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Tips on Welding

jekquistk5

jekquistk5

Weld nekid
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My dad just picked up a hobart 140 Mig. I gave it a try last night, im not the greatest at it but I am definately better then my dad. I can keep a decent bead going, and it doesn't seem to matter which way I go my welds are decent. I talked to three guys allready, one said pushing is the way to go, the other said pulling is the way to go, and the last guy said stick is the way to go. I read the instruction book and their tips, but I was wondering if there is any special tricks you guys use. Cant wait to start building things with it :) :weld: Not to mention welding the rear sounds really good right now :)
 
I got a question, that I'm sure has been answered here before, but really WHY weld the rear end?? What benefit does it have when wheeling? I know how it can be bad for pavement driving, but no one has really said WHY it's good for offroading.
 
Its a locker or spool. More like a spool because it will be locked 100% off the time, which means both tires will spin rather then 1 which is way better for pretty much everything offroad. But back on topic here !!!!
 
Or to be more accurate..... a locked rear-end will apply power equally to both rear wheels in all situations.


In a normal "open" diff...the power takes the path of least resistance. If one tire is in the air, or in a hole....ALL power will be directed to the "useless" tire instead of going to the remaining tire that actually still has traction. THAT is a BIG problem when you are trying to travel over uneven terrain!!!

:D A "locked" rear diff means that you'll be able to get even deeper into the woods before you finally get stuck! :D
 
Do not get in a hurry !!!Try welding in circles,so your welds look like a stack of dimes.For now forget about pushing,pulling,and dragging.The most important thing is to get comfortable, sit down,rest your arms on the table, and play with the machine and try to get used to it. It will take a while to weld good.I suggest buying a welding book,or getting on a welding forum and talking to professional welders that do it every day.Also try zig-zags /\/\/\/\/\/\ and c shapes CCCCCC and make sure your lead is not kinked and there are no loops,loops make it harder for the motor to push the wire. Practice with clean metal.
 
I was practicing on clean metal, and just welded two pieces of bed frame together. Then I cut it in half to see the penitration. My dad asked me " are you sure you didn't weld anything before" right after that my welds became uneven. I guess I just need to practice alot. I seemed to have decent luck with zig-zagin and straight, but stacked dimes wasn't working at all for me. :dunno:
 
I found that pushing worked better for me. I would start with one of the lowest settings and my wire speed pretty slow, if I couldn't keep a good puddle I would add more wire speed. I kept my wire stickout about 1/8" away and 5 1bs on the gas. Definetley make sure your metal is CLEAN you'll know when its not. listen for the cracklin sound - that it makes to tell you it's making a good clean arc. I bought one 6 months ago to redo the floors in the k5. I started on the pass. side first then went to the driver side. you could definetley tell I got better the more I did it.
 
o.k. this welding stuff is good. what pressure is best for the welder gas on the 130-150 size welders? thanks for the info . sorry for the highjacked thread.
 
15-17 CFH is a good start, i have mine at about 22 because my garage is a little breazy.

an auto darkening helmet is worth its weight in gold
 
Going back to pushing or pulling while welding, pushing gives you more penetration and a wider flatter bead. Pulling does the opposite, penetrates a little less, and leaves a taller bead. What type of shielding gas are you guys running?
 
With gas I push at about a 15 degree angle, with the gasless flux core on my home machine I pull or push depending on whatever seems to work better. It doesn't really matter, although I find a slight drag angle makes a nicer job on the gasless. On really thin stuff I'll push it though. :crazy:

I never drag MIG...or MIG aluminum.

Rene
 
yeah I have an auto darkening helmet, and it rules. My dad is picking up a bottle of Argon/ co2 nextweekend(atleast thats what I think he said hes getting) . Thanks guys for all the tips :thumb:
 
K10bolts said:
Going back to pushing or pulling while welding, pushing gives you more penetration and a wider flatter bead. Pulling does the opposite, penetrates a little less, and leaves a taller bead. What type of shielding gas are you guys running?
Click to expand...

Actually a drag or pull gun technique will give you a bit more penetration and a narrower bead. A push gun technique will give you a bit less penetration, and a wider bead.

Probably what you meant to say, just typed it wrong.

Oh yeah and if you are using flux-core usually a pull technique works best.
 
A wider bead indicates better penetration...

If there is slag, then drag. Otherwise you push.

Rene
 
I can't push my flux core (I think it is my angle), but pulling works great for me. I naturally pull with gas (out of habit) but I get a better looking weld by pushing gas.

You will get the hang of it. Start by getting comfortable, and doing lap welds (or inside corners) instead of but welds. You will start to learn the puddle and learn to listen for the sizzle.
 
i ushally pull unless im in too tight of a spot. its easyer to see your welds and IMO easyer to drag your hand against something.


Good luck with it and happy welding :D

OH AND ALSO - for me it really improved my welds but some ppl might think its kinda crazy. dont wear a glove on the hand you are holding the gun in. For me i can get a much better feel, with hot pieces of metal singeing my skin rather then a bulky glove getting in my way
 
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