welding 101

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
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It seems like even if you know how to weld already, these videos still help.

I was told in auto school that while your welding it should sound like bacon sizzling......well after watching this video, I think my bacon sizzle is too slow.....so now I have to try speeding up the wire feed....see what happens. This guy's sizzle is really fast, I don't know if the fact that he is using a miller and mine is a Lincoln has anything to do with it?

this stuff never gets old watching anyway.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEDHR-Nst6E"]MIG Welding Basics for Farm and Automotive Repairs - YouTube[/ame]
 
It's more of a hiss when you get it tuned in. (I guess you could call it a bacon sizzle)
 
Thphhhh, bacon sounding? LOL
Machine brands do not matter.

You know how to weld? Then just do it! Get that metal melting and swirl that pool in circles right! Your good to go. Penatration!
 
I did subframe connectors last Christmas break and now I am starting to wonder
 

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this guy seems to use a lot more wire??

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4RrDeUKcH4"]Mig Welding Technique Taught by Old Timer - YouTube[/ame]
 
Friend of mine had a contracting co. got really hung out to dry in the big financial mess. He went to work for awhile in his old trade.........welding......some place over in MT making bridge sections. I was astounded that they use MIG on this big stuff instead of stick. They don't use all that large a wire size, either.
 
I'd turn the voltage up a little if not a voltage tap machine. Some of the welds look "wormy".

Generally,
Popping wire is too much wire, not enough voltage
Hissing and wire burn back towards tip is too much voltage, not enough wire.
Find a point in the middle.

If you hear any popping, likes sometimes bacon makes when cooking, turn up voltage or less wire. You want a hard sizzle, no pop, like in the miller video. You will likely pick up your travel speed a bit as well.

Clean, clean, clean material. Shiny after prep with a zirc wheel and wiped down with acetone is my method.

Make sure your machine is set up properly. When I got my Miller, I set the feed assembly up too tight, squishing the wire to a diamond shape. Too much drag on the spool holder, too much pressure on the feed. Made a mess of things.

It helps if someone skilled can come by or go get a quick refresher course/help. One of the members had me at his shop and helped me a bunch with technique and set up. Showed me some neat techniques to reduce sunburn! Makes a world of difference and stopped some floundering.

Practice and be patient.
 
I need to know a good welding helmet, mine never gets light enough to see where your welding
 
MOrePowAR said:
I need to know a good welding helmet, mine never gets light enough to see where your welding
Click to expand...


i have an auto dimming helmet.......but i stilll seem to have the same problem with light so i put a halogen work light on where i am working.
 
I have a cheap harbor freight auto dark mask and it works well.

I preferred my old jackson til it walked off.

If your helmet isn't an adjustable shade style, I'd suggest you get one. Makes welding much easier when you can see what you are burning.
 
You can watch all the video's you want and it will give you the general idea of how it is done. Under hood time will get you good at welding. No way around it. You can fine tune how hot the weld gets with wire speed along with the amperage setting.

Here are some pics of my Turbo Piping for my 67 Dart. Damn I did a lot of work to that car. I just looked at all my pictures. Holy bageebers batman! Lol

This is Stainless Steel to Aluminized/Galvanized using a Lincoln 110 Machine, .030 cheap Harbor Freight wire and 75/25 mix nothing special.

View attachment IMG_2528.jpg

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If you understand what "the sizzle" sound is it helps considerably.

What that sound is, is the gap that is caused from your wire speed being slower than the arc burns the filler wire back.
Meaning if your "sizzle" is slow, it is because the arc is burning back the filler wire faster than it can enter the puddle.
If you turn your wire speed up, it will make your "sizzle" faster.

The sweet spot is found when you have the least amount of splatter coming from your welds.

There are several pros and cons to this however.
Keep in mind that the more "filler" you add to your bead, the more warping will occur.

There is an old welding video on warpage made by Disney of all companies. It explains that the "pull" that occurs is actually from the heaped up bead, just as much as the heat itself.
Here is the video. It is very cool and spot on in explanation.

Hope this helps a bit to aide in your technique. :)

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vuGlcbDwKY"]Prevention and Control of Distortion in Arc Welding - YouTube[/ame]
 
4mulaSvaliant said:
If you understand what "the sizzle" sound is it helps considerably.

What that sound is, is the gap that is caused from your wire speed being slower than the arc burns the filler wire back.
Meaning if your "sizzle" is slow, it is because the arc is burning back the filler wire faster than it can enter the puddle.
If you turn your wire speed up, it will make your "sizzle" faster.

