Welding: Gas versus Gas-Less

[tysonn]

Are you sure you have a good earth?Whats your earth clamp like?Some are very flimsy and dont privide a good contact.Make sure the area youre clamping to is cleaned to bright metal,make sure the new piece of meatl youre welding in is well clamped to the car body.How far away are you holding the torch?Make sure the shroud isnt clogged with lumps of weld.Join this forum and ask the guys that do it for a living:
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php

Birdshit welds could be down to insufficient current.Turn it up a bit.Youre best practising with a sheet of good/new metal first and experiment with ampeage,wire speed,gas control etc until you get more proficient.Basically its like drawing a line with a felt tip slowly.You will hear when the weld is correct,a nice sizzling sound

[bmcecosse]

And a reminder - be SURE to disconnect the alternator (and wireless if you have one) before doing any electric welding on the bodyshell. Oh - and electronic ignition too if you have that.....

[rogerowen]

And a reminder - be SURE to disconnect the alternator (and wireless if you have one) before doing any electric welding on the bodyshell. Oh - and electronic ignition too if you have that.....

Oooops, memory like a sieve! Now dissconected

[rogerowen]

Are you sure you have a good earth?Whats your earth clamp like?Some are very flimsy and dont privide a good contact.Make sure the area youre clamping to is cleaned to bright metal,make sure the new piece of meatl youre welding in is well clamped to the car body.How far away are you holding the torch?Make sure the shroud isnt clogged with lumps of weld.Join this forum and ask the guys that do it for a living:
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php

Birdshit welds could be down to insufficient current.Turn it up a bit.Youre best practising with a sheet of good/new metal first and experiment with ampeage,wire speed,gas control etc until you get more proficient.Basically its like drawing a line with a felt tip slowly.You will hear when the weld is correct,a nice sizzling sound

All good pointers, thanks. I'm holding the torch very close indeed most of the time (outer torch part occassionally touching the work), and find it hard to see what I'm doing. Think I'm just going to have to practice loads more, I thought I was getting better at one point - then it all fell to bits again. Will percevere!

[MarkyB]

Have you got an automatic mask?
Makes life a LOT easier.

[rogerowen]

Have you got an automatic mask?
Makes life a LOT easier.

Yes, don't know how I'd manage without!

[katy]

I'm holding the torch very close indeed most of the time (outer torch part occassionally touching the work), and find it hard to see what I'm doing.

That's too close, end of wire should be about 1/4" - 5/16" (6 - 8 mm) away from the work. Angle of the wire to the work should be about 15º off of perpendicular. You may want to move the wire closer to the old metal.

[ian.mcdougall]

Also check that the shroud has not filled with splatter because the shroud will make the connection to the metal before the wire does ,and yes keep the shroud away from the metal to be welded. If you wear bi-focals I have found that my welds are more easily seen without glasses on and better welds achieved

[bmcecosse]

As above - I found my multi-level specs are a bl**dy nuisance...and so close up/no specs is rather better. Although ideally single vision specs to give me sharp focus at 18 " or so would be ideal.....

[rogerowen]

Also check that the shroud has not filled with splatter because the shroud will make the connection to the metal before the wire does ,and yes keep the shroud away from the metal to be welded. If you wear bi-focals I have found that my welds are more easily seen without glasses on and better welds achieved

My eyesight is a nightmare! I need minimum of +3.5 diopter for close work and a very bright light!

[bmcecosse]

Bright light = no problem......the weld arc provides that!

[rogerowen]

Bright light = no problem......the weld arc provides that!

That's when I close my eyes!