Are these fillets ok?

[gordonendersby]

Hi all,

Some more of my practice/teaching myself photos for comment please.
Rally appreciating the comments so far they are helping a lot.

Ive been working on my fillets but they look too proud to me from the tuition videos and pictures ive seen. Shouldnt they be flatter almost 45% across the weld to the two pieces of steel. I cant seem to get the weld flatter.
Ive tried making the legs longer. But just cant seem to manage it or is what you see here ok?

Clarke 135te
3mm steel, wire speed 8, amps max1, travel push with a bit of wiggle on the legs. Steel was wire brushed and degreased with panel wipe. Still working on keeping my travel speed constant and getting myself in the right position to keep everything steady. Ignore the non starter on the left, wasnt sitting comfortably at all.

From the end looking down the weld. Is this too raised?

And verticle, travelling up, same settings but is a little flatter.

Thanks in advance,

Gordon

 

[backpurge]

Travel faster and don't weave, you're putting down far too much weld metal, maybe increase volts or decrease wire as well

 

[Wozzaaah]

As BP says, you need to be running way hotter than that, those welds are just blobbed on the surface and probably have little to no penetration.
You'll need to be on max 2 on that little machine I reckon, it's only just about capable of handling 3mm.
Forget wire brushing, that won't remove millscale, use an angle grinder and get all the scale off.
Forget vertical up for now too, that's definitely a case of running before walking tbh.

 

[gordonendersby]

So it is supposed to be flatter?

I was cleaning it up on the wire brush on my bench grinder so it was taking material off. Ill try the hand grinder next time with the flap disks and be a bit more aggressive. Just a bit fiddly grinding those smaller bits of steel.

I was pausing on the legs before moving across to the other leg and pausing again in a sort of semi circle weave. When I tried decreasing the wire speed there was just less weld same raised profile. I was travelling pushing slowly with the weave as I thought that would give the best penetration.
The back of the weld showed the weld just about to blister so I seemed to have what I thought was reasonable penetration.

With the same settings on an overlap with 3mm I was getting good results.
I was getting good penetration on the bottom piece and seeing the top edge of the top piece pulling back a tiny bit. The weld was flatter and not above the top piece of material.

Does the filleted joint generally need to be hotter and need more amps than an overlap with the same thickness steel?

Thanks again for taking the time and the comments. I appreciate it.

Gordon

 

[backpurge]

Gordon, as stated earlier.......do not weave, it is a bad habit to get into and produces welds with no penetration at the root

 

[gordonendersby]

I got the impression that the weave,zigzag or half moon movement was supposed to help push the weld pool and make sure the weld penetrated both surfaces properly.
I think I'm getting confused with all the information out there.
Can you recommend any youtube tutorials that are reliable?
Its a pity its not possible for me to get to an evening course as I can see that it would really help to get me started properly. not possible due to health and distance.

Ill try it tomorrow. Ive run out of 3mm steel till I can get to the stockist.
Ive got some 2mm ill try with that for now.
Should I stick with pushing. Isnt that supposed to help the penetration?

Does the fillet nead more heat/amps than an overlap joint?

thanks

Gordon


I

 

[gordonendersby]

Had another go today with 2mm steel, cleaned up with a flap disk and degreased. Same settings but with slower wire speed to 7.
Kept the same power settings as I had 2mm instead of 3mm practice material.

This has been cut up after I welded it as I wanted to see a cross section to check the penetration.

This is the fillet in profile. Its still convex though, not flat.

I tried grinding the weld apart on some other practice pieces and couldnt believe how hard it was to separate. The weld had penetrated both pieces.

Is this better?

Thanks

Gordon

 

[backpurge]

That looks a lot better, you will find it very hard to get a totally flat weld in dip transfer.

Just concentrate on pointing the wire right into the joint between the two plates, keep your angles consistent and up your travel speed a bit and you will be just about there

 

[steve.h]

I find it frustrating that people say that you must not weave when welding, and that it is a bad habbit, So why is it in the Tutorials ?? I used these tutorials to learn to weld, so I am now hearing that what I learnt was wrong ?? whats going on....

 

[gordonendersby]

Backpurge, Thanks, consistency will come with more practice.
I also need some more light in my garage so I can see what im doing properly.
Im off to the stockist tomorrow for a dive in the offcuts bin and some more strips of 2mm and 3mm. I think ill get some thinner stuff as well to try.

Ill get to the chassis on my defender sooner or later.
Im confident that I can do the bracket I need to replace now.
and the plug welds in place of half a dozen spot welds on the C pillar.
Bit more practice for the rear body outrigger. Thats a 3mm plate with the outrigger on it, to be overlapped on to the side of the chassis.

Steve.h, I know what you mean, there are a lot of tutorials out there that look good but which ones should you follow?
Im going to start destructive testing my practice pieces.
From what Ive seen on the net if the weld looks good, holds and the steel breaks outside the weld then the weld is good.

Backpurge, Is that a good idea?

Gordon

 

[Hitch]

Weaving isn't necessary for what you are doing there, not the ones done in the flat anyway.

If you are doing a large weld, it maybe necessary to do a weave for the cap, of if you have a bad fit up of the join, a large gap for example, they a weave may be needed to get the weld onto both sides of the joint.

What you are practicing there though, point straight into the middle of the joint, with the torch at about 70 degrees to the joint, move in a straight line, and try and keep the speed nice and steady.

 

[backpurge]

Backpurge


From what Ive seen on the net if the weld looks good, holds and the steel breaks outside the weld then the weld is good.

Backpurge, Is that a good idea?

Gordon

Yep, it will also give you more confidence

Rather than just trying to rag pieces apart in the vice try doing some fillet nick break tests, these will give you a bit better insight

 

[chunkolini]

fillet nick break tests
Sounds intersting, what are they?

 

[octo0072000]

looking a lot better gorden keep up the good work

 

[Paul.]

fillet nick break tests
Sounds intersting, what are they?

Using a nick usually made by a hacksaw cut, to break a weld sample in a controlled manner to examine the penetration
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/wiki/Nick-break

 

[gordonendersby]

I had to look that up as well.
Sounds really useful for a beginner like myself.
I cant quite work out where the cut is made on the fillet weld.
I havnt been able to find a diagram showing the "nick" in the weld.
Are you cutting the full length of the Weld from the face diagonaly towards where the two pieces meet?
Then putting it face down and pressing/hitting from above?

Gordon

 

[wheresmejumper]

sip merlin did this a while ago
im sure he wont mind

 

[gordonendersby]

Thanks
Just as I had pictured from the very wordy technical descriptions id been trying to read.

Gordon