Help me weld pleeeeessssssssseeee

[growler2058]

I've borrowed a mig from Geeza (my toymota drivin mate some of you met at loveday) He was a panel beater in the UK. He bought his welder out with him and tells me its a beauty (i would have NFI but he is a pedantic fussy so n so) Now it hasnt been used for 16 years but all the functions seem operable. Except i cant get it to bloody weld properly. Ive done a bit of welding in the past so am not a total moron when it comes to the art, but ive never had to set one up from scratch. Geezas away so cant get him to help. Ive adjusted amperage wire speed gas flow and nothing bloody works its doin my head in. I wanna weld patches into my Torana where ive cut the rust out but am getting frock all penetration. Am getting blobs of sh!t Pics below are the welder and what the weld looks like that im getting
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/1923F652-ACD7-4D61-81BE-4FD5BF21AD2D-98080-000016792F275F54.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/CBE8C5AA-E52B-48B1-B6A6-10794C967A6A-98080-0000167941B04F5E.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/47EB4F97-2C64-4EEE-B33E-0D43BC424926-98080-00001679541ED728.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/AB308EE3-02D8-498E-B4EC-56EB91B1FC2D-98080-00001679618EF0E2.jpg

So any help for wire speed, amperage setting, gas flow will be great cheers.

[megatexture]

Sorry mate I've got gasless and still learning myself but was the surface clean ? Have you looked under the lid where the wire is there may be a guide

Edit.. Pic is of under my lid , sorry ipad took it sideways

[macca86]

Gas should run at 10 to 15 Lpm
Big dial near gun picture is on zero turn it up to 1 or 2 doing thin gauge steel turning it up gives more heat more penetration. Then adjust the wire speed till you get that bacon crackle sound that's the one under the green light.
If the ark is really high up ans melting into the tip you need more wire speed or turn heat down if its shooting wire into the job and pushing you away slow your wire down or give more heat on te dial

[macca86]

To test your gas pull trigger then adjust gas while holding te trigger down

[growler2058]

Mmmmm i'll have a look
I sanded the test piece back to metal to make sure i was getting a good earth

[growler2058]

Gas should run at 10 to 15 Lpm
Big dial near gun picture is on zero turn it up to 1 or 2 doing thin gauge steel turning it up gives more heat more penetration. Then adjust the wire speed till you get that bacon crackle sound that's the one under the green light.
If the ark is really high up ans melting into the tip you need more wire speed or turn heat down if its shooting wire into the job and pushing you away slow your wire down or give more heat on te dial

Id turned it off and spat the dummy when i took these pics :) so when i set the gas lpm is that at rest or while its running

[growler2058]

Just read your next post, cool i'll have a crack

[macca86]

While the trigger is on like you would be welding it should run say 12 Lpm inside no wind.

[megatexture]

Good luck mate post some pics of the finish when your done if its ugly i touch it up with a sanding disk ...almost every weld i do gets touched up lol

[GUtsy ute]

Spot weld function should be on zero if you are doing continuous welds.

[macca86]

The silver toggle switch changes between spot and continuous welding its set on continuous wire in the pic so doesn't matter what the spot setting is on the machine. But check that it's in the right position

[threedogs]

when you start welding the wire should not be pushing against your hand, its either to fast or not enough spark to burn it.
remember you need to push not pull the hand piece

[NP99]

All my welding comes with a concrete guarantee. Once it leaves the concrete.........no guarantee!

[growler2058]

Well its under control phew. I'll post pics tomorrow after i grind back the first patch ive done. Gotta say im pretty happy. Thanks boys for the advice. Was a mixture of not enough gas flow and some rusty wire. Its been sitting 16 years
Thanks for the call PA :)

[growler2058]

Ok like i said ive used a welder before but never for panel work. What we have is an LX Torana that ive owned for some years and has sat in my shed doing sweet eff all. So the restoration begins. Ive found rust spots and cut them out, then using old irrepairable panels, cut patches out. Today i welded them in ground them back and applied literally a skim coat of bog to loose the imperfection caused by the operator :)

Started with this, rust cut out
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/welder/EB42F6C5-229C-4A74-83B2-8D3F1469809A-5707-00001753D168C90B.jpg

Slowly spot wled by spot weld get patches in
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/welder/407ABEEB-72BA-4F29-A2E6-B4C4278ABDB0-5707-00001753E66F2669.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/welder/485758C1-0D07-48F9-BD13-E23AC3C8572B-5707-00001753FBFCE5B8.jpg

