Test welds Clarke 135TE - feedback please

[Captain Tuba]

Hi Folks
I've just done some test welds and would welcome your comments.

Clarke 135TE,
0.6mm wire,
universal argon mix,
18 gauge / 1.2mm mild steel.

#1 & #2 not quiet enough penetration

#3 & #4 have good penetration but #4 is a little flatter.

#5 & #6 too much power

The lowest power setting & feed rate F6 seems about right. With a bit of practice I might be able to use the next higher power setting - but I don't know if it would help.

Your comments please.
Cheers
C.T.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Looking good CT! You seem to have got the hang of it.

 

[LeeW]

I have the same welder as you and have been trying to weld 1 mm steel. I am having problems with undercuting, have any of your welds got undercut?

 

[malcolm]

Captain Tuba - it's difficult to get an idea of scale from the photos, but the heat affected zone looks very wide compared to the welds, which would make the welds themselves a little thin. I'd try to get more side to side movement as you go along like this as that will make it easier to get the metal to melt 2 bits of metal when you come to joining things together.

Lee - have you posted photos of the undercutting? I recall you mentioned it in another thread. On thicker metal (3mm plus) I tend to get undercutting with too much power.

 

[Captain Tuba]

Thanks folks - here are some more photos with a scale.

I didn't weave at all.
The welds are 4 to 5mm wide.
Weld run #3 is the tallest at 2mm
The other welds are about 1mm tall/high.

No obvious signs of undercutting - though I'd like to see a picture of what it looks like.

On one of the weld runs with a higher feed rate I could feel the wire touching the bottom of the weld pool.

Next I'm going to practice butt welds with a weave.

Cheers
C.T.

 

[ozzman]

hello mate just 1 question are you 'pushing' your weld, i.e you start on the right hand side of the workpiece then push the weld pool along the metal so it forms behind the torch.

Or are you pulling the weld pool from left to right. as it looks to me that your pulling the weld pool, which is incorrect for mig welding. as its MMA (stick welding) that you pull from the left to right.

oh yea undercut is when you get a small divot between the 'toe' (side) fo the weld and the workpiece that you are welding.

 

[Captain Tuba]

Well spotted - yes these welds were pulled, a bad habit from learning arc welding.

Though the tutorials suggest that it won't make much difference on thin metal.

So I really have to practice "pushing" and "weaving".

Cheers
C.T.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Regarding pulling and pushing, I don't think there's a right and a wrong about it but pulling gives slightly more penetration. We had this come up in a thread a little while back and it seems that the general opinion is that it's the other way round i.e pushing=more. I did some test welds then cut and etched them and can confirm it's pulling that gives better penetration. For thin metal, I always push.