DaleMX Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 My Lincon was doing the sputtering thing again tonight, I loosed the wing nut holding the spool a bit allowing the wire to feed consistently and it completely solved the problem. It was popping and sputtering, but when the wire fed right it sounded like bacon in a frying pan and made really nice welds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Funny what effect fine tuning your machine can have on a nice weld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some-Guy Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 the little sponge with wire/cleaner lube is a necesit I would say everyone should put one on there specially the guys whos welders sit for long perionds between use keaps the wire clean and flowing smoothly down the line! And also go buy some ANTI SPATTER SPRAY it makes a HUGE diffrence I dont weld without a coat on whatever Iam welding (i hate spatter) http://store.cyberweld.com/anspray.html hell we get it 24 cans at a time! look up anti spatter on google Ill find out what kind I use i cant think of the name of the top of my head but damn it works good. these guys here http://www.intercononline.com/jokisch/antispat.htm Jokisch make absolutly fantastic products they have a high pressure lubricate that works amazing for drilling cutting stainless or anything for that matter...I imagine their anti spatter would kick *** too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzzzzzz Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Several good points have been made here. I use the wire cleaner/lubricators between the spool and drive too. These do make a difference. You can buy them in a package at the welding supply to change out over time. The only thing no one mentioned was checking to be sure you have a really good ground. It is even more important on a low amperage welder where attempting good penetration is difficult in thicker materials. Also try to bevel the areas of weld for a deeper and thicker weld bead. As for these brackets I'd say they should hold up. If you break one of these welds you probably have bigger issues to deal with! lastly, I hate flux core wire and would only use it in windy conditions with no alternatives. Multiple passes using solid wire will get this kind of job done where needed. Slower wire speed with max heat and pooling the weld in small circles (much like tig welding) can give you better penetration with a low amperage welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 I appreciate all the help guys Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 73TPIZ: When I was taking welding classes, I started with O/A, then stick then MIG. When I got to MIG, we actually started with flux core, and the instructor actually brought out some tips that he had done what I recommended to do after all of us were having the same problem. I was merely passing on information I got from my instructor. He explained that the tip got so hot (with flux core) it expanded and the hole shrunk. Not meaning to denigrate your advice, but any time I can avoid contaminating a weld with something not designed for welding purposes, I'm all for it - wheather there is an issue or not - the less of anything not metal the better - maybe it will float out and maybe it won't. I certainly did not intend to offend as you have. If you're so insecure that you were offended by the way I said what I said, you must be a real piece of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some-Guy Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 ohh ya I didnt even think about a good ground comon sense tho... I usualy grind an area for the ground clamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted April 7, 2006 Author Share Posted April 7, 2006 Okay, just a thought... the metal that I purchased had a thin layer of something grey on it to prevent rust from forming. I didn't use my angle grinder to clean up a spot on the metal for the ground, because the area I was welding was within inches of where the ground was. Should I have cleaned the spot down where the ground was attached? Could this also have been my problem? I just figured, it's metal ,with no crap on it (rust, dirt, paint) so, why should I clean it, right? I placed the ground on the metal, wiggled it back and forth to make sure it's seated nice, and went on to weld. Should I have done differently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 The first piece of DOM tubing I got had a coating on it. I couldn't figure out what the hell was up with it, but I couldn't weld it for ****. Then I finally wised up and used a die grinder with a sanding disk and took the coating off. In this case the coating wasn't really apparent at first, it almost looked like it wasn't coated at all. Once the sandpaper started cutting though you could see the difference though, and the welds were 100% better after removing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Okay, just a thought... the metal that I purchased had a thin layer of something grey on it to prevent rust from forming. I didn't use my angle grinder to clean up a spot on the metal for the ground, because the area I was welding was within inches of where the ground was. Should I have cleaned the spot down where the ground was attached? Could this also have been my problem? I just figured, it's metal ,with no crap on it (rust, dirt, paint) so, why should I clean it, right? I placed the ground on the metal, wiggled it back and forth to make sure it's seated nice, and went on to weld. Should I have done differently? Matt, what I think your talking about is called scale. It is best to remove this before welding. I really like the roto gasket remover disc on a 2" angle die grinder to help clean up welding areas. I use this for both the area to be welded and the area that I'm going to place my ground. Also you want to wipe the area with acetone just before welding to make sure it very clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some-Guy Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 the cleaner the better ya I usualy grind a little spot to atach the clamp even if the metal is clean just good practice and it only takes 30 