MIG welding tips? George?

[roadrunnerh]

Hello fellas. A couple months ago, I purchased a Hobart Handler welder. I've been wanting to learn how to weld for years. I would really appreciate any tips/Do's and Don'ts from you guys who weld. I need a table to weld on, my wooden work bench in the garage won't cut it. I was thinking on using a steel tool stand I could pick up from harbor Freight and purchase a 1/4" steel plate as a top for it. Any suggestions? What do you use? Should I fab something as my first project?

 

[george68hemirr]

ALL YOU NEED IS SOMETHING TO CLAMP YOUR WORK TO IF YOU HAVE TO.....YOU CAN BUY OR LOOK OVER THAT AND BUILT IT YOURSELF AND SAVE SOME MONEY
TIPS.....READ THE BOOK THAT CAME WITH YOUR HOBART....ON MY LINCOLN THE DOOR HAS THE WIRE SPEED SETTINGS , VOLT SETTINGS AND THE THICKNESS OF WHAT YOU ARE WELDING WILL BE DETERMINED.....THE GAUGE FOR YOUR MIG GAS......ARGON/CARBON DIOXIDE IS PRESET ....WHICH IS USED FOR MID STEEL....WHEN YOU WELD YOU WIRE SHOULD BE AT LEAST 1/4 TO 1/2 INCHES FROM THE END OF YOUR TIP AT ALL TIMES....THE CLOSER YOU GET WITH THE TIP IT WILL RUN HOTTER AND COLDER PULLING AWAY....PRACTICE,PRACTICE.....LEAN AGAINST SOMETHING SO YOU ARE STEADY
YOU CAN LOOK ON YOUTUBE AND FIND A BUNCH OF GREAT VIDEOS FOR BEGINNERS IN WELDING....CHECK IT OUT

 

[george68hemirr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Qb9I03FCk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4RrDeUKcH4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzBGZaS1apw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1GTgDQFE4A

EASTWOOD WELDING TABLE.........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en3WFOB8iv0

 

[moparchris]

I have been welding for 20 years myself but not as much as George. I always make my first project the welding table. I now have two since I MIG and TIG. The table will allow you to play with your welder while you learn with and easy project. One thing that seems to be consistent is the cleanliness of the steel your welding. Prep is key. I am self taught on welding. Miller puts out a killer slide card for welding. It tells you things like what wire to use, what amp setting, what wire speed, and what gas flow rate. Its really a killer thing. You can pick on up at your local welding supply store. MIG welding is simple and rewarding with proper preparation. Anyone can do it quite well really. I have learned quite a few things over the years and TIG welding has taught me some techniques that are overkill for MIG but have improved the welding that I do. For instance, I use stainless steel wire brushes that I designate for each material I am going to prep with. One for stainless one for chromoly one for aluminum etc. I write the material down on the handle so I dont forget. I also use a dedicated grinding wheel for each material. I also use acetone to clean the metal before welding (be aware of your surroundings when welding!) never ever leave anything flammable near you when welding. I always wear a Nomex jacket to avoid burns. I have seen quite a few people burned badly or killed in welding accidents where they caught something near them on fire and didnt notice because of the welding helmet. Never tack weld something without a helmet, you can still burn your retinas through your eye lids. I am rambling now. If you have any questions feel free to ask away, I am sure we will be able to help you through it.

 

[george68hemirr]

very good chris :cheers: .....i know i did leave out a few things.....quite a few :lmao:

 

[mac]

i would add that if you are welding with gas (not flux core wire) that the machine is set with the proper polarity.

 

[roadrunnerh]

Thank you guys, I knew I could count on the knowledge base here on this site. I will have lots of questions as I go. Be prepared for some dumb ones....

 

[sixgunrunner68]

Isn't your machine 110v? just be aware that you may not have enough power to weld quarter inch plate if it is. You'll end up with cold welds. Preheat may help a little. The manual should explain the capacities of your machine.

 

[69hemibeep]

If you use an extension cord make it huge, but then again I need to upgrade welders.

 

[moparchris]

very good chris :cheers: .....i know i did leave out a few things.....quite a few :lmao:

George you have forgotten more than I will ever know. :lmao:

 

[george68hemirr]

very good chris :cheers: .....i know i did leave out a few things.....quite a few :lmao:

George you have forgotten more than I will ever know. :lmao:

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

truthfully there is alot to show someone and he wont learn it over night......i had guys i taught in welding class that just couldnt get it.....they would say.....my mind says one thing but my hand did another....lol...had another guy fail 2 welding tests before he came into my class......hes welding along and it looks like dog shit.....so i say to him.....do you where reading glasses....he says yes......maybe you should wear them so you can see what you are doing.......holy shit he passed the test.....these guy where something else...really alot of hours of practice and book reading to figure out welding

 

[Big John]

I'm not a welder.... by any means. I took a high school welding class as part of my Machine Tool course and my welding teacher died part way through.... his replacement died too.

