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.5racer

welding help

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.5racer

A lot of you have comented on my weld . Thank You ! Tell me what you are useing and I'll try to get ya a little better on track . Example: 125 powerd by 110 volt use .035 wire and argon gas . Even if yo stick weld tell me what ya use and I'll se if I can help there also. You will still get penatration as wellas strength and apearence !

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.5racer

What I use is a Miller 135 powered by 110 volt ,C-25 gas(25% carbindioxcide-75% argon), .023 wire and pretty much max out my heat,9 out of a 10 scale . This way I can weve the weld in and burn in also before the wire fills the area I want welded. All I had to by extra was the tips, everything else works as is.

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Nick

Maybe the .030 Im using is fine but most of my welding right now 3/16" and 1/4" plus a little 3/8" so I thought about going up to .035 wire. The price of wire though I hate to change just to try it. Even thought about just trying some flux core with the gas for those breezy days and some of the not so great metal I use. :whistle:

Guess should mention the welder is a Lincoln power mig 255 so the poor welds are me not the machine. :WRS:

Couple of my outdoor projects last year.

P1010039.jpg

5x10trailersmaller-1.jpg

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.5racer

going bigger wont real help that much , wont be able to wip back and forth as much if you do , use the 30 and work back and forth nd work it in , ie circles , swing side to sid , etc .. The flux core will help out side , gas would be an option but will look as you used a stick as it will be a little dirty and dont forget to switck your leads for the flux type.If you can weld with one hand just cup the other to cover and stay wit what you use now ,,,,less cleaning after weld!

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Nick

Thanks for the info. I'll just skip the .035 wire and save some money. Most of the time I have to use two hands to weld or Id be all over the place, no tig for me I guess. :whistle: If I would just keep the garage cleaned out most projects would fit inside so the breeze wouldnt be a problem.

One more question I forgot to ask before. Do you push or pull when mig welding?

Nick in oHIo

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.5racer

More or less your personal preference, but, pulling will be easie for most , pushing will give you more heat as a preheat condition will insue . To help with out side welding if both hands are needed with the gas set-up. Try a large coffee can cut to make a shield to cover your area.With the lid remove (as it will be when in use ) cut 1/3 to 1/2 of the side but not the bottom then turn over to make a tent type cover.Weld inside and move as needed.Dont get me wrong , if your going to weld a lot of 3/8 thick material ,the 035 would be a better size. But with the different sizes you jump around the 030 is good . What size spool do you us ? The small ones or the 10 lb ones . You could get a small or mini spool of the other size to try out .I use the 10 lb ones and like i said I use the 023 lets me burn for a little longer time in the area before I move on letting get a deeper penatration.

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Nick

I went overboard as normal and got the 30 pound spool of wire this spring. Very little of my welding is over 1/4 with some thin 1/8 or under stuff also. I just thought it might even need the larger wire for penetration on the 1/4. My brother had also told me not to worry but I was still thinking about it. Sounds like I just need to give it some time to penetrate. Its been years since I tried but could drag out the old stick welder for the real thick stuff. I use to cut or slag more than weld with it. :WRS:

I'll have to try that coffee can trick next time. :whistle:

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combatmp29r

OK Racer lets see how far off key I am :WRS:

I'm welding with a Hobart Handler 180 on 240V power. I use .030 wire with 75/25 gas 90% of the time with on a 10lb roll. This seems to do fine for me up through 3/16" steel. Oh I do however single bevel the 3/16 to ensure penetration and then weeve the weld like a stick. Now on 1/4 and 5/16 I use .035 flux core, and on 3/8-1/2" I use .045 flux core both lincoln inershield type 2. I have a 10lb roll of the 35 since I weld 1/4 and 5/16 alot, but just a 1lb spool of the 45. Even though a 10lb spool of the 45 is $10 cheaper than 30 or 35 flux core :whistle: I'm like Nick until the move to the new shop is completed all my welding is outdoors, and I use alot of scrap or older steel for my projects. I use the flux and larger sizes since thats what Hobart recommends. On a normal basis (not counting the last couple weeks) I weld about 1-2 hours a day in the outdoor garage.

What do ya think?

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combatmp29r

Oh and my $.02 on the push or pull thing. When I first came home from active duty i worked for Norris Fabrication which built (well modified stock ones) the long stick high cab track hoes your see in scrap yards. We used all flux core unless we were welding stainless or aluminum. The old Journyman welders always said that with fluxcore you could pull or push the weld like a stick, if you're using gas you should push as the nozzle directs the shielding gas over the weld better that way. Just what I was told, maybe I'm wrong.

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.5racer

All is right on wire and gas pull or push.The only time you need to worry about the gas versuses flux core is outside AND if the wind is present.the thing to remember is , size of wire should be determind by thickness you are welding. Next time you go to weld ,get a drop of the same thickness and try the smaller if you have some. Think of calking a joint, small hole in tube , move back and forth more , Big hole in tube just move back.The smaller wire just lets you burn longer in the same spot before it s full before you move on, better heat, better penatration, more uniform , lays flatter. Preping the weld first does help on thicker material,but that allso depends on position of weld. 1/8 I would weld as is 1/4 and above I would V out. Most of all my welding ( 85%) is done with the 023, 516 and above I move to a 220 volt 250 amp at work ,stick is what I love to use.

A friend of mine needed a tounge welded back on his trailer , stamped type , 3/16 thick , on his 7,000 lb two axle trailer . 110,023 wire , no prep excepe removed paint. The next weekend he pt 30 , 10foot RR ties on it and the jeep wagoner blew a rear tire , jack knifed,went into ditch. the tounge frame was bent all to he-* , but the tounge was unharmed. He was sold with the little , or Babby welder as he calls it .

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combatmp29r

Thanks Terry I have some .023?? I thihk its .02 something on a 1lb roll that I use for 16 guage and smaller sheet metal. I may pull out some 3/16 or 1/8" scarp I have and play alittle.

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.5racer

To add a thought . No one has ever said you have to weld in just one pass. multiple passes are just as strong if not stronger. Root pass, then to left, half on root and half on base, then to the right , and if too wide on side pass , go back down the middle between the outer passes . BUT be fore warned , you might get some warpege if it is all on one side . If two sided , due one side then the back side to counter pull , then back to front , then back to back , and so on,,,

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combatmp29r

Multiple passes ahh now your bringing back the 3/4 and 1" plate repairs on the farm equipment days. Lots of double bevels and tripple passes with an old hobart gas powered on the 66 chevy 1ton out in the middle of now where in the worst weather possible LOL :whistle: at leaste thats how it always felt. maybe I was just stuck on :imstupid:, but I never thought of multiple passes with a mig, I always just work back and forth slower to fill the area and get full penetration.

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hoosier

Most of my welding these days is Tig welding Aluminum. The only thing about this I might add to welding in general is to keep it clean, whatever your welding. With Aluminum it is a must. It applys to everything else too. The cleaner the parts the easier to weld and a better weld.

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.5racer

Thanks hoosier, :whistle:

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