Ok, i just got a MIG welder... As i stayed up all night trying to figure out how to use it, i realized that i suck at welding... I did manage to weld a bunch of nails point-up on a metal folding chair though.... Anyway, i need some general guidance... I'm not looking for someone to write me a manual or anything, just a few little things to help me start out... And don't direct me to books, because i have no way to buy 'em... The welder is a 120v (made in Italy) with the bottle all ready to go... It has a large knob that i think is the wire speed... Then it has 2 switches... a "Min-Max", and a "1-2"... those are labeled with little things that kinda look like rear handgun sights, and the get thicker with each switch combination... I guess that's the current and shit...??? I dunno... I Just kinda messed aroung with the thing all night on a dirt floor as i pounded back Guinness... Pretty much anything in the garage that was metal had a really shitty weld holding it to something else... there was a lot of little balls rolling around, and pieces of wire with little balls on the end, and some very huge black globs of metal... Those were supposed to be welds... so yeah, any pointers...???
If you can't afford to buy a book then go to the library, or better yet do some research on the web. You need alot more help than anyone here can provide in posts. After you figure out how to use your machine, come back and let us know how you're doing...
First of all, PUT THE BEER DOWN! Unless you want to feel what it's like to spend time in an electric chair. Put voltage at #1 then put wire speed knob at about a 1/4 of the way up.Try this on 18 gauge steel. I seem to get something respectable at these settings. Good luck -stick
i looked on the web and found Sites for places like Miller and Lincoln... The only "informative" sites i found were ones that told you the way a MIG works electronically, which i already pretty much knew... and i think out library is in ruins, actually...
Oh, trust me, i don't plan on getting shocked... NO WAY i was gonna get loaded enough to let that happen... Ok, i'm pretty sure i kept the wire speed around 1/4 of the way up... any more and i made a bunch of those little wires with balls on the end... I think i kept the "1-2" switch on "1" for the most part... I moved 'em around to experiment, but couldn't really figure out what did what... I was doing most of my "practicing" on a fender off on an early 90's Subaru that i found mangled in Baltimore... I do recall blowing through it on the higher settings.... What about the gas...??? i moved the regulator quite a bit to see what happened... What's a good pressure...???
okay, the numbered switch is indeed the current you're going to apply. in a way, it's basically the heat setting. if your welder is like mine, MIN-2 will be less than MAX-1... on sheetmetal, you're going to want to set it to MIN-1, for big heavy steel, you're going to want a bigger welder (although for medium stuff MAX-2 might be okay). the little balls everywhere suggests your surface might be dirty and you're not getting a good puddle going. give the surface of the metal a good clean with the angle grinder (you want SHINY bastard steel to weld on) and give it another go. balls = bad. try turning up the current some if you still have the problem. finally, if those nails are galvanised... you're killing yourself.
hahaha, i think they were galvanized.... They melted, too... I'll make a mental note to NOT do that in the future... Thanks for the good info... How do i know how much of the gas to use...??? I don't really wanna waste gas... Of course, i'm wasting a LOT of wire and gas figuring this out, anyways...
Be Safe! other than that it sounds like you're on the right track, just practice with it, you'll figure it out. The gas regulator should be preset, just hook it up and turn it on. (don't forget to turn it off when you're done) what kind of gas are you using? get the weld area clean, get a good ground, use the right wire and power settings and practice. a lot.
Mr. Gasket...don't feel too bad about having trouble welding with your machine. The cheaper, 120 volt offshore machines can be difficult to set up, and weld with. And setting up the machine is the hardest part! They do not have enough settings to get the speed and heat just right, it seems. The thinner the metal, the more you need to dial in the heat/wire settings "just right". And the cheaper machines just don't have enough settings! I have had trouble welding sheet metal whenever I did some work at 'remote locations' at other guys garages. The best way to learn, go to tech school. Next is have someone who knows it well, show you. Reading and videos are last on the list, but will do in a pinch, if you can follow written instructions well, and have some aptitude towards it. I'll offer to teach you a bit at my shop, but if you can't afford a book, you probably can't afford the gas right now to drive here! (about 160 miles) But if you can come on a Sat. I'll give you some informal lessons.
I would do the opposite of what a few guys said. I would get some 1/8" strap or angle, carnk the voltage all the way up, and set the wire feed 1/4. on 1/8, your machine is not going to burn through, so you can really watch and figure out how to work the puddle and get decent penetration. On 18 gauge you'll probably just keep burning through your first time. This way you can also mess with the wire speed setting a bit.I think that's harder to figure out than the voltage.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/metalshaping/ http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/index.php Here's two of the sites you were looking for. the guys on these sites can give you any info you need on welding with a mig or any other method of welding. The Metalmeet site is just a couple weeks old. so there's not much there right now as far as archived info.But you can help it grow buy asking your questions.Same guys on both sites and it all FREE
thanks a lot guys... I'll keep burning metal and what-not... Soon i'll get it right, or close... hahaha... I'll definately check out all of those sites... see what i can find... By the way, my bottle has a pressure gauge with a knob to adjust the amount of gas.... I'm not sure what is exactly in it, as it already had gas when i got it.... For know, i'm just checking dumpsters for scrap metal, and trying to collect as much info as i can before i fuck something up... by the way, i had a choice between this MIG and a TIG welder... think i made the right choice...??? From what i've heard on here, MIG is the best for a beginner...
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