New to MIG welding

[captain butch]

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Hi;
I am a first timer at MIG welding and while practicing I was unable to pool, my wire was feeding at a steady rate and the arc looked OK, perhaps a bit sporadic but I was just building piles of spatter without any penetration or adherance. I had the machine on a 30 amp circuit fed through a 20ft. 30amp extention cord. I had the machine at all power levels and was using the wire reccomended by the dealer, 0.030 alum. I did keep a low wire feed speed as I was unsure of the characteristics of wire feed. What was I doing wrong? Any suggestions?

[kdahm]

Some questions which will help the real experts:

What machine are you using?
What is your base metal?
What is the thickness of the base metal?
Which gas mix are you using?
Have you tried the settings on the door?
Which wire feed speed were you using?
Have you tried steel with steel wire?
For aluminum, what cleaning method did you use?

Karl

[Teeps]

In addition what gas flow level?
and also, just my personal suggestion,
on a test piece of scrap, turn the wire feed speed and voltage up a few notches, and try again.
Then lower it down slowly if you have any burn through, or warping, or other defects related to too over-current.

Also how was your ground clamped? near the work area?
what size ground wire?

What polarity are you using? many new mig machines are setup for flux-core wire, and the wrong polarity.

If cranking the current way up (WFS) helps, then your power supplied to the unit may be inadequate, or your unit may be faulty. GOT clamp meter?

Good Luck!!!

[captain butch]

Some questions which will help the real experts:

What machine are you using? Chicargo Electric, (Cheap).
What is your base metal? aluminium but I'm not sure what alloy.
What is the thickness of the base metal? 1/4"
Which gas mix are you using? It's gas less
Have you tried the settings on the door? yes
Which wire feed speed were you using? 1
Have you tried steel with steel wire? No, but I thought of it.
For aluminum, what cleaning method did you use? Brush and grinder
The ground was about 1 1/2 ft away from the work.

Karl

Karl I put my answers after yours to save on extra work.

Butch

[dyn88]

Ive never heard of flux core aluminum. That said- When welding aluminum you need a gas shield usually argon. Also how thick is the material you are trying to weld?

[captain butch]

dynss

This machine is gasless according to the manufacturer and I was working on 1/4" stock.

Butch

[Brad-Man]

A gasless MIG has to use flux core wire, and is only for steel.

In order to do aluminum, you have to get a gas conversion kit and the proper gas for aluminum.

[kdahm]

The machine won't do it

Gasless machines can only weld with flux core wire, which does not come in aluminum flavor.

The are really designed for steel. The other problem is that welding with flux core wire requires the reverse polarity from welding with solid wire. When welding with the incorrect polarity. Even when using gas, the wrong polarity will cause much splatter and poor welds.

Although your wire speed is either low or high, I don't think it makes much of a difference with the other problems. For 1/4" material, it should be on high.

Basically, what you are trying won't work with your equipment

Karl

[Teeps]

The other problem is that welding with flux core wire requires the reverse polarity from welding with solid wire. When welding with the incorrect polarity. Even when using gas, the wrong polarity will cause much splatter and poor welds.

Karl

Thank you!!!!

I also agree to your other point.

Gas-less aluminum welding... Not going to happen.

You also need a very powerful machine to weld 1/4" Aluminum.
Nothing that runs off 110 volt, many 220 volt machines will do the job,
unless you shell out for an inverter based welder.

Good Luck!!!

[captain butch]

Everyone is right

You are all so correct; the guy I bought the machine from who went into great detail on it's operation was totally full of it up to his ears. When I brought my problem back to the store and told the manager my woes he looked at the receipt to see who the salesperson was and just grunted. Then he says" This gut doesn't know how to go to the head without help" and continued to say that machine is for sheet steel and you need a much higher model that uses Argon gas to do Aluminium. After spending an additional $150 bucks I have the new machine in the shop and just need to arrange some Argon for it before I give it another go. Sorry for my lack of savy on MIG but I only did stick and that was years ago. Should have done more homework. I'll get back after I fire it up.

Butch

[Brad-Man]

What machine do you have now?

[Blown S-10]

it sounds like you have a 110volt machine. you WILL find that doing aluminum with it will be difficult, ask me how i know. but it is possible(depending on what machine you have).

[captain butch]

Brad Man & Blown S-10

Seeing both of your question are more or less the same I can answer them both togethwr.
The machine I now have is very similar to the Miller 135T

Its a Chicargo Electric 131 and if you read the descriprion of the Miller 135T it reads almost word for word.

Now please give me some good news, I could use it.

[Brad-Man]

I'll let others make my comments for me:

HH175 vs. CE160

HF Mig

HF Mig

HF Mig

HF Mig

You asked...

[Blown S-10]

how i did it, basicly.

1/8th 6061 plate. clean real well. butt it up. preheat with a propane torch real well. then hit it with the mig right away. 150% penetration on a butt weld.