Crappy Welds

[Walter Hinz]

Another quick question. Looking for some guidance from the Guru's..

I started to weld various patch panels in my cancerous rig and I'm really unhappy with the quality of the welds. I have never welded before and am using a 110 V / 100 Amp gasless MIG welder from Harbor Frieght Tools that I picked up for $100.

I have been thinking about going to Home Depot and getting a Lincoln MIG Welder (3200) for about $420 and adding a gas bottle for another $100. Although I am a beginner, will this help the quality of my welds?

Any additional welding tips would also be great!! Thanks..

 

[weps]

flux core is not ideally suited to thin sheet metal. if you go to gas and a smaller diameter wire - .023/.024 you should see a big difference even with minimal change to your technique.

even with the harbor freight unit though, you can experiment and continue to practice. try it on thicker metal 1/8 or so and see if the welds look any more normal. i suspect you are using .030 wire and you should find the thicker metal more forgiving and be able to better understand what you can do differently to improve.

also, cleanliness and prep of the weld area is important. make sure there is no dirt, rust, oil, etc. it will only complicate things.

 

[63130dp]

I was thinking about getting the same mig. $119 bucks. should i just spring for the step up to this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=6098

I know H F's tools arent the greatest.. any suggestions? Ebay maybe?

Thanks,
d

 

[Walter Hinz]

I guess it all depends on what you are using it for.. I may still try to get by with mine.. The welds are holding, but I spent nearly an hour grinding down 1 floorpan after replacing it.

If I hadn't already bought a welder, I would go buy the Lincoln at Home Depot.

 

[Mark]

weps is right, try going to a smaller diameter wire.
Try doing this 1st before dropping the $$.
I noticed a big improvement in my booger welds going to smaller wire, I feel pretty good about my patch panel welds now.

 

[Unregistered]

welding with argon(gas) really helps

 

[Unregistered]

Deffinatley go to a mig setup over arc wire, and you will be better off with a mixed Argon CO2 mix I think its 85/15% than straight ARGON unless you intend on welding aluminum with it. The linclon 3200 is a great machine as is the pro mig 135 linclon has about 3 different names for the same machines. Also if you go that route BUY your bottle dont rent one itll pay for itself in a year or so I have a 80 CF that cost me $180 at AIRGAS if you want a cheaper machine the linclon handy mig will do an awsome job on sheet metal but is not really big enough for cages bumpers and the like. Good luck and get er done!

 

[broncobran68]

I bought the $230 lincold welder from home depot. It is only rated for 1/8 inch steel but if you just weld sheet metal you could save some money. It comes with everything for flux core or MIG welding other than the bottle.

 

[ken75ranger]

You did get flux core wire right?

 

[maverickconner]

Trust me, there is no good way to weld the old body metal. I have welded for years, and the welds still do not look great. However, there are a couple of tricks. First, when overlaying metals, make sure you drill holes through both pieces of the metal, however make the hole on the back piece smaller. I like doing this with self tapping screw. I first drill holes where I want them on the outer piece, then use the screws to suck the metals together. This holds it in place, and also gives you the smaller hole to insure that the weld is through the metals. Second, use a piece of brass or copper (plumbing fittings work well and you can make them in all kinds of shapes) behind the area where you are welding. The inert metal disipates heat at a different rate and will not bind to the metal you are welding, however, it spreads the heat over a larger surface. This will help with the burn through aspect, while allowing for the metal to become heated up properly. And by the way, make sure the welds are strong, you have to grind them down anyhow, so don't be conserned with the looks. One last tid bit, when grinding them down, use a grinding wheel at first, but when the high edges are off, switch to a flapper wheel (80 grit works great). This will keep you from chewing through the metal...

 

[eBronc]

Been there, burned that...

A good rule of thumb is to use rod or wire that's roughly the same size (or slightly smaller) as the thickness of metal you're working on.

Use a wire brush (or better yet, a grinder) to clean the metal thoroughly before attempting to weld.

Use sheetmetal screws to fasten the edges of the patch panels to the existing floor, spot weld between them, then remove the screws and weld the holes closed.

Make SURE you've got a good, clean, bare metal contact at the ground clamp.

Try heating the area to be welded with a propane torch before attempting to strike an arc - it's easier to strike an arc on hot metal than cold.

Working on warm (OK, hot) metal allows you to lower the amperage output of the welder to prevent burn through and still be able to easily strike and maintain an arc.

If you don't have a self-dimming helmet, go down to Harbor Freight and get one. They save all kinds of frustraion.

Don't use a long or cheap extension cord to plug the welder in - they drop too much voltage and cause problems. Try to plug the welder right into the wall if you can.

 

[t2jeff]

remember the old saying "you can't get a A+ job from a C- tool".........

 

[HotWheels]

gas shielding=nicer welds w/i limits of welding experience of course.

 

[SaddleUp]

gas shielding=nicer welds w/i limits of welding experience of course.

Gas has it's place. Flux core=stronger welds with more penetration. (Important when you are trying to weld bumpers, cages, etc.)

 

[70bucks]

Two of the happiest days in my life. The day I brought home the Harbor Freight mig and the day I realized it was a POS and threw it in the dumpster. It had a problem with the board and would only run one clean bead before it would get hot and start spitting out booger welds. I switched from mig to flux core and had better luck because it didn't have to operate the solenoid, but only slightly better. As mentioned on an earlier reply make sure to plug directly into an outlet. If you only have a 15 amp outlet, you may want to run a dedicated 20 amp from the fuse box, I did and it helped a little. Good luck and don't wait until your warranty period is over, like I did, before you decide to upgrade.
The old timers say you can weld sheet metal with an arc welder if you use the right rod, anybody have any experience with that?