Weld wire diameter?

Post by **6thdude** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:53 pm

Hi,
I've master (using the term 'mastered' very loosely

) MIG welding thick plate using 0.8 mm wire but should I change down to 0.6mm for car body work sort of steel thickness.
What does 20 gauge/18 gauge etc steel actually equate to in inches or mm? I had a chart which came with the welder but I seem to have lost it

Cheers
Jim

Post by **Alec** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:04 pm

Hello Jim,

20 gauge is 0.036", and 18 gauge is 0.048", approximately 1mm and 1.2 mm respectively.
I can't comment on MIG wire size as I don't use one.

Alec

Post by **Cam** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 8:15 pm

0.8mm is absolutely fine for car bodywork. It's what both me and Ray use. We both had feeding problems when using 0.6mm. Oh and I found it marginally better if you use a 1.0mm tip with 0.8mm wire.

Post by **6thdude** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 8:35 pm

Thanks for the advise chaps.
I'm guessing 16 gauge is 1.4mm? Sherlock can't hold a stick to me aye

I've been using 0.6 mm wire and I'm finding it quite hard to get a good bead width without working really slowly and running the risk of burning through. 0.8mm it is then! Those I just brought 5 new tips today, never mind.
Cam, I do like your little animation, makes me chuckle every time!

Jim

Post by **Cam** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 8:37 pm

Funky eh?

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 11:48 pm

I've been using 0.6 mm wire and I'm finding it quite hard to get a good bead width without working really slowly and running the risk of burning through.

I think I've nearly never managed that when welding old cars... I tend to just go very slowly in short bursts - If I can see 30% of the weld on the other side then I know it's taken well

The downside to that is that if you weld for a few seconds too long you are just left with hole, but it sonds like you're well aware of the hole making potential already

Post by **chickenjohn** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 am

6thdude wrote:Thanks for the advise chaps.
I'm guessing 16 gauge is 1.4mm? Sherlock can't hold a stick to me aye
I've been using 0.6 mm wire and I'm finding it quite hard to get a good bead width without working really slowly and running the risk of burning through. 0.8mm it is then! Those I just brought 5 new tips today, never mind.
Cam, I do like your little animation, makes me chuckle every time!

Jim

Not quite!

It depends on how your welder is set up and what you're used to working with, it is quite hard welding thin material! thats normal, but you get better with practise. The wire size has got nowt to do with it.

In fact, larger wire size needs more current (in theory) so you may be getting worse penetration! I'd rather run the risk of the odd hole burnt (which can be filled with weld) than not getting good penetration of the weld.

I really don;t want to get into the pointless wire size discussions again

but I've been using 0.6mm wire and tips to do my Traveller, -including some thinner body panel work- and its fine!

As for wire feed problems, thats likely to be due to machine set up rather than wire size.

Post by **Cam** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:24 pm

Yes, the penetration and weld 'effectiveness' is to do with the machine set-up (and skill of course

). But I have to say that after using 0.6mm for a while (nothing wrong with that as John has ponted out) 0.8mm is much nicer and seems to produce better results in my experience.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 6:38 pm

I got completely fed up of having the wire 0.6 welded into the tip so I changed to 0.8 and never had a problem since (am now on my 3rd 15kg roll of 0.8 )
This is of course partly due to my DIY welder and lack of skill - however I wish I'd known I could try 0.6 wire with a 0.8mm tip!!
The 0.6 wire was slightly more capable of welding to tin doileys

Post by **6thdude** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:28 am

Arrr, so what your saying is, it's my poor welding and not the wire's fault

Thanks for everyones help. I've changed back upto to 0.8mm and I've been welding up a right storm in my shed, butt joints, lap joints, plug welds, T joints and I think I'm just about getting the hang of it!
Now then whats next? Humm .... how do I turn this lathe on .............!
Jim

Post by **Alec** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 10:38 am

Hello Jim,

"how do I turn this lathe on",

if you have one it is one of the most useful tools around.

Alec

Post by **paulk** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 10:54 am

What Lathe have you got?

V V useful Can also be used for small milling operations with some adaptions.

By the by 0.8mm welding wire here and 1.0mm tip but each to his own. To be fair the blow through I get is more due to Cr~#y body panels than the power.

Post by **Alec** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:03 pm

Hello Paul,

Colchester Student. I use it frequently but have never adapted it for milling operations.

Alec

Post by **paulk** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:31 pm

Excellent machine
We've got a Colchester Chipmaster and Colchester Triumph 2000 and they're brilliant.

This site has lots of info

http://www.lathes.co.uk/

and some ideas for attachments/tools

Happy turning

Post by **Alec** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:02 pm

Hello Paul,

thank you for that.

Alec

Post by **6thdude** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:43 am

Hi guys,
I inherited a few tools and machines from my dad, including 2 morris minors. The lathe is quite a small hobby one, S Tyzcak & Son, London. Never heard of them!!!
It doesn't run true at the minute so I can't use it

Needs stripping down and fiddling with I fear.
Paul, that website likes like it's got some good stuff in it, I'll have a better look when the boss is out!

Jim

Post by **paulk** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:48 am

Tyzack & sons were very old toolmakers. Some of my inherited saws are Tyzack and very good they are too. They were bought out/merged with one of the big tool companies but I forget which.

To true up the lathe, The website should give some general pointers depending on wether it's the head thats adrift or the tailstock.

Post by **6thdude** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:01 am

Do you mean they were very old men or it was a long time ago?

It's the chuck thats not centering properly I think.
Jim

Post by **paulk** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:35 am

Depending on the type of chuck it might be easier to pick up another one rather than muck about with the old one.

Actually looking into it Tyzack tools only went bust in 1989 but some parts of the company have broken off to do other things.

Post by **6thdude** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:55 am

Hi Paul,
I took the chuck off last night, it's a screw on type and looks in pretty poor condition. Do you know a good place to get a replacement?
I found a web site about S Tyzack & Son, it turns out that mine's a 1930's model - still going strong - and would have cost about £4.
I think the tail stock is slightly out of alignment too but it's not adjustable, more investigation is required I think!!
Jim