How to get such a decorative weld?

[Tangledfeet]

Thank you, guys. I'll need a decorative weld (maybe). We need to try this technique. Tomorrow I start moving to a new apartment, it is cheaper, further from the city, has its own garden and woodshed.

Of the minuses - heating with wood, hot water from a gas boiler using liquefied expensive gas. The gas stove is also from a small cylinder. There is no kitchen (furniture and white appliances) as such. It will have to be made from scratch to my liking. And I want to use metal as much as possible. One of these days I'll be raiding the recycling center for a dishwasher and washing machine. There will be fuel for Instagram.

What is your Instagram, Sergei?

 

[E T]

The slag should be lighter than molten steel and should float.

That's not slag. Looks like silicon deposits to me.

 

[Brad93]

cold lap with a mig

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

What is your Instagram, Sergei?

BRUTTO_FERRUM

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

That's not slag. Looks like silicon deposits to me.

Looks like glassy metallurgical slag.

 

[Erie Fred]

The slag should be lighter than molten steel and should float.

"Should".....It's a cold process, isn't much time for the slag to float out.

 

[henry Kadzielski]

My two cents worth. Fronius make the process happen differently, using software on the machine. It's called PMC and whilst using the double pulse function. It can been seen on their demo vids welding a alloy bike frame. I haven't got it to that level yet, but on S/S with solid wire, in all positions, I can bridge gaps and finish up with a mitered shiny weld. All of which I have never been able to do. I don't have time to play, improve, and better understand the process, I just need to get the job done and then move to the next. As long as I get what I want / need I don't look any further and move to the next job. AS can be seen from the PMC vid on the Fronius web site this is a wonderful process and the finish is also great. Something for me to aspire to

 

[Jack Ryan]

There are a lot of new processes being developed to enable better puddle control, better gap spanning and other things to improve the reliability and repeatability of welding. The likes of Fronius, Ewm, Lincoln and Miller have done a significant amount of research on the subject.

Some of those processes result in a “MIG like TIG” appearance.

Then there seems to be another layer of manufacturers that have implemented double pulse for the purpose of creating MIG like TIG welds. I don’t know if the weld is improved beyond aesthetics.

Finally, there is a large group that uses a MIG like TIG technique to make pretty welds. Apparently, their customers demand these pretty welds. The technique is based on GMAW-S (a cold process) and the torch is manipulated (often using a whip motion) to pile up fill and then move on so that it freezes where it “stands”. It is a colder version of GMAW-S.

Here are some MIG like TIG experts:

Here is an argument against:

I didn’t watch all the videos, but they seem typical of the for and against arguments.

Jack

 

[Dozzer]

The slag should be lighter than molten steel and should float.

Just wondering about the weld pool running cold and allowing the back of each weld to skin over and not get fully reabsorbed into the molten metal?
Was taught when we were doing structural stuff on dump trucks and excavators many years ago that we should never weave or stitch weld unless welding uphill as it would be weaker, but we would normally manipulate the part do it was always flat if we could.

 

[Morrisman]

Definitely not "walking the cup", those photos are a technique known as "MIG like TIG", which serves no real purpose other than to get oohs and ahhs from people who only care that welds look pretty.

I’ve seen a few tv car modding shows that seem to prefer mig welding in a series of lumps, rather than fairly smooth and even welds. I’m not sure why, or for what benefit. It doesn’t look like the well known ‘roll of dimes’ weld either.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I’ve seen a few tv car modding shows that seem to prefer mig welding in a series of lumps, rather than fairly smooth and even welds. I’m not sure why, or for what benefit. It doesn’t look like the well known ‘roll of dimes’ weld either.

Difficult to say without seeing it but other than rubbish welding other reasons could be spot taking because the material is too thin to take a bead, or stitch welding to reduce distortion.

 

[Morrisman]

Difficult to say without seeing it but other than rubbish welding other reasons could be spot taking because the material is too thin to take a bead, or stitch welding to reduce distortion.

This was in 1/4” plate fabrication of brackets and suchforth.

 

[God mode restorations]

The technique is mig. It's used alot on desert racing trucks chassis and suspension components for off road sports . And those motors take serious abuse . If the technique is applied properly should be plenty strong enough. It's also used alot on hotrod cars ect.

 

[frank horton]

how about this then....

 

[Jack Ryan]

how about this then....

Braze welding with gas, "dimes" for effect. I don't see gas braze welding much at all. But then, I don't get out much.

There is no root fusion in this case so root penetration is not (the same) issue.

When it comes down to it, there is maximum strength and then there is required strength. In addition, the effectiveness of a process or procedure needs to be properly tested against requirements and for repeatability. Opinions don't matter much.

Jack

 

[PhillipM]

The technique is mig. It's used alot on desert racing trucks chassis and suspension components for off road sports . And those motors take serious abuse . If the technique is applied properly should be plenty strong enough. It's also used alot on hotrod cars ect.

Most of the suspension components on those are overbuilt as hell to make up for it, and they'll have 4 yards of cold lap mig on a part attached by a couple of horizontal rose joints, so the welds aren't really the weak spot. FWIW one of the FSAE teams did a full analysis on a Trophy Truck suspension setup a few years back, it might still be on the forums, but even without changing the geometery they managed to loose half the unsprung weight out of the suspension and still ended up with stronger components...

Pointing at the desert lot doing it and therefore it being amazing is pretty disingenuous. Their welds aren't stressed anywhere near what they'd like you to believe. They absolutely do it because when it comes to amateur racing, pretty sells parts.

 

[God mode restorations]

Most of the suspension components on those are overbuilt as hell to make up for it, and they'll have 4 yards of cold lap mig on a part attached by a couple of horizontal rose joints, so the welds aren't really the weak spot. FWIW one of the FSAE teams did a full analysis on a Trophy Truck suspension setup a few years back, it might still be on the forums, but even without changing the geometery they managed to loose half the unsprung weight out of the suspension and still ended up with stronger components...

Pointing at the desert lot doing it and therefore it being amazing is pretty disingenuous. Their welds aren't stressed anywhere near what they'd like you to believe. They absolutely do it because when it comes to amateur racing, pretty sells parts.

I never said it was amazing. I was just pointing out the fact that they use the technique as do other motorsports. Good or bad strong or weak is completely irrelevant to me.

 

[PhillipM]

I never said it was amazing. I was just pointing out the fact that they use the technique as do other motorsports. Good or bad strong or weak is completely irrelevant to me.

As soon as you get outside amateur motorsports it stops getting done. And most other motorsports are using much thinner steels so it's generally the TMT that you see there, not this.

 

[Cheesie]

It's 100% mig if you don't like that you should see dome of the roll cages I've seen

 

[8ob]

how about this then....

Eric Cheney bless him could tell you which of his guys built a frame from a quick glance of the weld/braze. they were based locally and it was somewhere to go drool over some very nice bikes

Bob