t yesterday and am going to be purchasing a larger welder very soon!! That said, I will still work on the technique side of things. I know a bigger welder won't just make the problems go away!

I usually use the circular pattern as Rocky stated, but for some reason those welds appear "duller" on the surface. I sort of assumed that they might be even worse than these were. Maybe that is not the case.

As usual. Thanks again! I will update you soon and let you know what welder I'm going with. I found a SCREAMIN' deal on a MM210 that is only about 3years old. It's way more than I'll need, but the price is right.

Andrew