seconds..And you must always grind away the scale or it will leave porosity in your weld and it will weld crappy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted April 7, 2006 Author Share Posted April 7, 2006 Scale - Oxidation of metal due to heat resulting in relatively heavy surface layers of oxide. Isn't that rust? I tried looking for pictures on the interweb, but couldn't find any. Wait, nevermind... found some more info. : Oxidation - The addition of oxygen to a compound. Exposure to atmosphere sometimes results in oxidation of the exposed surface, hence a staining or discoloration. This effect is increased with temperature increase. Okay, NOW I understand At any rate, the area's that I welded were ground down a bit and cleaned up with a sanding disc, but I didn't even think to use cleaner, like acetone. I'll remember to clean a spot for the ground everytime from now on. I learned a lot in this thread. I have been wanting to go to a welding class at the local college, but 3 times a week at 4 hours a day is a bit much. Maybe when I get a TIG welder, I'll make time to take classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I used acetone on my DOM before welding that first time but it didn't take the coating off. I don't think mine was scale or oxidation. It was some protective coating put on by the metal distributor I'm sure. The other metal (sheet, plate, and tube) that I've gotten from various sources has all been greased. This one place doesn't sell it greased and you can handle it without getting your hands dirty, but it doesn't weld right unless you sand that top layer of crap off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 DOM and 4130 tubing typically have a gray/green surface coating called "mill scale." It needs to be cleaned off before welding. 220 grit sandpaper quickly takes it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Mill scale. I see. It definitely wasn't rust. I also had some plate with a bluish tinted coating that really resisted a grinder with a flap wheel on it. Any idea what that is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I also had some plate with a bluish tinted coating that really resisted a grinder with a flap wheel on it. Any idea what that is? That's a radioactive mercury based coating used on nuclear pressure vessels. You shouldn't breath the dust or touch it with your bare hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Good to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 73TPIZ Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 73TPIZ: When I was taking welding classes' date=' I started with O/A, then stick then MIG. When I got to MIG, we actually started with flux core, and the instructor actually brought out some tips that he had done what I recommended to do after all of us were having the same problem. I was merely passing on information I got from my instructor. He explained that the tip got so hot (with flux core) it expanded and the hole shrunk. Not meaning to denigrate your advice, but any time I can avoid contaminating a weld with something not designed for welding purposes, I'm all for it - wheather there is an issue or not - the less of anything not metal the better - maybe it will float out and maybe it won't. I certainly did not intend to offend as you have. If you're so insecure that you were offended by the way I said what I said, ............[/quote'] See how you disagreed with my idea and backed it up with a background on your expertise to give it merit. Didn't hurt so bad typing it out, did it? FWIW, I'd bet the strength from a smooth, penetrating weld far outweighs the risk of weakness from introducing contamenent into it. And since my butt is on the weld, I'll take a that risk over a gobbed up weld anyday, which I've seen many other butts riding on down the track and street. I'll put my welds up against any weekend hobbyist (and a few pros) anyday. Of course the pros probably don't have wire sitting so long it gets some rust on it. If someone can do what I suggest and have a smooth, penetrating weld, and not a bunch of metal balls laying on a joint, ground down, only to put more balls on top of the metal, then let it go as "OK", I think that's a good thing. Trust me, more people with Lincoln 135's at home have my level of expertise than have your level. And when they run into a problem, they won't run out and by new tips, new wire, etc (as they and I should). They'll just say OK to the best crappy weld they can muster. So you have advice for the professional world and environment and I feel I have some advice for the amateur in the imperfect world. 73TPIZ: If you're so insecure that you were offended by the way I said what I said' date=' you must be a real piece of work.[/quote'] Point is, "by the way I said what I said" only applies when you say something, which you did not in your first post. I'm good at reading some people, but I can assure you I did not get all of the above from your 3 dots. And yes it offended me, but I got my required 8 hrs of sleep the next day (I'm on nights). If you check my record here (read some of my posts), you'll find I'm not that bad a member here (don't post much, help when I can, leap tall buildings in a single bound, yadda, yadda, yadda). I did the same for you, and saw your first post was out of character and not appreciated. I'm sure anyone you disagree with would appreciate a post similar to above, not your first one. A difference of opinion, informative, backed up with level of expertise, etc. In short, the HybridZ way. 73TPIZ:............. you must be a real piece of work. You have that as an opinion now. If you want to know that as fact, I can get some testamonials from the ex-wife and some ex-girlfriends, cause this crap ain't even a blip on the a__hole radar. :) Take care Brad, See you at SEZ someday, but don't line up beside me, cause my strategy is to have pieces of weld fly out of my car halfway down the track to distract the other driver.LOL Later, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted April 7, 2006 Author Share Posted April 7, 2006 Wow Okay guys, no more please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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