Critique my welds part 2

[Joe Dillard]

Okay, it's back to the garage to do a few more beads and see how things turn out.

Under normal circumstances (my work) I'm the teacher, yet with this I'm the pupil.....seems the tables have turned. That's perfectly fine though, especially since I really enjoy this.

Single bead, slow and trying to be steady. Heat @#4, wire speed @68.


Same weld, different view.


Second pass.


Third pass (looks funky)


Another attempt. This time with the wire feed at ~55 and a little slower.


Second pass.


Third pass.


This weld is a single pass, feed @55, and a counter clockwise rotation. I highly doubt this weld has much center penetration.


Okay, time for some more comments.

Thanks!

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard


This weld is a single pass, feed @55, and a counter clockwise rotation. I highly doubt this weld has much center penetration.


Okay, time for some more comments.

Thanks!

What is the rotation for?

Take that last pass and duplicate your pull rate or how fast you moved the stinger and keep it in the root.

You went too slow with the other welds.

If you can't convince yourself that you don't need to draw circles, then just weld everything with one pass that looks and works like the last one.

To test it, do a fillet with two pieces of metal, one flat, one vertical and then break them in the vice with a hammer.

Do about 3 or 4 inches and see how hard it is to break.

[Jeff Weston]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard
Third pass (looks funky)

This one looks similar to a few I've put down so I know it sucks, sorry.

I don't know diddley squat about welding, but it certainly looks like your teacher's tips are paying off. Good work!

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by mrblaine
What is the rotation for?

I'm attempting to help spread the heat, puddle sweet spot and bead in an effort to lay an overall smoother bead which hopefully penetrates deeper over a larger area. Probably a bad habit on my part or misconception.

I'll do the next few passes faster and stop playing with the earths rotational orbit around the sun. We'll see how that goes, plus I'll try to break the welds as suggested.

[Joe Dillard]

Yep Jeff, I agree. That pic seems to do a nice job at showing how NOT to do it.

I figure it's a matter of much more practice, and taking onboard recommendations and suggestions. Plus stopping old habits.

I suppose dialing in my little welder is a factor too, but not as much as my sloppy gun control. I certainly need to adopt and learn more gun and trigger control. Heck - I need all the help that can be tossed at me.

I'm enjoying learning this skill, and I'm by no means good at it. With patience and lots of practice, hopefully I'll do alot better and have some noticable improvements.

Did I mention this is fun?

[Allen]

Picture 1 & 2

Too much wire speed, not enough voltage, or too slow of a travel speed.....or a combination of part or all 3. Consistant travel speed though.....fill your craters in better at the end. Continue welding, but pause the travel at the end a bit longer. Craters invite cracking.

Picture 3 & 4

Second pass should have been across the bottom. You've reversed passes 2 and 3. Two goes on the bottom and in front of One, and pass 3 goes on top.....IE stacked welds.

Picture 5,6, & 7

Looks better, but still the same problems as pitures 1 & 2, except I think you may have gotten the weld order correct.....1 in the root, 2 in front of 1 covering 1/2 to 1/3 of 1, and 3 on top of 1 and 2 covering 1/2 to 1/3 of 2.

Make sense?

Joe, you really need a bigger welder, as you've laid some good beads. Your weaving technique is compensation for the little welder's lack of power. You make a great weld when compensating, but when you rely on the machine alone, and weld as you should, the 110 volt unit can't deliver.

Your settings and technique are just that much more important with the little welder.

Allen

[Joe Dillard]

Thanks Allen. Yep, my orders got messed up. Rookie mistake by me. Perhaps 1/4" is just too much for this machine, but I don't want to make excuses if I'm somehow screwing up. I understand it's not rated to do what I'm asking it to do, but I figured I'd give it a shot to see for myself.

My guess it that somebody with far more skill than I could do alot better job.

I may ask a friend who lives close to my work if I can practice on his 220V Miller 175 (I think that's what he has) for a bit & then give things a go. I'll be sure to adjust my helmet darkness accordingly too.

If I can dig up some more scrap without cutting up more tonight (very loud for the neighbors) I'll try a few more beads and make some more adjustments like mentioned.

Thanks again!

[Allen]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard
Thanks Allen. Yep, my orders got messed up. Rookie mistake by me. Perhaps 1/4" is just too much for this machine, but I don't want to make excuses if I'm somehow screwing up. I understand it's not rated to do what I'm asking it to do, but I figured I'd give it a shot to see for myself.

My guess it that somebody with far more skill than I could do alot better job.

I may ask a friend who lives close to my work if I can practice on his 220V Miller 175 (I think that's what he has) for a bit & then give things a go. I'll be sure to adjust my helmet darkness accordingly too.

If I can dig up some more scrap without cutting up more tonight (very loud for the neighbors) I'll try a few more beads and make some more adjustments like mentioned.

Thanks again!

No shade adjustment necessary. I still use a shade 9 on solid mig wire, even with 1000 amp power supplies.

Allen

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by Allen
No shade adjustment necessary. I still use a shade 9 on solid mig wire, even with 1000 amp power supplies. Allen

WOW that's a lot of amps!

I would have thought adjusting it to ~10 would have been more suitable with the increaded power of the 220 welder. Right now it's @9.

