Im somewhat new to Mig welding, and would like to know what tips/pointers you guys might have. I have welded a few time before and know the basics, but would like to expand my knowledge and hopefully become a better fabricator, and build more things in the future.

Thanks,
Jeep450r

 

Best tip I can give is to get as much time as possible behind the hood. People can tell you tips and tricks all day long, but as you spend more time practicing, you'll learn and remember more than anyone could ever teach you. There are only a few ways to make good welds, and you'll learn them easier and better if you are doing it yourself.

Having said that, in almost all positions, I prefer to push rather than pull. Get in right close to your puddle. Get a good hood and a handful of replacement glass parts. Don't be afraid to stick your face right down in there. Play around a bit with whipping the wire back and forth. The main thing though is consistence in your travel speed and your whip (or no whip).

 

Yeah definately get your whip action down. I actually practiced using a tig gun, and filler rod before I even struck the first arc when learning how to "tig" weld. As for Mig welding. Dont do what You see on Tv. Welding with out a shield will definately cause eye damage. Not right away, but eventually. I really suggest you take a basic welding course at a local CC or VO tech school. They are cheap and you get to learn burning up other ppls equipment.

 

I would suggest getting a few square pieces of flat steel that are about 5x5 or so and start welding lines across them or make a cube and just make straight lines. just pile it up and keep welding. the metal will become just a piece of welds. learn to watch what the weld is doing, what makes it look good and what looks bad, turn up the heat and wire, turn it down, The more you do it the better you get. Experiment. I started welding when I was 15, I'm 28 and have spent years doing nothing but burning welds 10-12 hours a day. I still learn things about it. Don't forget to have fun, remember you are in control of a 2000 degree chemical reaction 6 inches from your face! how cool is that! Oh yeah... be careful. never weld with damp gloves.
Andy-Iron man Fabrication

 

Well I cant say to much after these guys because they nailed it but I do have to ask what size wire are you running and is it flux core or solid wire? The only thing I would add is make sure your polarity is right. lol that is just your ground and your whip being on the right stop being the pos. or neg. But dont worry if its burnning good. Just keep us posted on how its going and some pics.

 

Also buy the biggest/most powerful welder you can from the begining. Pay attention to the duty cycle of the machine. The higher the duty cycle the better off you are.

 

they hit it they nail on the head here. practice and more of it.just remember different types of welding stick ,mig, tig, they all have there own spot to work the best for a project. heat range ,wire size , rod size, and materal, all of it is very important. basic welding books are good place to start even just to brush up again

 

Practice makes perfect... gather lots of scrap metal varying in thicknesses and try some beads... then try the basic lap, butt and tee welds...

After a day of tinkering, you would be amazed... just follow the chart on the welder for amp recomendations on metal thicnkesses... (I never did that in school and ruined my projects...lol)

 

I agree with all the above about all the hood time. One thing i have to disagree with is the user talking about pushing or pulling the wire. If its solid wire you can push or pull. If you use self shielded or "gasless" wire you must pull the puddle along for best penetration. Hood time is the most critical of the whole deal. Take your time and be patient.

 

everything everyone has said has nailed it. But one thing i may add is listen to the actual weld, it should be a smooth consistant sound

 

yes sound it key! Plus when your done look at the edges of your bead and make sure its not to cold.

 

0.35 flux core wire. Ill be welding mainly 3/16" metal and will be using a 120V 130Amp Clarke mig welder. I am not using gas.

What do you guys mean by "whipping actions"?

What are "the basic lap, butt and tee" welds?

Thanks for all the tips so far guys.

 

These are all good tips. I would also keep in mind that the welder makes the machine the machine dont make the welder. If you can get good with ur 110 you will do great with a 220. And theirs two populur ways of doing it i allways pull my bead and i use the c motion. Some people do circles and some do v motions try them all tell you find where your most comfortable.

 

I learned on the thinnest crap around, when you can weld that w/o blowing holes in it every time you spark it up, you can weld the thick stuff...
Also, I can pretty much tell if I got a good one going just by the sound. Crappy welds have a real goofy tone about them...

 

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...tips/MIG_tips/
here u go . i was always told if it has a flux on/in the rod or wire drag it and if it dont u push . i weld for a living , went from welding structure to welding pipe now . most of my structure welding was done with wire feeders .

billy