Sand patches back. As im definately an ameture there was obvious imperfections
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/welder/ECE0F418-B31B-4A17-A341-702722061384-5707-000017540AC6CEFC.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/24698A32-28DA-4366-AD80-E1DC0CA03E58-5707-00001752E1D4546C.jpg
Then a skim of bog and another sand. This is the first time ive ever tried such a task, normally just bog everything:)
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/welder/84F61F2A-7465-4FB4-842B-1636BC1B1309-5707-000017542B9718DE.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/welder/0E8468D0-5230-4C8C-BF57-B786EE9A6278-5707-0000175447F1EC51.jpg
http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z428/GrowlersGQ/welder/8FE10C08-C78E-4FE9-B685-3622F6F00027-5707-0000175437C78DFA.jpg

So flame away boys and tell me where ive gone wrong. I started here coz if i frokd it i can by a complete rust repair section for the rear 1/4, but im happy with it now. Ive given another skim coat of bog cause i could feel a few ripples, just waiting for it to dey and i'll sand it again

[growler2058]

Oh yeah im real good at filling up holes ive blown through with the welder

[macca86]

Not pretty but will do. Car panels are hard it's crap steel they use

[macca86]

I struggled welding the panels on big rigs ute project for lil rig but a bit of bog does wonders

[04OFF]

Not pretty but will do. Car panels are hard it's crap steel they use


Wash your mouth out macca, crap steel.......... its a TORANA he's working on ! :bananarock:

[macca86]

Wash your mouth out macca, crap steel.......... its a TORANA he's working on ! :bananarock:

If I was given a lh or lx Tirana with either a 350/ls1 or a slight moder twist the 3.8 or 3.6 v6 with twin turbo I'd be stoked.
But a genuine slr5000 or a9x and I'd think I've died and gone to heaven.

[NP99]

SLR 5000 they used to be every where:)
Growler I like your work.......mine back in the 80s was much rougher!

[growler2058]

Wash your mouth out macca, crap steel.......... its a TORANA he's working on ! :bananarock:

Glad you said it Steve :)

[Alitis007]

Do help with the bog or welding ??

The bog you should try and keep it to a shape like a circle or square so you don't have a ton of shrink marks in the paint! Something like this
27400
The black stuff is rust converter

Does this welder have a high and low?? Gas flow should be 14 lps while the trigger pressed IMO and on setting number 2 wire speed should be between 3 - 4, when your mig welding ( if your right handed) start to the most furthest part then weld towards your face so you can see where your going when you do a long fillet.

Its not hard just need to learn the welder and if your blowing holes its either the wire speed is too slow or the amp setting is too high

[growler2058]

I was told not to try and weld the whole piece in 1 hit and to spot weld the whole lot systematically

[macca86]

Yes or you will warp the steel spread the heat. I took hrs welding lil rigs panels check out his build thread big panels too did a bit here and there do some one the other side then come back to the other side

[Alitis007]

I was told not to try and weld the whole piece in 1 hit and to spot weld the whole lot systematically

Yeh thats right, i've done spots "systematically" before and it makes the weld look like chicken shite!!! You can also put you spots in 15mm apart with low wire speed then turn it up a bit and fill the gaps moving around the piece to keep an even heat. I use tig now alot cleaner and i've got it nearly down pat so a light grind with a flap disc and no bog or vary little spot putty. I gota finish my 76 celica and help my bro with his xb fairmont, i also did our work ute a hz 1 tonner, under the front window wit the mig and mate did that look like frankenstein lol

[Lowie]

Just adding my two bobs worth...
small stitch welds (10-15mm max) diagonally opposite each weld will work best to minimise warping. Mig pressure between 10-15. One thing you need to check is that the plastic hose that supplies the gas is actually connected to the wire feed mechanism (if it's come adrift that will be a major cause of your cockey sh*t.). It will be inside the cover. Wire feed is always a bit tricky. Tun it down low for starters. If you find your tip is getting too close to the metal turn the speed up. If you find the wire is "punching" the metal, turn the speed down. Also, if the argo shield (gas) is really old, it can loose it's effectiveness (that's what a welder mate of mine once told me...)
Cheers.

[threedogs]

When finished if the weld is full of holes ,its for lack of gas. but once set up you'll be right,
even the sound is different like a nice even crackle ,Just need to match your wire speed to your spark
use side cutters and leave 10mm out end of hand piece, un screw and clean all spark off gas outlets too

[BigRAWesty]

It come up pretty good.. thin stuff is a pain and with a welder with such harsh adjustment you'll find one to cold and the next to hot.. so you have to use the wire to control to get the nice weld..
But pretty good finish..

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)