critque these welds please

[WS6]

ok will try that out. I was thinking the angle would help the welds that were just laid down stay shielded while they cool as well as shield the current welds that are being laid down.

[SVTforme]

What does the other side of the piece look like? That will give you an indication on the kind of penrtration you are getting on the weld and whether your settings are where they need to be and/or whether you are going to fast/too slow or not.

[justasquid]

You were reffering to pushing and pulling the weld. most of the time, I've found it easier to push than to pull. that is to point the torch in the same direction you are moving. You don't want the angle to far from straight up and down, but just a little lead. Some prefer the pull method, but it tends to build the weld up too high with less penetration. For sheet metal, I've have better luck just doing a series of spot welds, or stitching as already mentioned. I however wouldnt suggest using the circle method for sheet metal. Actually, I never liked that method, but it works well for a lot of people. I like to start the penetration, move the welder, stop, let the puddle grow, then move the welder again just a little, stop, let the puddle grow,... I repeat this process until I am done welding. But for sheetmetal, you really don't want the heat to build up too much. a 1-2 second weld, stop, let it cool slightly, then before the weld cools down too much,( as in there is still a slight glow of red from the metal), hit it again. Even with this method, your going to be hard pressed not to warp the metal, but it is easier on the metal then running a solid bead. the best method is to do a series of spot welds and just join them all together. If you keep the spot welds a few inches apart, the heat has little effect of the metal. Also, this prevents the dreaded burn through where you end up with a huge hole in the metal.

[80proZ]

You were reffering to pushing and pulling the weld. most of the time, I've found it easier to push than to pull. that is to point the torch in the same direction you are moving. You don't want the angle to far from straight up and down, but just a little lead. Some prefer the pull method, but it tends to build the weld up too high with less penetration. For sheet metal, I've have better luck just doing a series of spot welds, or stitching as already mentioned. I however wouldnt suggest using the circle method for sheet metal. Actually, I never liked that method, but it works well for a lot of people. I like to start the penetration, move the welder, stop, let the puddle grow, then move the welder again just a little, stop, let the puddle grow,... I repeat this process until I am done welding. But for sheetmetal, you really don't want the heat to build up too much. a 1-2 second weld, stop, let it cool slightly, then before the weld cools down too much,( as in there is still a slight glow of red from the metal), hit it again. Even with this method, your going to be hard pressed not to warp the metal, but it is easier on the metal then running a solid bead. the best method is to do a series of spot welds and just join them all together. If you keep the spot welds a few inches apart, the heat has little effect of the metal. Also, this prevents the dreaded burn through where you end up with a huge hole in the metal.

A little info here.Pulling gives more penetration but produces a higher build weld, while pushing give a little less penetration with a flatter and broader weld.The circle movement is really not needed on sheet metal butt or lap joints.What you do need is more tacks,one about every inch.The more tacks you have, the more stable the weld zone will be and will be less likely to warp.And the most important thing is to take your time

[WS6]

What does the other side of the piece look like? That will give you an indication on the kind of penrtration you are getting on the weld and whether your settings are where they need to be and/or whether you are going to fast/too slow or not.

To me it looked great. It was obviously heated and slightly rough from what I was perceiving to be were everything melted together. The bead versus the heat was apparent. Then again, I'm not trained in this and am just learning.

Thanks guys. I'll keep all this in mind as I continue to practice.