Come to think of it - I had my hood over Blaines and watched him do a few beads and so did I with his 220 welder. IIRC, I kept it at ~9 and it worked well. :bangnerd:

[Allen]

Progress?

Allen

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by Allen
Progress?

Allen

Well....... I picked up a 220VAC Millermatic 175 & a second mix tank yesterday. I'm using a 25' welding extension cord that runs just inside my house in the laundry area. It's on a 30 amp breaker.

I put it together late last night & ran a few test beads then ran out of scrap metal. I picked up a bunch more scrap today & will be welding again tonight & over the weekend.

I'll post pics of the new welds soon or possibly later tonight.

[Allen]

Yep.

That's progress.

Allen

[Jeff Weston]

Damn, Joe, you don't screw around! Nice score.

[Croaker]

Originally posted by Allen
Yep.

That's progress.

Allen

[Joe Dillard]

Yep - I think I made the right decision by stepping up to a 220 welder. WestAir happen to be having a nice sale and I was considering either the Miller 175, or Hobart 180. The Miller was a bit more, but no regrets so far. I still have my Hobart 135 and may sell it.

[Allen]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard
Yep - I think I made the right decision by stepping up to a 220 welder. WestAir happen to be having a nice sale and I was considering either the Miller 175, or Hobart 180. The Miller was a bit more, but no regrets so far. I still have my Hobart 135 and may sell it.

Sell it.

You won't miss it.

Alllen

[John]

If/when you sell let me know Joe. Shipping it would suck but I think I want a little 110 again for sheet metal and such

[Allen]

Originally posted by John
.....but I think I want a little 110 again for sheet metal and such

Tig

Allen

[John]

Originally posted by Allen
Tig

Allen

Bling $$$$$

Hey, I'm moving to the sticks where jobs don't pay ****... I'll settle for a little 110 machine

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by John
If/when you sell let me know Joe. Shipping it would suck but I think I want a little 110 again for sheet metal and such

If you'd like to shoot me an PM or call me & make an offer, I'd certainly consider it. I'll be coming up north into Orange County sometime over the weekend and could bring it to save shipping if we can work a deal. I'm flexible. Not sure if you're interested in the tank etc too. The bottle alone with gas is ~$150-$175.

It has ~1,500 psi still in the mix bottle, and a little wire left on the spool. Plus I have a new small spool too that I could toss in.



These folks were smoking something...

$725.00

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013

$989.00

http://www.brookstools.com/handler.html

[DanB98TJ]

The Miller 175 is a sweet welder. I think I weld better with Fred's 175 than I do with My Miller 251...and his cost a ton less, too.

I did quite a bit of welding with my old 110V MIG, but it just wasn't up to the kind of stuff I wanted to do. You won't regret buying the new machine.

[Tim]

i still think joe has one of the best bbq's i have ever seen

[Allen]

Originally posted by DanB98TJ
The Miller 175 is a sweet welder. I think I weld better with Fred's 175 than I do with My Miller 251...and his cost a ton less, too.

I did quite a bit of welding with my old 110V MIG, but it just wasn't up to the kind of stuff I wanted to do. You won't regret buying the new machine.

Dan,

It's not a big deal, I really struggle with the Millermatic 210 at work. I wouldn't buy one, personally.

Infinate wire speed and voltage has spoiled me rotten, and tapped voltage really sucks.....

However, some of the best large power sources I have used were Millers at Cat. The wirespeed was infinately adjustable, but the voltage was not. Instead of tapped settings, you selected voltage ranges and the controller used "Fuzzy Logic" to do the rest.

Go figure.

Allen

Can you run a 33lb spool in a MM175?

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by T.Dome
i still think joe has one of the best bbq's i have ever seen

Tim, perhaps you mean this one?

It also serves double duty as a beverage tray.

[Allen]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard
Tim, perhaps you mean this one?

It also serves double duty as a beverage tray.

At least you have good taste when it comes to beer.....ala Sam Adams and Corona.

Where can I get one of those fine BBQs?

I must have one.

Pig roast this weekend ya know.

Allen

[DanB98TJ]

Originally posted by Allen
It's not a big deal, I really struggle with the Millermatic 210 at work. I wouldn't buy one, personally.

Thanks, I don't feel too bad now.

The Millermatic 251 has - I think - infinitely adjustable wire speed and voltage. It has a digital readout for each setting...damn thing is more sophisticated than my home entertainment system.

Jeez, Joe, you could cash in those bottles and damn near pay for that new welder.

[Joe Dillard]

I suppose Walgreens will carry them.

That little grill has been to probably at least 10 western US states & at least 5 different overseas countries.

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by DanB98TJ
Jeez, Joe, you could cash in those bottles and damn near pay for that new welder.

Or at least a set of new gloves.

I took those bbq & beer bottle pics some time ago as a joke for a friend. They do sometimes still get a chuckle out of folks.

[Joe Dillard]

Did anybody happen to notice the nitrogen bottle in those pics I was using at the time?

[Joe Dillard]

Originally posted by Allen
Can you run a 33lb spool in a MM175?

I kinda doubt it. I have an 11lb spool in it right now and there doesn't seem to be much more room, plus I don't know if the machine is rated to pull a spool that heavy on a regular basis. However, I could be 100% wrong.

Joe = shrugging shoulders