Learning to weld

[ryeguy2006a]

Vimes, are you running the welder on 110 or 220? My dad has a miller 211, and he says that the machine works better for sheet metal on 110, but for the heavier stuff he plugs into 220. I'll also add that solid core and shielding gas is really important to getting a clean weld.

Another thing that wasn't addressed is how are you prepping the welds? You mentioned old trailer lights to an old painted bumper. If you don't properly clean the metal, you are introducing tons of impurities that will make it impossible to get a clean weld. I typically use either a flap disk or stone disk (depending on how smooth I want the finished product to be) then will wipe down with denatured alcohol. Clean metal is critical.

Also, as mentioned, the settings that Hobart has are a great place to start off. You will adjust those settings based on how you tend to weld. I prefer to move a little faster, and bump up my voltage higher than a preset setting would be. If you find you weld slower at first, adjust those settings accordingly. Keep in mind that as the material heats up, it will weld differently. You will get different weld penetration the longer you weld on your material. So you may find you'll need to start off with more voltage initially, and dial that back as your piece is hotter. Find the speed that you feel most comfortable and adjust your settings to you. If you find you are burning through, dial back the voltage and wire speed. If you find that the welds are spattering too much you need more wire speed. If you find the welds are piling up like a caterpillar turn down the wire speed, or increase your voltage.

I'd go to Lowe's and grab some cheap pieces of metal in different thicknesses. Grind them down and weld directly on top of the piece. When you are happy with those welds, try two pieces butted together that are the same thickness. Then you can try different thicknesses and focus most of the heat on the thicker panel.

Move in a series of cursive e's or in a zig zag pattern. Tons of Youtube videos on it.



Good luck and keep us posted. If you can grab a picture we can try to help identify what's happening.

Cheers,
Ryan