First time welding

[debbie]

Ok guys don't be cruel this is my first time near any welder or welding ever so i need to know how I'm doing and what i need to do to get better, Buy the way I'm using a friends welder its a Clark 90 something and I just grabbed some bits of metal I found lying around, I've a funny feeling that one or two bits where probably not right for welding but I just wanted to get a feeling for it, Boy was I apprehensive

 

[projecteclipse2]

arc welding?
its easier to learn on a mig welder

takes guts though to start off arc welding though

 

[debbie]

I think this is a mig welder, I forgot to mention that its a gasless welder which I've just learned why it splatters so much

Oh sh@t i just looked it is an arc welder

Ok i just read that you need to clean the welds after there done so heres them after i wire brushed them

 

[LCWDSM]

Get a wire brush & hammer to clean it up & see what your laying down. When Arc welding most people like to use the "Whip & Pause" technique which means to strike your arc,
Move 1/4inch forward "Stop/Pause" 1/4inch forward "Pause" etc...
Also practice welding T-Joints, 2 flat pieces of metal, 1 laying down,1 vertical on top of it (like an upside down T) Weld 1 side, let cool, then weld the other.

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Not bad, good clean up, Try to make it continuous, it looks like you stopped in the the middle

 

[debbie]

Hey thanks and yes it was a bit stop and start, i think it was down to nerves more than anything but towards the end i think i was getting better i just ran out of things to weld

 

[projecteclipse2]

it looks good i cant imagine how much better you would be at mig welding

 

[95GreenGSX]

it looks good i cant imagine how much better you would be at mig welding

It is mig, it jut has flux on the wire so there is no gas. Jut make sure you clean the welds good so you can see what your putting down. Good Job so far. I learned arc welding but find a mig machine that used gas, it's so much easier to run a bead and make it look pretty. Practice makes perfect.

 

[projecteclipse2]

Oh sh@t i just looked it is an arc welder

she arc welded

 

[v8s_are_slow]

If it has wire that comes out of a gun where you squeeze a trigger, it's mig. Arc is too hot to be using on thin metal. You'd end up burning holes thru the metal. Arc is better for big stuff like tractors and ships, etc. Stuff with really thick metal.

If you can find a mig welder that has gas, the welds will look much better. But overall, not bad at all for the 1st time. Just make sure the surface that you're cleaning is very clean before you weld it. No dirt, paint, etc. Use a grinder if you have to. Even some alcohol to get it really clean.

 

[debbie]

she arc welded

HE arc welded
THe welder I'm useing has arc written on the side but it has a gun with wire comming out so I've no idea what I'm using

 

[v8s_are_slow]

If it has a gun with wire coming out of it, it's mig. Might be able to change it over to Arc but you did Mig if it has wire. Arc welding has rods that look like incense sticks but a lot fatter. You just strike it like a match to get it started and it gets hot. You would've burned a hole thru that metal if you had been arc welding. No worries. You're doing good.

 

[95GreenGSX]

she arc welded

See --->

HE arc welded
THe welder I'm useing has arc written on the side but it has a gun with wire comming out so I've no idea what I'm using

Yeah, if it has a "gun" that you hold and press a button, its a mig. But it looks like your not using gas or it already has flux on the wire, which is why you have to clean it and it looks crappy. Try out a mig with some gas and look at the difference. See if they have any local mig classes out there. Im sure they do, welding is universal, hopefully they will be close.
You'll be amazed on how nice of a bead it will lay down.

 

[projecteclipse2]

HE arc welded
THe welder I'm useing has arc written on the side but it has a gun with wire comming out so I've no idea what I'm using

sorry man the username threw me off

 

[debbie]

Happens all the time

 

[debbie]

Oh i forgot i asked my friend and he said it is a mig and its gasless.

 

[southrneclipser]

im actually taking a welding vocational class at my high school where we learn to arc/mig/tig weld. The more you practice, the better you get. We were taught to make little curves as you move along like this ..)))))))))))))))))).. so it beads up better.

By the way aren't arc welders just rods help by what look like jumper cables. Thats what our are at least.

 

[debbie]

I've just got hold of some more metal that i can practice on, if i find I'm getting no where i might take up some classes but i really dont have the time but the main thing is i enjoyed it far more than i thought Just what i need another money pit of a hobby

 

[My1GLaser]

They are both arc welding. FCAW is what he is using. Common stick welding is SMAW. The last 2 letters stand for Arc Welding.

Flux core mig welding is ugly isn't it? Don't beat yourself up it it is still not the best looking even with alot of practice. I have been welding for 12 years and my FCAW is still not too pretty. Yeah the beads are nice and even, but it will never look clean like mig using cover gas. Now my 7018 stick on the other hand is close to Tig quality.

Once you can weld, you can make anything. I have made countless exhausts, fixed exh manis, fabbed a tubular O2 housing... If anything, it will save you money in the long run!

 

[rush2252]

I think you might be welding galvanized there as well hard to tell but if your stomach hurts afterwards and the metal is emitting greenish smoke you know why!

 

[debbie]

I think you might be welding galvanized there as well hard to tell but if your stomach hurts afterwards and the metal is emitting greenish smoke you know why!

Yeah i think i did i was like a big kid running round the garage looking for things to weld.



Oh has any one noticed I'm back in the hangout

 

[jericho777]

Practice, practice, practice you are well on your way. Welding galvinized can be risky. It's toxic. Remove the galvinization before you weld but if you can't don't breathe the smoke/fumes. Welding is addictive! Enjoy your new hobby.

 

[debbie]

Practice, practice, practice you are well on your way. Welding galvinized can be risky. It's toxic. Remove the galvinization before you weld but if you can't don't breathe the smoke/fumes. Welding is addictive! Enjoy your new hobby.

Hey thanks, i tried some more about half an hour ago and I'm not getting any better as such but I'm starting to find out what the effects of doing things make, like turning up the wire speed and putting it on a lower setting and so on. I also read that you can't see the weld pool with gasless welding and I'm kind of struggling on that but overall I'm getting there. I've been looking at this site for info MIG Welding - The DIY Guide

 

[Ludachris]

Seems to me that even though this thread doesn't contain a "fabrication" project, it was posted in order to discuss welding, which means it belongs in the fabrication forum, not off topic land where it will get lost amongst discussions about movies and burping.

 

[housegsx]

Just to add, this site is a must read for a beginner. Very helpful/informative.

Welding Tips and Tricks

 

[jericho777]

Just to add, this site is a must read for a beginner. Very helpful/informative.

Welding Tips and Tricks

Wow great site just spent the last 45 min there. Thanks for the tip.