Building my first bike and it's becoming apparent i'm not 100% sure on my welding skills. I can weld heavy wall (3/16 stuff) fairly well but my thin wall moves are not so smooth. Is anyone using mig with no gas here? Can we share some specs on tuning the welders? I have a lincoln promig175.
welder settings??
- Thread starter Granth
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I use a mig without gas. Its pretty simple with any welder. If when you are welding its making boogers instead of smooth welds , then its set too cold. If on the other hand your burning through what your welding alot then its too high. Most 110 mig welders only have four settings. Try turning your wire speed down and the heat down if your burning through. You can also stay in one spot too long. If you really heat up a spot then you will burn through even though you have the setting right. Try small short 1/2 inch long welds and then to the other side and alternate back and forth. Just kinda takes practice.
im no pro when it comes to welding bicycles but i do a lot of welding, first order of business is practice...alot, play with different setting on scrap metals. now when ur doing thinner metals and if your having cold boogers, and you turn your heat up and your burning through, try adjusting your gun angle, have more of a pushing angle(think with a push broom).The pushing angle will flatten out your beads and you should have less problems with burn through. post some pictures of the welds.
chad
chad
If your welding gasless mig also be sure to remove the 'slag' completly before you attempt to ever weld over a previous weld. For example if you welded a pass and missed a little spot and went to weld over it again to touch it up. Usually a stiff wire brush will do.
A lumpy weld means you need less wire speed or more heat. It will usually make a pop-pop-pop sound. A weld with too much heat or not enough wire will make a hissing sound usually followed by your wire fusing to your copper electrode. After a while you'll be able to set your welder by ear. Also make sure to clear the cone of 'snot' that will form. Good luck!
A lumpy weld means you need less wire speed or more heat. It will usually make a pop-pop-pop sound. A weld with too much heat or not enough wire will make a hissing sound usually followed by your wire fusing to your copper electrode. After a while you'll be able to set your welder by ear. Also make sure to clear the cone of 'snot' that will form. Good luck!
All good advice above...one more thing to keep in mind (usually only an issue during winter months) keep your workpiece as close to room temp as possible...if you are storing long bits of tubing outside in cold night air, try to get them warmed up before you weld them. This will allow the weld to penetrate better, and will minimize stress in the weld from rapid temp changes.
Good rule of thumb...a properly set MIG welder will sound simliar to frying bacon. If you get popcorn sound, too cold, if you get hissing and burnthrough...well thats pretty obvious
Good rule of thumb...a properly set MIG welder will sound simliar to frying bacon. If you get popcorn sound, too cold, if you get hissing and burnthrough...well thats pretty obvious
