Got me a new little welder

[plstokes]

My wife surprised me with this new little welder that I had been looking at. I finally got it out of the box last night and laid a few beads. I am no welder and i have never welded with a wire welder but it seems like it's going to do pretty good. It's an inexpensive one from Harbor Freight but it should hold up fine for no more than I will be using it.

The welds don't look too good but maybe I'll get better, any tips or recommendations are welcomed.:agreed:

 

[625fireman]

The biggest thing I can tell you is MIG welding does not like rust. Clean, clean, clean the steel you are welding. I know you were just "messin" around in the pic but the cleaner the better. But do NOT ever use parts cleaner to clean grease or anything of the steel when you mig'n. It can create a phosgene gas the can really F you up if not kill you. There are a few stories on line if search it. IIRC someone posted one here not to long ago. Its not a real big issue flux core wire but it can happen with it. More of an issue with shielding gas. But I don't take that chance.

 

[CtChevy427]

The biggest thing I can tell you is MIG welding does not like rust. Clean, clean, clean the steel you are welding. I know you were just "messin" around in the pic but the cleaner the better. But do NOT ever use parts cleaner to clean grease or anything of the steel when you mig'n. It can create a phosgene gas the can really F you up if not kill you. There are a few stories on line if search it. IIRC someone posted one here not to long ago. Its not a real big issue flux core wire but it can happen with it. More of an issue with shielding gas. But I don't take that chance.

Here is the thread Joe is referring to.

http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?17150-MUST-READ-Brakleen-Welding-VERY-BAD

It is a sticky on the top of the Shops/Garages section.

 

[625fireman]

Thanks CT. I knew it was here somewhere,,,,,,

 

[3500GMC]

The welds don't look too good but maybe I'll get better, any tips or recommendations are welcomed.:agreed:

Couple things:

If it has the capability of running 'gas' do so. Don't forget to switch polarity when/if you switch from flux core to regular wire/gas. Flux core welds are not as 'pretty' normally.

Most 120v welders like a dedicated outlet with no flimsy extention cord.

Use as much heat/power as you can without burning through. Practice practice.

 

[Acesneights1]

Expect it to weld better when you first start then not as good. The duty cycles on those chinese knockoffs are usually 20% or less. Otherwise just play with it. Find the sweet spot of wire speed/power. Tapped machines are a little harder to fine tune but they work.

 

[plstokes]

But do NOT ever use parts cleaner to clean grease or anything of the steel when you mig'n. It can create a phosgene gas the can really F you up if not kill you. There are a few stories on line if search it. IIRC someone posted one here not to long ago. Its not a real big issue flux core wire but it can happen with it. More of an issue with shielding gas. But I don't take that chance.

I will definitely not be using parts cleaner on anything I am welding. I appreciate the heads up, I never knew that.

Couple things:

If it has the capability of running 'gas' do so. Don't forget to switch polarity when/if you switch from flux core to regular wire/gas. Flux core welds are not as 'pretty' normally.

Most 120v welders like a dedicated outlet with no flimsy extention cord.

Use as much heat/power as you can without burning through. Practice practice.

It does not have the capability to run gas, it is straight flux core. Hopefully I can get to where I can weld a decent looking bead with it.

Expect it to weld better when you first start then not as good. The duty cycles on those chinese knockoffs are usually 20% or less. Otherwise just play with it. Find the sweet spot of wire speed/power. Tapped machines are a little harder to fine tune but they work.

I was kind of curious about the duty cycle on these things, is it because the internals get too hot from lack of air flow or something?

 

[625fireman]

Every welder has a duty cycle. It all depends on how they are built. Some of the high end ones are a 100% duty cycle. Welding will generate heat no matter what you do. It is basicaly a short with a sacrifitial piece of some kind. ie. the welding rod or wire. For a "homeowner, DIY'r" these smaller ones will work fine. But they are no good in the production or heavy fabrication jobs. The more you use it, the better you will get.

 

[Acesneights1]

Brakleen turns into nerve gas when you burn it...very nasty indeed...

 

[durallymax]

Practice makes perfect.

But the welder also has a lot to do with it.

Grab your gun and watch the consistency of the wire feed. It may not be too good, but hey you are just learning.

Everybody starts somewhere, you would be surprised what many people build with those HF units.

The concepts are the same and you will be a better more versatile welder if you learn on the harder to use units before stepping up to the easy Units like the Millermatic 252 which practically make a beautiful bead for you.

Learn to watch the weld puddle and us proper techniques. I still follow everything I learned for the most part. Keep a wire snippers on hand to clip the wire to 1/8" protrusion and weld with only 1/8" protrusion for the best welds. Push when usind solid wire, pull when using Flux. Holding the gun at the right angle is also important. Bead thickness/width is another thing. If your welding two 1/4" plates together you dont need a 1" wide bead. You only need a 1/4" bead. If your welding a 1/4" plate to an 1" plate you still only need a 1/4" bead however I tend to error on the high side.

Its like painting, preperation is everything.

 

[bk95td]

The power supply to any welder is crucial. The 110 volt welders need to have a 20 amp circuit minimum. 30 amp would be better. The closer to the service entrance[main breaker box] the better. They will weld using a extension cord but it needs to be 10 or 12 gauge and no longer than absolutely needed. The longer the cord the lower the heat of the welder. Get plenty of extra contact tips[the copper end that the wire runs through at the gun]