the aluminized is your biggest prob, clean it.. 23 is nice, but it's definitely doable with 30... too bad you don't have infinite adjustment...
CK5
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77K5. The IronMaiden...9/2 headed for Blazer Bash 20!
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You could try using the .030 and grinding the aluminized coating off. The .023 might make the heat a little more tunable, but I do agree the coating is the majority of the problem.
Rene
Rene
I'm finding that is a drawback to this machine....but its lightyears ahead of the ole buzzbox 225.
I'll try some .030 with some new gas, and sanding off the coating....here I am again looking back and wondering why that didn't dawn on me...
Easy to overlook. Same goes for the zinc coating on galvanized stuff. Not only is it noxious, but plays hell with the weld itself.
Clean shiny steel is your friend. Even millscale on mild steel should be cleaned off, although it's the least trouble to weld over.
One thing to try is to go hotter on the tap (more voltage) and crank the wire speed up. Sounds bass akwards huh? Try it and move faster, you might be very surprised at how hot you can weld on thinner stuff...
I've welded sheet steel (~14 gauge) with .045" wire, 26 volts and ~160 amps plenty. You gotta move though...but what you get is a very smooth weld, small profile, and great pen. There is no puddle manipulation with this method, you have more than enough heat that you certainly don't need to wash it in on either side. I prefer a 10-15 degree push angle (gun pointed ahead of the puddle)
For your exhaust I'd probably turn it up and do a series of overlapping tacks all the way around. The extra heat will ensure good penetration, and you're not gonna get any of the lumps and humps you'd otherwise get welding on round stuff like that.
Rene
Clean shiny steel is your friend. Even millscale on mild steel should be cleaned off, although it's the least trouble to weld over.
One thing to try is to go hotter on the tap (more voltage) and crank the wire speed up. Sounds bass akwards huh? Try it and move faster, you might be very surprised at how hot you can weld on thinner stuff...
I've welded sheet steel (~14 gauge) with .045" wire, 26 volts and ~160 amps plenty. You gotta move though...but what you get is a very smooth weld, small profile, and great pen. There is no puddle manipulation with this method, you have more than enough heat that you certainly don't need to wash it in on either side. I prefer a 10-15 degree push angle (gun pointed ahead of the puddle)
For your exhaust I'd probably turn it up and do a series of overlapping tacks all the way around. The extra heat will ensure good penetration, and you're not gonna get any of the lumps and humps you'd otherwise get welding on round stuff like that.
Rene
Thanks Rene', I need to pull the trigger on some scrap (I got plenty now) and see what I can come up with. I'll try your method to see if I can move that fast.
Its funny my first tack of a couple pieces, I tried one higher heat setting (C) than I have right now and blew about a 1/4" hole in my piece that took me about 1/2 hour to get to fit right....*&%#@*!, let me just try that again....and again....and again.
Its funny my first tack of a couple pieces, I tried one higher heat setting (C) than I have right now and blew about a 1/4" hole in my piece that took me about 1/2 hour to get to fit right....*&%#@*!, let me just try that again....and again....and again.
Exhaust is the only thing I do it on but I tend to just do overlapping tacks like Rene is talking about. I think its habit more than anything. I have never been able to weld with a mirror or anything so its easier for me to do a tack method on exhaust.
I'm all about grinding everything perfectly clean to bare metal before I weld anything, but aluminized exhaust pipe is the only thing I have ever found to weld just fine without cleaning it. (only because I was told that, I would of never tried it otherwise) It usually puddles in beautifully, it's kind of shocking since it's not bare metal.
I am guessing it had something to do with the 20 psi of pressure you had in the tank, did you have enough flow? Now, if it's nickel plated like some collector reducers I have seen, that needed to be ground bare, wouldn't weld worth a crap, splattered bird crap. Anyway, I would try it once more before you grind all the alumized stuff off for bigger rust areas on every joint you make. And double check to make sure you have at least 20 cfh argon flow after you install the new tank.
But then again, if you grind it bare and it still does it then you know there is another issue going on somewhere. The thinner the material the more infinite voltage adjustment is beneficial.
And Rene, that's pretty impressive skills to be welding thin stuff with that thick wire and high amperage, I don't have enough experience to weld that fast I don't think. Good information you have there.
Awww you beat me to it. Exhaust tubing I usually up the wire speed a bunch. Also It helps having the exhaust out and not in the truck. My exhaust comes out in pieces 4 different pieces including h pipe. Yes its nice to have a fully welded and tight exhaust. But its a pain in the ass to take one big long exhaust piece out.
I upped from a #60 bottle to the #80 today....the 80 has a screw on cap, the 60 don't. They said they just don't make em like that because of the size. I originally got the 60 so it would fit under my bench.
I went with .023 wire also. 10# gas pressure at the gun, and B setting on voltage, and 4 on feed, its working nicely. I did buff the weld area with a wire wheel prior to trying to weld again. It seemed much smoother, but my technique needs some work still for a good pattern. AT least I'm not blowing holes anymore!!!!!
I'll post up some pics when I get my computer up and going at home again. (I'm at work now.)
Thanks guys, CK5 saves the day again!
I went with .023 wire also. 10# gas pressure at the gun, and B setting on voltage, and 4 on feed, its working nicely. I did buff the weld area with a wire wheel prior to trying to weld again. It seemed much smoother, but my technique needs some work still for a good pattern. AT least I'm not blowing holes anymore!!!!!
I'll post up some pics when I get my computer up and going at home again. (I'm at work now.)
Thanks guys, CK5 saves the day again!
