arc welding

[canalosa1]

Hi
im new to this forum be kind
trying to learn to arc weld i have a cosmo 200 and im doing some wrought iron work welding 10mm square to 3 and 5 mm flat sometimes it welds ok but a lot of time it either welds on the flat and other times welds on the 10mm square.After reading a few posts i cranked up the amps and this a bit better.Am i doing something wrong.
am used to gas welding ( different )
thanks

 

[rtbcomp]

Welcome to the forum! I've just had the same problem. looks like it's welded but absolutely no penetration on one side.

I was holding the rod too close to the horizontal and not enough amps. Also I found it useful to make absolutely sure I penetrated both pieces when starting before moving the rod along to make sure both bits were properly earthed.

 

[canalosa1]

thanks rtbcomp
how do you know when youve penetrated both pieces

 

[canalosa1]

also would it be better to mig weld rather than use an arc welder

 

[rtbcomp]

thanks rtbcomp
how do you know when youve penetrated both pieces

You can see the weld pool melt into both bits.

also would it be better to mig weld rather than use an arc welder

Personal choice really. I used arc because my MIG's a SIP

 

[Drains]

canalosa. You have to learn to see what the weldpool is doing. If it looks brighter in the middle than the edges, than you are failing to join. The bright bit is the molten slag.

To get the joining weld going you can try a few things - push the rod in, for a really tight arc, or pull the rod away a little. You can slow down, you can change the angle of rod to work - either in the angle you are dragging (10 degrees off the perpendicular is about right), or the angle in relation to the 2 pieces.

It's really hard to tell you where you are going wrong, as different makes and types of rod can require different techniques. The best advice I can give for a fillet weld on the flat is to have the amps as high as the rod will take.

 

[weldingscotty803]

i am guessing your using 3.25's?

 

[canalosa1]

thanks drains and weldingscotty
am using e6013 rods
would it be better to be mig welding or not

thanks

 

[Drains]

would it be better to be mig welding or not

Not necessarily. Mig is easier to do, in principal, but needs more gear to set up. Also, a decent mig costs an extra lot more. You can do a good arc weld with the cheapest of welders, some good rods, and acquired skill.

 

[weldingscotty803]

how much welding are you gonna be doing?
if its just a one off job then stick with the arc welder, if your gonna be doing it as a bit on the side kinda thing then try and get a mig. i had to do a few railings and some mot work with my stick before i could afford a mig. plus its paid for itself about 5 times over now.
stick with the arc for a one off or get a mig if your gonna be doing a few
hth scott

 

[canalosa1]

thanks weldingscotty will be doing a lot in the future hopefully.
at the moment am getting the hang of the arc welder after buying more rods which i thought were a lot thicker than i had been using but turns out they are doing a better job am getting some good beads now.
Presumably mig welding is a lot quicker but takes a bit more time to get set up or am i wrong.

 

[weldingscotty803]

stick with the arc mate til you get good at it. then buy a mig after a few jobs.
migs are only as hard to set up as you make them. once you have done a few test welds thats it. its just about getting the hang of all the different settings etc

 

[canalosa1]

hi guys
what do you think of cebora pocket turbo 130 welders.
cheers
canalosa1

 

[Weldingartisan]

canalosa1; You say that you can gas weld, so think of the arc rod as a gas nozzle (leftwood technique) regarding angles and heat distribution for thick to thin sections. It will not always be correct (overhead for example) but will give a good guide. W/A

 

[canalosa1]

hi guys
can anyone tell me if a Sealey 180Amp MIG Welder 230V Welding, Weld Mag S0817 is an o-k- welder to buy
thanks all

 

[canalosa1]

thanks to all that posted replies