How do my welds look?

Jeep450r · Oct 25, 2010

I had some free time in my auto class, so I fooled around with their mig. Its nice using gas. Here are some pics of my welds.

Welder was a Lincoln 110v 140 amp mig with argon/co2 mix

Please critique my welds. In the pics, I was welding .120 wall tube to 1/4" flat plate.

Any input will be greatly appreciated!

stroked88 · Oct 25, 2010

your skipping patter looks like your coming a little too far out of the puddle but looks waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than a lot of welds you'll see on here. it looks like it burned in good

xcm · Oct 25, 2010

for someone posting a 'how are my welds' thread, they look mighty fine!

53guy · Oct 25, 2010

Just an observation, but I would spend more time on the plate than the tube. The weld looks like it is mostly on the tube vs the plate, but it could just be the picture. If you took a right angle and put a circle right in the corner, that gap between the edge of the circle and the point of the corner should be where the weld is. I'm sure you know that, but other than that, looks nice!

Side note, what's the heat affected zone on the back of the plate look? How about the tube? I just don't see any on either in those pictures and there appears to be no undercutting of the material. Maybe turn the heat up a tad. Again, just an observation, I'm no pro.

Jeep450r · Oct 25, 2010

53guy said:
Just an observation, but I would spend more time on the plate than the tube. The weld looks like it is mostly on the tube vs the plate, but it could just be the picture. If you took a right angle and put a circle right in the corner, that gap between the edge of the circle and the point of the corner should be where the weld is. I'm sure you know that, but other than that, looks nice!

Side note, what's the heat affected zone on the back of the plate look? How about the tube? I just don't see any on either in those pictures and there appears to be no undercutting of the material. Maybe turn the heat up a tad. Again, just an observation, I'm no pro.

What exactly is "undercutting"?

The HAZ on (in) the tube looks fine, but I don't see crap on the back of the plate (IIRC). Maybe pointing it more towards the plate would help that...

fyrfytr1717 · Oct 25, 2010

The welding current melts away more of the base material than what is replaced by the filler metal. You really don't want undercut as it is a sign that you're running the machine a little too hot or directing too much of the heat towards the thinner of the two pieces of base material.

Goat · Oct 25, 2010

Gas isn't like cored wire. You need to clean your pieces prior to welding.

You missed the root of the joint, most of your fillet is on the tube. I suspect lack of fusion to the 1/4 plate. Have you tried to break the joint?

Jeep450r · Oct 26, 2010

I totally forgot about cleaning it!

That makes sense. How should I go about trying to break the joint? I don't have a press or anything.

What causes overlap?

kastein · Oct 26, 2010

Jeep450r said:
I totally forgot about cleaning it!

That makes sense. How should I go about trying to break the joint? I don't have a press or anything.

What causes overlap?

big-ass hammer... frustration... combine the two. Works for me every time :roflmao:

Speaking of having to clean the metal before MIG welding, I have a bunch of welds I need to test now... and hopefully not grind out and redo.

53guy · Oct 26, 2010

fyrfytr1717 said:
The welding current melts away more of the base material than what is replaced by the filler metal. You really don't want undercut as it is a sign that you're running the machine a little too hot or directing too much of the heat towards the thinner of the two pieces of base material.

Exactly. I should have been more clear. With no HAZ and the way the weld sits, combine with no evidence of undercutting, I'd say the weld wasn't hot enough. Just saying that when I was learning, I'd either have too much amperage and undercut or I'd run it too low and not get the penetration needed to make a solid weld. You'll find you'll have to spend more time on the thicker metal side to get the weld the way you'd like it. Also, pointing it towards the plate might help, but you'll more than likely just pile the weld up without getting any more penetration. Either turn the wire speed down and let the metal heat up more or turn up the amperage.

How do my welds look?

Jeep450r

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stroked88

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xcm

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53guy

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Jeep450r

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fyrfytr1717

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