Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Monya, i'm not sold on the gasless mig...........most people who REALLY use mig turn their nose up at it bad. I'm lucky i have a mate with a proper mig at his place, he is an engine builder, builds customs and Hd's. Its fun going over there and giving him a hand when he feels like his harley needs more of a "rake". Modesty is so rare now, i'm like "dude, you're a god with metal" and he's like "nah, its not much" but then again he says the same about when i help him out with computers and electrical, doesn't seem like maginc to me! I guess it just depends on what you're into.......... I cant wair thill his three phase lathe get sparked up

Enough banter for me ATM, i'm going to translocate some perch outside........Hmmmmm...........do i need a permit for this ? LOL

CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE ALL THE BITS FOR MY GREENHOUSE, THIS WAS THE WEEKEND FOR A BIG START AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY POURING HERE

Welcome to my weekend last week

Had a play with my welder this afternoon. Just ran some beads on a piece of flat steel. I must say that I didn't do very well, the beads were not straight, were not even in height or width. I also bent a piece of the steel so one end came back onto the steel and I welded it to itself. The weld is strong, but is messy and has some carbon pits.

Anyway, it was my first go and I'm sure I will get better. I should dod a bit of internet research for further tips. I didn't play with the amps after I started, so that may have helped (i'm not sure of the signs of it being too high or too low) and I also don't know if I was using the best width electrode. I just used the ones that came with the welder (which may have taken some moisture in over the last 2 years - but I thought I may as well use them up while practicing).

I bought a relativelly cheap helmet from B - $25 I think. Would love one of the self darkenning ones - but they were $125. By the time I was doing the join weld, the sun had dropped a bit or there was some cloud and I could hardly even see the piece of metal through the viser - made it kind of difficult and I think this was one of the reasons this weld had the pits.

I gotta say I'm quite excited now about the prospect of being able to use this skill (when I get it) to do all sorts of things around the place - including my greenhouse, grow bed stands and some racks for my box trailer to hold my recently purchased bass catcher type canoe (which was an ebay impulse buy - but that is another story).

Practice, Practice, Practice

To practice, start with scraps of thicker steel, and higher amps, and work your way down.

Look at the Maximum output (AMPS) of the welder, then look at the Amperage range of the gauge of electrodes you are using, if the welders max output can only supply the mid range power for those electrodes, go to a smaller gauge electrode.

A smaller gauge electrode working closer to its max amperage (or over it) will give better penetration than a larger electrode running in its lower range.

"Starting" will be easier with a smaler electrode using higher amps.

If you are right handed, to start a weld, draw the electrode from left to right, with the electrode at aprox 45 degrees to the metal, when it starts arking pause in that position for a short while to allow a molten pool to build up, then slowly draw the electrode across.

Play with varying the distance of the electrode from the metal, watch the ark, noticing the further away you get the more "unstable" it gets till it cuts out all toghether.

Play with the angles you hold the electrode, in both the horizontal and vertical, noticing how the pool builds and where the metal builds up toward one direction or the other.

Play with changing amperage you are using, start of at the higher end range and step down 5 to 10 amps at a time till you get to the min range.

You will find that the higher the amps, the greater the penetration of the weld, so the thinner the material the lower the amps.

For the handyman welders, I tend to go for one size down from the largest electode it can handle, and work in the higher amperage range, I tend to get the best preformance from the welder this way.

For say a 140 amp welder I would use a 12 gauge (2.5mm dia, amps range 50 - 90) and run it at between 90 to 115 amps.

Better to run a smaller electrode hotter and get good penatration, than a larger electrode at lower amps getting the same penetration.

Larger electrodes at lower amps tend to "stick" easier when trying to "start" a weld, as they don't generate enough heat to start the "pool".


Warren

Good infor Warren. I played around more last night following some exercises that I found in a very comprehensive instruction I found on the internet.

I just need to practice more I think. My biggest problems at this stage is keeping the bead straight and seeing what I am doing. It is just so dark through the mask. Will be better when I do it in full sunlight. Last night I did my practice under artificial light (a halogen shining directly on the work) and turned off any backlight. I am starting to think a more expensive mask (one that darkens when u start the weld) might be a necessary investment (one day).

thanks warren, good tips