Looking for Experience welders opinion

[Broccoli1]

The OP is over a year old

[Steve]

So like did the gents question get answered? Or did the post sorta like float away? Tig Mig Stick or gas, it all has to stick together to be any good. There are as many welding ways as there are rifle calibers, not to mention the pistols. All have their purpose in both respects. One I love is hey I got a five minute welding job for ya. Guy got no brains. I want one of those 5ft 1 in dia rods.

[Daniel]

I welded a air lock hitch on a crane flat deck back bumper , I had to lower the hitch, so it would be 21 inches from the ground which was below the actual back end 1/2 inch A36 plate that the original hitch was bolted one.
We're talking concrete product company, no post and septic tank style.
And I welded it all, with T-91 T12M "" low fume "" wire with 75 argon and 25 CO2 at globular transfer. And they've been using it everyday at maximum load in British Columbia hills.
That's what i call strong mig welds, 90 000 (ksi) nothing to worry about
But hey if stick it's what you're confortable with, nothing to worry about either.

[Daniel]

I have been away from welding school a very long time ago. And welding procedures have changed alot through the years,I am assuming.
Welding 1/4, 3/8, or 1/2 inch steel using MIG. Can it be as strong as stick
welding? I know how to do both. But most of the welding that I have done while I was working was stick. And I have never had any come back because of poor welding. So as you can see, I have a large amount of faith in stick welding. If mig welding laid properly, is it as good or better than stick welding? I have just purchase a Millermatic 211 but that was mostly for thin steel and also aluminum. I have always enjoyed stick welding better, but if mig welding is as strong I will be doing alot more of it.Would love to hear from you gents or ladies. Thanks

Hi Maineiac, To answer you question in short. The only time I use stick it's if it's outside, other then that I use mig process " t-91 blueshield, aka gas shielded fluxcore wire " for any high stress application possible,
""" for speed , you know, time is money "" and I've had never had a job comeback to the shop for a crack problem. For what it's worth, I welded a 2 7/16 " cylinder rod eye with t-91 on a bunsher boom and it never came back for repair.

For what it's worth globular transfer "" just before spray transfer "" will gets you the best penetration.

Like welder_one mention turn it up and burn it in.

[Bob Miller]

Gauge

Sheet metal is not read in inches. Sheet metal is by gauge. And as for 1/4 steel, don't bevel but keep 1/8 in apart. Tack to keep in place and run the gap. Flip over, grind a tish and run the gap. Flat grind to remove all traces ya ever been there.

7/0 gauge .500"
3 gauge .250"
7 gauge .1875"= 3/16"
44 gauge .0047"
Established by Congress 1893
One year before my Grandfather was born.
Bob

[welder_one]

Besides my 135klbs @ 40mph beats your 17klbs @8in. Oh and the trailer is another 30k at min.

too funny! ive spent my fair share welding dozer blades back together and the draw bar pivot bals (the correct spelling got censored) on the older crawlers as well.... i do agree, if the weldor and the welder is up to par, either process is alright. and i also agree with a previous post that stated that alot of peeps are spooky of running hot enough. turn it up and burn it in

[ultim8wldr]

stick vs wire

70xx can refer to 7018 or e70s hard wire.. both are compatible. both have a yield of over 70k psi tensile. and 23% elongation.. Some flux core wires depending on the type of sheild gas used can range form 80 to 98k.. Last week I was welding on a drill head for a guy I used some 11018 and preheat of 400 Degrease but it didnt have impact numbers that were needed so I covered with supermissle rod which has a tensile streingth of 120K psi..
your typical A36 steel you buy at your local supplier generally has a tensile of 56000#s. depending on asw code used and the weld procedure of that particular job. That determines what process and filler used.

[Steve]

Besides my 135klbs @ 40mph beats your 17klbs @8in. Oh and the trailer is another 30k at min.

[Steve]

I agree. I welded the ball in the shop. 75/25 and .045 wire. I could not use this process in the field without wind shelter. But trust me with a 600amp 100% duty cycle welder you wont have cold laps. Just as in stick you will get cold laps if your heat ain't right. I use stick in the field. I would weld it. And you would like it. They would to. Use the right process for the purpose. I see ya did. Great everybodies happy right.

[welder_one]

in the quarries in arkansas, if you show up to work with a feeder, they will kindly let you drive right back out the gates. a 17k pound bowl and mantle in a 5484 cone crusher... 8 inches thick at the weldments... back gouge with CAC and fill er up. 1/4 inch 8018 with 11018 cap...... too much room for the "brittleness" and cold laps that solid wire mig bring when welding something that big...

on another note, i welded cooler fins on a drum ( http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...ad.php?t=21710 ) and was asked to use solid wire mig.... *shrugs*

i myself prefer SMAW if i have to stand on it 50 foot in the air after it's welded... and wire for cattle gates

[Steve]

So is mig tougher than stick or is it the other way around. Comparably speaking same if welded in the parameters and rod / stick spec out the same.
As for mig the ball is 7 in dia. It is attached to 3 in plate that I welded to a 2 in plate. It goes between the trailer and the truck. This one is ambling along about 40 MPH carrying 45 cu/yd of product at 3klb per yard. So lets see thats 135,000 lbs, less the trailer. Migged it. Wanna try?

[kylediv]

Depends who you talk to. When i was a Union Sheetmetal worker FCAW welding 3" thick plate it was considered sheetmetal by the business agent...Bob

Dave is right. 3" plate being called sheet is like a cylinder of oxygen being called a bottle of air. people might get what you are saying but it's not right.

[Steve]

Sheet metal is not read in inches. Sheet metal is by gauge. And as for 1/4 steel, don't bevel but keep 1/8 in apart. Tack to keep in place and run the gap. Flip over, grind a tish and run the gap. Flat grind to remove all traces ya ever been there.

[aametalmaster]

Sheet metal is material up to and including 3/16"

Depends who you talk to. When i was a Union Sheetmetal worker FCAW welding 3" thick plate it was considered sheetmetal by the business agent...Bob

[Hillbilly69]

Stronger Weld

I have too disagree with some of what has been said.

MIG wire (Solid GMAW wire) is exactly the same wire as TIG wire which makes some of the best welds in any industry (Don't believe me go check your spool of hardwire). ASME 31.1 doesn't allow stick roots because they have to much hydrogen in them (causes Hydrogen Embrittlement & cracking).

Basically you have TIG wire in an semi automated process with less Hydrogen than the TIG process (It can be the cleanest process by reducing Hydrogen).

Three problems with MIG guys aren't trained properly (Bad Technique and Usually run too cold), the process requires gas shielding that isn't suitable for some field applications and lastly the MIG process is so fast compared to SMAW without proper pre-heat post heat welds can become quenched due to low heat input and high travel speeds and crack.

MIG can and should be equal or stronger than comparable SMAW process if setup properly.