The sweet spot is found when you have the least amount of splatter coming from your welds.

There are several pros and cons to this however.
Keep in mind that the more "filler" you add to your bead, the more warping will occur.

There is an old welding video on warpage made by Disney of all companies. It explains that the "pull" that occurs is actually from the heaped up bead, just as much as the heat itself.
Here is the video. It is very cool and spot on in explanation.

Hope this helps a bit to aide in your technique. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vuGlcbDwKY
Click to expand...

An easy way to overcome the warpage scenario is to tack your project in several places before going ape **** welding it off. On bigger projects you can weld part way on one area move over to another and sort of zig zag your way around the project until you hit all your areas. Again it should be tacked in several places before hand.
 
Absolutely! :)
When welding sheet metal... As most of our cars require... All these rules apply and you must be even more diligent regarding the tips and tricks. Sheet metal will warp in a heartbeat without much "ape $@#%" welding at all! Hahaha
 
4mulaSvaliant said:
Absolutely! :)
When welding sheet metal... As most of our cars require... All these rules apply and you must be even more diligent regarding the tips and tricks. Sheet metal will warp in a heartbeat without much "ape $@#%" welding at all! Hahaha
Click to expand...

Yes, the trigger is your friend!
 
RaniDart70 said:
I did subframe connectors last Christmas break and now I am starting to wonder
Click to expand...

Those welds look fine! You weld better than some of my co-workers. I weld for a living and I approve your work :)
 
85glht said:
Those welds look fine! You weld better than some of my co-workers. I weld for a living and I approve your work :)
Click to expand...


That just brightened up my day ....Whooohooo Girl power!!! For all those guys near me who said I couldn't do it ......HA. :finga: Release the Kragle!!

Now I just need to improve and get it perfect.....good thing that wasn't my car, I used my cousin's 72 swinger as a test rat LOL #-o

Next up is my 68 dart :D
 
RaniDart70 said:
That just brightened up my day ....Whooohooo Girl power!!! For all those guys near me who said I couldn't do it ......HA. :finga: Release the Kragle!!

Now I just need to improve and get it perfect.....good thing that wasn't my car, I used my cousin's 72 swinger as a test rat LOL #-o

Next up is my 68 dart :D
Click to expand...

Remember also that, those welds of yours were done while welding on your back correct? No rotisserie used!!!! They look great!
 
nothingbutdarts said:
Remember also that, those welds of yours were done while welding on your back correct? No rotisserie used!!!! They look great!
Click to expand...


I had the car up on stands and at the most I could sit at an angle .....but yes some of the sections had to be upside down.

I wish I had a rotisserie.
 
A lot of good advice here. There are many factors when welding to consider. Material and Material thickness. Type of wire and diameter of wire. Gas or no gas. What mixture of gas.
Some wire may sound like "sizzling bacon" but others may not...like a dual shield wire or a "hard wire" (ER70-s) with 75%Argon/25%CO: however, put the ER70-s with a gas like 95A/5CO or even 85/15 with the volt/amps up and it will sound like sizzling bacon. Or if you turn the feed down it will hiss.
.045" Ultracore form Lincoln runs with sort of a hiss with a touch of popping here and there. It's an all-position wire as well.
Running Stainless .045 316LP with 75/25 will sound much different than running SS316LSI with a tri-mix gas/ Argon/helium/co.
Aluminum buzzes when you weld it, lol.

Just depends on what you weld :)
 
RaniDart70 said:
That just brightened up my day ....Whooohooo Girl power!!! For all those guys near me who said I couldn't do it ......HA. :finga: Release the Kragle!!

Now I just need to improve and get it perfect.....good thing that wasn't my car, I used my cousin's 72 swinger as a test rat LOL #-o

Next up is my 68 dart :D
Click to expand...

Your welcome! ;)
 
I think that guys butt weld looks like crap. helluva thing to use to "teach" someone.
 
I just watched the video and some of the information needs adjusted.
It depends on what wire you use on whether or not to weave or oscillate the weld puddle. It also depends on the joint configuration.

Weaving or oscillating with a flux cored or shielded wire tends to trap slag in the joint which may weaken it.
Also with many wires its best not to push the puddle but to either go straight in or drag it with no more than 10* layback. Dragging has the same effect as weaving as it allows for the puddle to fill without undercutting or under filling the base material. Also, weaving will put more heat into the joint causing more warpage, or misconfiguration of the material due to a slower travel speed.

But, I guess the video is made for beginners, lol :)
 
I'm just happy when the damn thing hangs together without breaking. Most the time, it does. Hang together, LOL
 
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