So I am welding in the Tangerine Racing inner consol reinforcement. If I have the welder set on three it doesn't bite into the ear. If I have it set on four it bites but it blows holes in the new piece. I was able to get two holes filled and they are definitely welded on. However, I am wanting to know before I do more if going on the four setting will be right and not damage anything. Three just doesn't seem to cut it.

I know this is going to sound silly but run a hundred foot extention for the welder and use #4 setting.

Really?

Now what kind of extension cord are you talking about?

If you turn it up to 4 can't you increase the feed rate to make up for the heat?

the extension cord is actually good advice.

or... I'd set it to 3 and then turn up the wire speed with the 3 setting
more wire speed equals more heat for me.

I thought more wire reduced the heat?

Between the wall and your welding machine. Cuts down on the amps making it to your welder.

He's right... and it depends on the draw of the welder; but as a general rule of thumb the heavier the cord the better. If you just have a little home welder that runs off of 110, a 12 or 10 gauge extension cord should do it; if it runs off of 220 or higher, get your billfold out and be prepared to pay. Even a 25 ft cord can get expensive.

Thankfully it is a 110 and I already have some heavy duty cords. Just needed to know what kind of cord. I have a 100 ft general garden type cord or two 50 heavy duty cords. I'll use one of the 50 footers

Isn't the longer extention cord going to blow the breaker?

starting point
download here;
http://www.hobartwelders.com/service/orderlit.php

Instructions, aren't they like asking for directions, anti-manly?

Ya But better than filling his tub full of holes.

I find the opposite.

try running a test on your highest amperage and lowest speed.
you'll get no penetration at all

Thanks Jeff and others

It would just burn back into the tip.

I guess I just start where I left it last and make little adjustments until I happy with the balance. Now I have to pull out some sheet metal and experiment.

here are some tricks of the trade to help prevent burn thru:
CLEAN YOUR GROUND POINT BETTER.
clean your weld area better.
use a heat sink pc of copper or an AL backing plate to absorb some heat.
put several clamps close to the area to suck out some heat. a stack of pennies under a clamp workds also.
add small spot weld dabs to the surrounding area first to increase metal amount near area. this helps absorb heat.
the 4 click number thing is voltage while wire speed controls amperage. increased wire speed increases amperage AKA heat to panel.

pre-heat the area with a torch. it does several things:
removes moisture
burns away contaminants that cause poping

So are you saying if I have it on four but slow the wire speed that may help as well? The clamp thing makes sense as well. Thanks

not that simple. teh wire speed and voltage must match teh conditions. use teh guide as posted. back off on wire speed by 10%. your suspension ear is rusted from teh inside. the rust is iron oxide. teh oxigen expands violently. the pop blows the molten puddle away. I think the tiny spot welds to build up some material will be teh trick for you. welding to rusty metal is never text book proceedure.
the extension cord will make your welder put out less power on teh #4 setting but amperage will increase proprotionately...maybe, try it. my Miller digital welder is not fooled by such shenanigans.

Now you have learned why people spend the money on higher end machines that have an infinitely adjustable heat range. You can also back the torch off a small bit to increase the stickout which will cool the weld slightly so you can use setting 4.

John

I'm with Panelbilly on this one.

If it's too hot you increase the feed and move faster. If it's too cold you decrease the feed and move slower. The idea is to keep a good arc without burning through. It should sound like frying bacon not snap crackle and pop.

You get no penetration on the high amp setting and low feed because you can't keep an arc. The high amp arc burns the wire back to the tip before it gets to the metal. It's a great way to burn up a tip.

I learned to weld body metal with a ac stick welder. There is a stitch welder attachment for the stick welder, I bought one but decided to just go to the mig instead and now tig.

Take two pieces of the new metal or some of the same thickness and practice lap welding on them with the settings. With one good piece and one thinner piece you can start the arc on the thicker piece and mostly stay on it and go off the edge to the thinner piece to melt it but not blow through. The max amp will be what you can use to get good penetration but not blow through the thinner metal. Welding rusted metal will never be pretty and usually requires a lot of griding, just hopefully you will get good and strong welds and they won't crack in about 3 yrs. Usually if it's going to crack it will happen right as it's cooling off from uneven cooling.

When it blows through you can stop and start with small spot welds and build the edges up till they are heavy enough to hold the full heat of a continuous weld. As you weld the surrounding metal will get to where the red glow doesn't dissipate as quickly as it needs to so you need to go to another spot and work there till it gets too hot and so on.

The longer cord doesn't sound too good to me but it's your equipment. That will mean the cord is dropping some of the amperage and that means the plugs and extension wire will run hotter and also the electrical parts in the welder maybe and so on.

Copper or any heat sink that the mild steel won't stick to, backup works great if you can get to the backside.

Also I don't have or know about 110v welders but hopefully you are using .023 wire.

My welder will not even operate if I don't use an appliance grade extension cord.

Use a heat sync, like a piece of mashed copper pipe clamped to the back of your work (or held with a magnet). It works wonders fighting blow-through even with flux cored wire.

Zach

I would also add that the distance of the tip to the work is important. Closer and it will burn hotter. Increase the distance and it will be cooler (less penetration)

P R A C T I C E

Since you don't have an infinite adjustment, it's going to be getting the heat (voltage) and wire speed set for optimum weld penetration, and your technique to keep from blowing through.

Make sure you've got .23 wire. If you are using bigger wire, that adds more difficulty and more blow throughs.