I have always wanted to take another class, but the odds against the teacher living through it seem a little too high for me.

I bought a Lincoln "tombstone" arc welder from a friend many years ago. Never did get to use it. Lent it to my buddy and it was next to his compressor when it blew up.

Anyway... I always have gone with the theory of "if you can't weld well... weld a lot". I've made a few simple brackets and where a really good welder would just run a short bead on one part of the joint and call it a day... I run beads all over the place. So far... so good... My fence around the patio hasn't fallen...and that was my first real welding I did when I got my MIG.

 

[george68hemirr]

thats the truth big john.....lol......thats what alot of unsure welders do.....run a bunch of passes on it.....you can always tell a good welder when he doesnt kick it with his foot or hit it with a hammer to see if it falls apart.... :lmao:
when i first started welding i used the same tombstone lincoln buzz box.....my 60 chevy....the rear control arm fell of so i decided to weld it back on.....2-3 hours of sticking the rod.....gobs of welds all over it.....took it for a ride......lasted 2 hours and fell off :brickwall:

 

[Big John]

thats the truth big john.....lol......thats what alot of unsure welders do.....run a bunch of passes on it.....you can always tell a good welder when he doesnt kick it with his foot or hit it with a hammer to see if it falls apart.... :lmao:
when i first started welding i used the same tombstone lincoln buzz box.....my 60 chevy....the rear control arm fell of so i decided to weld it back on.....2-3 hours of sticking the rod.....gobs of welds all over it.....took it for a ride......lasted 2 hours and fell off :brickwall:

Yea, I think I was at least fortunate enough to learn what a good weld is. Some people never learn that.

I had a Dodge RV once that the previous owner had welded a trailer hitch on. Basic bubble gum, bird shit welds. I hit it twice with a hammer and it fell off. I bolted the new hitch on.

I've gotten confident enough to weld some stuff, but generally speaking, I can tack it together and then have a real welder finish it if it's something important.

 

[metalstorm]

I have been using my sears 110v mig lately to weld some headers and I have not used the welder for 8yrs I would say but my biggest problem is patience.I have to learn some on doing back gass in the tubes when I finish welding them or they will crack I am told.

 

[sixgunrunner68]

I have been using my sears 110v mig lately to weld some headers and I have not used the welder for 8yrs I would say but my biggest problem is patience.I have to learn some on doing back gass in the tubes when I finish welding them or they will crack I am told.

Here's my :cents: . I'm a welder by trade and have been for a couple decades now. I tig,mig,stick , aluminum, stainless, steel. So IMO I have a pretty good background. Now when I say what I'm about to say I'm not saying anyone is wrong. But in realty purging pipe is typically done in high purity applications,ie: food and pharmaceutical . It may also depend on the substrate being welded,I don't think you're fabricating titanium headers.I truly believe that if you use the correct filler metal, no backing gas will be needed. Keep everything clean and tight and you'll be successful

 

[george68hemirr]

I have been using my sears 110v mig lately to weld some headers and I have not used the welder for 8yrs I would say but my biggest problem is patience.I have to learn some on doing back gass in the tubes when I finish welding them or they will crack I am told.

Here's my :cents: . I'm a welder by trade and have been for a couple decades now. I tig,mig,stick , aluminum, stainless, steel. So IMO I have a pretty good background. Now when I say what I'm about to say I'm not saying anyone is wrong. But in realty purging pipe is typically done in high purity applications,ie: food and pharmaceutical . It may also depend on the substrate being welded,I don't think you're fabricating titanium headers.I truly believe that if you use the correct filler metal, no backing gas will be needed. Keep everything clean and tight and you'll be successful

i agree

 

[metalstorm]

THX that is interesting and helpfull.

 

[moparchris]

I have been using my sears 110v mig lately to weld some headers and I have not used the welder for 8yrs I would say but my biggest problem is patience.I have to learn some on doing back gass in the tubes when I finish welding them or they will crack I am told.

Here's my :cents: . I'm a welder by trade and have been for a couple decades now. I tig,mig,stick , aluminum, stainless, steel. So IMO I have a pretty good background. Now when I say what I'm about to say I'm not saying anyone is wrong. But in realty purging pipe is typically done in high purity applications,ie: food and pharmaceutical . It may also depend on the substrate being welded,I don't think you're fabricating titanium headers.I truly believe that if you use the correct filler metal, no backing gas will be needed. Keep everything clean and tight and you'll be successful

I am no expert by any means. With that said I have been making turbo headers (extreme heat and vibration) out of stainless for a few years. My first set cracked pretty much right away. I was told by a proffessional aerospace welder that they needed to be back gassed. Haven't had one crack since. Its a really easy process and costs nothing to perform, so why not just do it? I won't risk it again.

 

[metalstorm]

I asked 2 very good welders this wk and they said no backgas needed for mild steel,mig welding.I could have Migged mine but I allready had Tig done to 1 side when the welder picked my pocket.