I don't know what thick is to you. .035 is pretty much the norm unless you're welding on something quite heavy. I guess when I say pretty, I am not including caterpillers that aren't bonded into the root of the weld. A nice flat bead with cute little swirls, adequate penetration, and no heat V down the middle is what makes me smile. In industrial uses, welding machines are often running on high enough voltage to be spray transfer not drip, and they just blaze off straight passes all day. But for your typical garage welding that's not really how it goes.

 

Thought I would check this thread out again after awhile, looks like this guy still thinks hes the only one who knows how to weld.

 

X2 haha

 

.

 

Don't think he was referring to you bud

 

I'd hope not. if so I would retract my statement.

 

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I believe the purpose of this thread is to share knowledge of welding processes so we can all learn something. I don't think anything I've posted here is an indication that I think I'm the only one who knows how to weld. Trev1006 seems a little insecure about his abilities, as evidenced by his need to dis on me as though he knows anything about my experience, background, or skill level. My recent posts have merely been attempts to contribute to the knowledge being shared.

 

I keep coming into this thread to hopefully get info and tips on how to better my welding....but all you children can't get your diapers out of a twist and shut up! Figure it out... I wish I had some welding tips to add to this but im a noob to it...so hopefully my post and the others trying to get this back on track are a help.

 

I'd love to help you out but I would make you use too much heat and youre welds would be ugly.

 

I'd love to help you out as well, but apparently any tips, advice, or insight into the wide world of welding is construed to mean I think I'm the only one on the board who knows how to weld. And diesel dan is right, he definitely likes to use lots of heat. Speaking of heat, that is generated by amperage. On a typical MIG welder, when you increase the amperage, the wire speed also increases. The voltage will affect penetration. If you have too much wire and not enough voltage, the wire won't melt fast enough and it will push against the gun and generally not weld nice. If you have too much voltage, the wire will burn back and the arc won't stay continuous. I like to set my voltage/wire so that i get just enough filler to maintain the arc. Makes a flatter weld. I don't like puffy caterpillar welds. Yep, that means only I know how to set a machine and run a bead. Just ask Trev1006. Everyone knows that Canadians can't weld. And what happened to them all being nice?

 

any pictures of anything you've actually welded? besides that far away shot of a soda can?

 

Typical MIG Welder? From Wally world? I set wire speed with the wire speed ****....

...and too much heat makes a brittle weld? but you use so much it barely arcs?
or are welding super slow here?

Don't get upset just debating here... but keep in mind the more time on the work piece the hotter it will get, leading to stressing, and brittle weld from overheating. I prefer to weld with lots of heat and lots of wire, with a fast travel speed, because not only is it more productive but it keeps the heat in the weld zone.

my 2c imma go turn lots of pieces steel in to one big 'ol one!

 

Beginners: if your welder has a chart, follow that at first. Experiment a little bit too. Buy a stick of 2" 1/4" flat steel and practice. Practice makes perfect. I got a little instruction from my shop teacher 2 weeks ago, and now I'm a better TIG welder than he is, according to him. He even asked me to give a demonstration for his welding class lol. I'll end this tangent here

 

Dude, you seem a little confused. Maybe you didn't realize that turning up the wire speed is the same thing as increasing the amperage. Also, how do you get that I use so much heat it barely arcs? I use just enough wire to maintain an arc, without pouring extra wire into/onto the weld.

 

Follow the chart, then slowly start turning down the wire speed and or up the voltage, and you will start getting flatter, more "professional' looking welds. Usually I find the charts recommend more wire than necessary.