The extension cord trick does help on 110 welders, and to be honest a cord just below the recommended gauge will add more resistance than the correct heavy gauge wire ext cord. The thing is that you aren't going to be anywhere close to the duty cycle of the welder, so you shouldn't have any problem.

wedding - don't do it man.

oh - welding - never mind ; )

W. Sean. Forget about a longer cord. Learn to weld properly first. There is no need in a larger machine, just a need to learn the one you have. You know what I do for a living but you have never seen the welder I have at work. It is an older ( 10+ years ) Hobart handler 120. It does everything on a car I need it to do. Yeah, at home I have a 250 amp mig and a 200 amp tig, for doing heavier or more precise stuff, but for the customers restorations at work, the Hobart does just fine. That said I will probably get a new mig for work soon, as the Hobart is having some parts-wear issues, and a newer technology welder would be nice to use on a daily basis. I will only get a 140 amp machine though, just no need in a bigger one

If the heat on #4 is too hot, try the interrupted weld technique like charliew described. You only have to let go of the trigger for a brief moment before resuming and the weld puddle will solidify enough to keep from blowing through.

Learned that much of what I was doing was crap because I didn't have any gas. I thought I did but the guage was reading wrong and I didn't know I would actually hear the gas coming out. So now everything is working well and everything looks very nice Thanks for the tips guys.

That was kind of an anti-climatic ending, but I learned something. Thanks people!

...I use argon/co2 mix shield gas...my settings are one (1) with wire feed speed at 3 to 3 1/2. I use approximately a .250-.325 wire distance from tip. Set the shield gas between 15 to 20.
The trick is to attain a single strike constant arc, not feeding the wire too fast and creating a popcorn string of cold welds.
When you feed too much wire, the wire will attempt to push your tip away, over and over again, and your ground connection will get really hot because you will be striking arcs one after another.

That initial constant single arc strike creates a smooth line of weld (pool).
That's when you will hear the familar frying bacon sound. Keep a smooth constant progression. Not too fast and not too slow. By the way, move too slow and the weld pool can drip on you or something and ignite material. Keep the weld blanket over everything including your feet and legs.

Complete only one inch at a time. When you are welding and it doesn't seem to keep the arc, degrease the area, and remove coating from steel in the area of the welds. The other reason is that you ground the tip, try not to do that.
If your feed is too slow, you will experience burn back. Which means your wire has fused to the tip.
If the metal is overlaped (lap weld) keep the wire end split between the two surfaces (45 degrees). If you run along the edge, the weld will only penetrate the first layer of metal and the second sheet will act as a heat sink, and you will have no penetration into the second sheet.
If you are accomplishing a butt weld (end to end), then using the gap clamps from Eastwood and their three copper plates, you can do a clean job of it.
When butt welding two pieces, keep the arc against what you just laid and just so slightly move from side to side. If your wire fires through the void, you will loose the arc and regain it over and over and end up with a hairy weld.
The copper backing plates act as a heat sink and the weld doesn't stick to it.
Don't rush and remember the duty cycle. It will let you know when your time is up.
There's nothing like striking that arc and creating a beautiful smooth weld.
Use both hands in this. Use finger of you left hand as a bridge for the tip.
90 percent of this is steady control and that single initial blue arc about a 1/4 inch away. Once you have the control, you will feel that you can accomplish any welding requirements.

Thanks Dave. That's good, useful advice

Hey JP, do you know a guy named Matt Noreen? He use to own Exotic welding (or something like that) up here in Everett. He sold about 15 years ago and now has a big operation down in Clackamas he and his son Jason run. Good family friend and good guy. Just thought you may have run into him in your line of work.

Okay, I got most of the vertical welding finished and only have a little welding on the underside to do. Any tips on how to do this without droping more weld on myself. It kinda hurts.

I hate to say it but you need to turn the heat down a little and try to push the wire up and not get so hot as to have the molten metal fall down. Stop the beads at shorter distances and let it cool longer. Wear a long sleeve shirt with flaps on the pockets and try to stay off to the side. This is why most guys go to the rotisserie. Have you seen the wooden rollover that one member is using? I don't know how straight the body will stay but it sure beats hot metal on the skin.

Really? But wouldn't it have an issue with not being able to bite as well?

Nope, Jon, I don't know him.

For overhead, leathers are almost a requirement.
A molten glob falling down your neck, then rolling down your chest/stomach to your belt not only hurts...the smell of burning hair and the sizzling noise is enuff to make you puke. Squealing like a girl don't help a bit.....BTDT.
You can borrow mine.

Leather stove gloves (HD sells them)
reach out and weld so that your arm is the only thing that is under the weld...watch from the side, not from under the welding area.

Leather leather leather..
Get the gloves and a big piece of raw leather from an upholtrey shop...that is what I use...just lay it over your arm and chest.

I have to say, I love this rotisierre...just alot easier to weld the bottom of the car.
I have not used it since I fixed Erics car...but what a great thing it is.

I would suggest that at a minimum...jack up the side you are working on as high as you can get it...

Rich

leather is your friend. dont wear tennis shoes. that molten chunk just kept burrowing in...

kind of like throwing water on a magnesium fire. Don't do it.

Finally all finished welding. Most of it looks nice but some of it looks like it was done by a rookie . Tomorrow I will get to grinding and preping for paint

Sooooo... close I can taste it...

The welding on the underside was a little difficult but I did avoid burning myself... for the most part. I have a nice little burn from some "hot liquid magma" that burned through my pants and sock

Awesome Jonny. Be nice to see pics though of the finished product from the weld. Sounds like you got a 914 bite!