My 1st and 2nd weld

[cumbriasteve]

Well with my new Portamig that is, am a stick welder normally, did some MIG many moon ago.

After fitting my reel of wire I fired the machine up on a medium setting, it was like world war 3, spluttering and banging, pushing the torch away from the weld...hmmmm..not good at all.

The 2nd weld was at the following portamig settings, course 2, fine 4 and wire at speed 1.

So in my simple thought process I think this is about 70 % of the 235 amp range, but the wire on next to nothing, which seems a bit strange.

The 2nd weld looks not too bad and the pool was nice, as was the sound.

Views, opinions, help more than welcome.

 

[BChild]

No offence intended but why start at high settings on thick metal - you chew through wire quickly and it doesn't really teach you much about set up changes and effects (unless that's what you are going to be welding all the time)

 

[Sparkey]

No offence intended but why start at high settings on thick metal - you chew through wire quickly and it doesn't really teach you much about set up changes and effects (unless that's what you are going to be welding all the time)

Why not?

The thicker stuff is much more forgiving you know...only to get a feel for it!

No need to wire brush it like that Steve,i know you're used to that with the stick but it will not make the welds look better!
Try joining two bits together now!

 

[cumbriasteve]

No offence intended but why start at high settings on thick metal - you chew through wire quickly and it doesn't really teach you much about set up changes and effects (unless that's what you are going to be welding all the time)

No offence taken at all and your comments are welcome, yes I am using heavyish stuff all the time so need to practice on it.

Getting some nice welds now but occasionaly I feel the wire slightly pushing away from the metal, suspect it may be the scale not earthing too great.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Why not?

The thicker stuff is much more forgiving you know...only to get a feel for it!

No need to wire brush it like that Steve,i know you're used to that with the stick but it will not make the welds look better!
Try joining two bits together now!

Yes have done the 2 bits together, my vice and a bit of box section, was a good weld ...when I did not want it to be.

The old wire brush does remove the slightly sooty brown surround left when finished, perhaps cos I am oonly using co2 and not a mix

 

[Sparkey]

No offence taken at all and your comments are welcome, yes I am using heavyish stuff all the time so need to practice on it.

Getting some nice welds now but occasionaly I feel the wire slightly pushing away from the metal, suspect it may be the scale not earthing too great.

Uhm...scale? where did you put your earthing clamp then?

Any more pics?

 

[scarecrow]

I'm learning mig as well after spending years with stick .
also finding it a bit funny that you can weld at the lower settings and higher settings with the same size wire I'm only using gassless at the moment it really is a horrible stuff even if I'm getting some good welds with it the biggest difference I find is not being able to see the weldpool because the Shroud is so big compare to a rod (the pull technique doesn't really suit mig)

just one question should you be able to see the wire it goes into the weldpool
as it seems if you have the speed to slow it seems to disintegrate before it hits the weldpool then if it is too fast you can feel it pushing you away

 

[cumbriasteve]

Uhm...scale? where did you put your earthing clamp then?

Any more pics?

I thought the brown stuff was just a residue or something, it did not have any thickness like scale does.

I think you may have something there, the steel was in the vice and the clamp was under the bench clipped onto the bolt holding the vice down.

Thats how the arc welder is used, which I suppose is easier to strike up with the rod being a larger diameter......or am I talking rubbish

 

[cumbriasteve]

I'm learning mig as well after spending years with stick .
also finding it a bit funny that you can weld at the lower settings and higher settings with the same size wire I'm only using gassless at the moment it really is a horrible stuff even if I'm getting some good welds with it the biggest difference I find is not being able to see the weldpool because the Shroud is so big compare to a rod (the pull technique doesn't really suit mig)

just one question should you be able to see the wire it goes into the weldpool
as it seems if you have the speed to slow it seems to disintegrate before it hits the weldpool then if it is too fast you can feel it pushing you away

We are a bit the same with our learning, most of my welding is on thick stuff, I have it now where the shroud is back a bit from the weld and I can see the wire ok, it is melting just above the surface of the pool.

An interesting point, I was fiddling with the controls and for a while had the machine welding where there was nearly no sound at all from the arc...it was great and you just knew it was the perfect setting...then I moved things