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Posted by Bob La Londe on July 19, 2008, 9:01 pm
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>I have been playing with this thing some more, and I think I may be ready
>to buy some sheet and plate to start on my first project a lot quicker than
>I originally planned. I've been welding a variety of junk for simple
>corner, and t joints and once you set the machine up right for each size
>stock it actually does a pretty darn good job. I still need a lot more
>practice with stock at the lower limit, but still... wow. this is a lot
>easier than I was lead to believe. I'm no expert or anything, probably
>never will be, but I'm betting I can setup and do basic jobs pretty quick.
>
> After my results last night with the thin wall stuff I was really
> disappointed with my results on thicker materials when I first started
> playing today. Then I realized I was reading the chart for steel.
>
> I had a problem for a while with using the Miller chart exactly for
> material thickness, but when I dropped power one setting and increased
> wire speed a little above what the chart says I got some pretty darn good
> looking welds.
>
> Is that normal? To have to fine tune and find what works best for each
> machine?
>
> I'm still getting a bit of sooty residue, which if I recall means I've got
> the gun angle wrong, but when I cut the welds apart on the saw I don't see
> any voids or seems in the material. I still have to move a lot faster
> than I am used to or I'll sag through, but dang. My best looking welds
> were on 3/16 or larger. I made T and corner joints with it, and I even
> filled in drilled holes upto about 3/16. I get a little cratering on
> that, but not enough that it cracks. I've got an idea though that if I
> fill them in two passes I'll not have that problem at all. It is going to
> take some practice to get gun speed just right, and keep my distance just
> right, but I think if I do a practice run or two before tackling each new
> project or material thickness for a while I'll be alright.
>
> I suspect setup is going to be a trick when I start welding different size
> sheet and plate together, but I figured I'ld just start with my adjusted
> settings for the thinner material and go from there.
>
> I've been using up my spool of .030 4043 for all this practice. Now is
> when you guys will tell me that my all my hard won lessons go right out
> the window when I switch to 5000 alloys for the marine stuff right?
Now to go get some more stainless brushes. I have plane wore two of the
little tooth brush size completely out on the light stuff.
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>to buy some sheet and plate to start on my first project a lot quicker than
>I originally planned. I've been welding a variety of junk for simple
>corner, and t joints and once you set the machine up right for each size
>stock it actually does a pretty darn good job. I still need a lot more
>practice with stock at the lower limit, but still... wow. this is a lot
>easier than I was lead to believe. I'm no expert or anything, probably
>never will be, but I'm betting I can setup and do basic jobs pretty quick.
>
> After my results last night with the thin wall stuff I was really
> disappointed with my results on thicker materials when I first started
> playing today. Then I realized I was reading the chart for steel.
>
> I had a problem for a while with using the Miller chart exactly for
> material thickness, but when I dropped power one setting and increased
> wire speed a little above what the chart says I got some pretty darn good
> looking welds.
>
> Is that normal? To have to fine tune and find what works best for each
> machine?
>
> I'm still getting a bit of sooty residue, which if I recall means I've got
> the gun angle wrong, but when I cut the welds apart on the saw I don't see
> any voids or seems in the material. I still have to move a lot faster
> than I am used to or I'll sag through, but dang. My best looking welds
> were on 3/16 or larger. I made T and corner joints with it, and I even
> filled in drilled holes upto about 3/16. I get a little cratering on
> that, but not enough that it cracks. I've got an idea though that if I
> fill them in two passes I'll not have that problem at all. It is going to
> take some practice to get gun speed just right, and keep my distance just
> right, but I think if I do a practice run or two before tackling each new
> project or material thickness for a while I'll be alright.
>
> I suspect setup is going to be a trick when I start welding different size
> sheet and plate together, but I figured I'ld just start with my adjusted
> settings for the thinner material and go from there.
>
> I've been using up my spool of .030 4043 for all this practice. Now is
> when you guys will tell me that my all my hard won lessons go right out
> the window when I switch to 5000 alloys for the marine stuff right?