I'd bump the gas flow a bit. Even with a small nozzle and no wind I think that is the ragged lower limit (10 CFH). I'd stay with 15 CFH as a safe minimum indoors, and 20+ CFH if you have a breeze at all (welding in front of an open door for example)
Rene
Rene
Well I got them done for now...will probably add more to the tailpipe end of things when suspension bumps are on the frame, and I can decide how to route them. I simply put a turn down on the mufflers for now, but in the direction headed under the frame rail, and outside of it, so I can add to it later.
I still had my issues with getting a good bead, and still blew a hole a couple times. Maybe more gas would've helped. I'll up it to 15 from now on. Thanks again Rene'!
They are complete from collector to muffler tip now, with a bolted flange at the muffler inlet. I put on a coat of Zinc primer, to be followed by a coat of paint.
I still had my issues with getting a good bead, and still blew a hole a couple times. Maybe more gas would've helped. I'll up it to 15 from now on. Thanks again Rene'!
They are complete from collector to muffler tip now, with a bolted flange at the muffler inlet. I put on a coat of Zinc primer, to be followed by a coat of paint.
some of my welding issues, some success, some failure, some frustration.
It ain't the prettiest,but its solid....amazing what a grinder and some paint can do for it....
I started out by aligning the pieces with a hose clamp, this works pretty good, tack em on the inside, then take off the clamp and make booger welds on the outside.
Some practice piece welding experimentation...these were all with .030 wire, and various amp/wire feeds.
The weld on the left is from the maker of the flex pipe, mine is on the right
trying to salvage some booger welding..
This one was about as good as it got for me.
This is the #60 bottle with no cap
And the #80 with a cap
It ain't the prettiest,but its solid....amazing what a grinder and some paint can do for it....
I started out by aligning the pieces with a hose clamp, this works pretty good, tack em on the inside, then take off the clamp and make booger welds on the outside.
Some practice piece welding experimentation...these were all with .030 wire, and various amp/wire feeds.
The weld on the left is from the maker of the flex pipe, mine is on the right
trying to salvage some booger welding..
This one was about as good as it got for me.
This is the #60 bottle with no cap
And the #80 with a cap
Recon!
Maniac
Better welds than I can do. I like.
some of my welding issues, some success, some failure, some frustration.
It ain't the prettiest,but its solid....amazing what a grinder and some paint can do for it....
I started out by aligning the pieces with a hose clamp, this works pretty good, tack em on the inside, then take off the clamp and make booger welds on the outside.
Some practice piece welding experimentation...these were all with .030 wire, and various amp/wire feeds.
The weld on the left is from the maker of the flex pipe, mine is on the right
It looks to me like you are doing fine on the practice welds (the two on the top left), except having trouble on the butt joint welds. When the metal isn't overlapping it get's a lot trickier. Also, bottom picture, on the right side. What shade is your helmet? I am not trying to be mean, I am serious, are you able to see the weld puddle and joint while you are welding, because it looks like you are having a hard time seeing the joint underneath and veering off path.
For those butt joints I htink you are better off doing what Eric and Rene were saying, and maybe just do overlapping tack welds. It's not structural, it's only exhaust.
I am loosing some sight on the joint sometimes Heath....I was wondering if my auto darkening lens is acting up? It darkens down, but sometimes when the arc sputters on the weld, the lens will get lighter, and then my eyes go "blind" momentarily from the flash, and lead me astray. Its a solar powered battery in it, is it just the sputtering of non continual weld, or should I change the battery?
And yeah the butt welds were a lot more challenging than the lap welds....
And yeah the butt welds were a lot more challenging than the lap welds....
What kind of helmet do you have? It should not be sputtering in and out while welding, especially if the weld is still bright enough to bother your eyes. Does your helmet have adjustable sensitivity, maybe you need to turn that up. Also, the better helmets have an adjustable time delay for the shutoff in tenths of a second, and turn on so quickly that your eyes don't get any start flash. Cheaper helmets turn on too slow, and repeated starts can still flash the light at you too much. It can't hurt to try changing the battery.
Are you blocking the sensors at all of the helmet to shut it off? Higher end helmets have multiple sensors. Some helmets even have an electromagnetic mode (such as the Miller Digital Elite) where they sense the magnetic fields in the air from the weld current, and it doesn't matter if the weld light is blocked or not, they still switch properly.
The helment has to protect from 3 things, visible light, heat, and UV rays(very bad). Most helmets SHOULD protect from the latter two even when they are off. But the visible light can still affect your vision temporarily like you are having trouble with. Quick switch on is very important.
I like to set mine at shade 9 for most of my MIG welding, shade 10 for the thicker stuff. If it's too dark you can't see what your doing either.
Adjust the shade, if that doesn't work get a better hood
damn heath beat me to it!
The exhaust is tucked up nice and tight to clear obstacles, I like it!
As for your helmet, I think you would not regret it if you bought a better one with a bigger window and some adjustability.
Take a look at Speedglass, Jackson Boss, Miller Elite, etc...I have a Miller Digital Elite and I love it. Big site window, can adjust it from shade 5 - 13 (plasma cutting to high amp welding), has "x" mode for magnetic field sensing, has shutoff delay, 1/20,000 sec switch-on time, etc.
The big window really helps when you are trying to weld stuff in funny positions. And the sensitivy adjustment range is huge, can make it work properly in every light condition so far, usually don't have to touch it.
As for your helmet, I think you would not regret it if you bought a better one with a bigger window and some adjustability.
Take a look at Speedglass, Jackson Boss, Miller Elite, etc...I have a Miller Digital Elite and I love it. Big site window, can adjust it from shade 5 - 13 (plasma cutting to high amp welding), has "x" mode for magnetic field sensing, has shutoff delay, 1/20,000 sec switch-on time, etc.
The big window really helps when you are trying to weld stuff in funny positions. And the sensitivy adjustment range is huge, can make it work properly in every light condition so far, usually don't have to touch it.
