Is it me or is it the machine? Lincoln MP-210 MIG mode layin' worms

[Broccoli1]

hard to say without actually being there to see what is happening.

To me it looks like a drive roll/wire feed problem and possibly a Contact to Work Distance issue.

is the drive roll the correct one for .035?

Is the drive roll tension set correctly?

You could try .030 wire. Looks ike you are welding 1/8" angle.

Good luck.

[TimmyTIG]

Are those welds done in the horizontal position? Looks like there's some gravity sag .

The steel in the pics has not been ground clean.

Check your ground connections, make sure you have a cleaned spot for the clamp.


Higher voltage makes your weld flatten out. Try turning the volts up, and not just one setting. Turn up the volts, then adjust the wire while welding, till you get a nice crackling sound.

Different gas flow rates are not going to flatten anything out, the gas only stops porosity, it doesn't affect the heat.

[G-ManBart]

Is there any way you can try another bottle? I've gotten several bottles that were contaminated in the past (different sources) and it can be very frustrating. I have multiple bottles for everything now, but any time I bring home a new bottle I run do a quick test run to make sure the gas is good...that way I can return it right away and they don't ask why it took a couple of months for me to figure out it was bad gas.

[BarnyardEngineering]

Sorry for the absence guys. I needed a couple of days to let the frustration subside, and then it got HOT. With the shop being on the West side of the building and the blacktop, I was looking at 120 degrees ambient in the sun.

Anyway, it cooled off and I got back to the project. I literally changed NOTHING but now all of a sudden most of the beads are much better. Same program on the welder. Same technique. Same gas bottle. Same CFH (25 static, 21-22 with the trigger pulled). I am doing nothing different, and getting different results.

Everyone is asking for my settings. Here they are. It's the bog standard 10ga preprogrammed setting on the welder. Welding 1/8" mild steel. As I stated earlier, ANY variation from the preprogrammed settings makes the welds WORSE. Even if it's still in the green.

[Rondo]

I think you just need to get more comfortable before you pull the trigger. The welds look like one handed attempts.

[G-ManBart]

Same gas bottle. Same CFH (25 static, 21-22 with the trigger pulled).

I'm not expert, but I've always believed gas flow settings are when the trigger is depressed. 21-22 is on the low side....I'd at least bump it to 25 and see what happens and then maybe a touch higher like 28. You obviously don't want to waste gas, and way too much can cause problems, but better to have a little bit more than you need than be on the low side.

[Broccoli1]

I'm not expert, but I've always believed gas flow settings are when the trigger is depressed. 21-22 is on the low side....I'd at least bump it to 25 and see what happens and then maybe a touch higher like 28. You obviously don't want to waste gas, and way too much can cause problems, but better to have a little bit more than you need than be on the low side.

I have my gas flow down around 15 CFH.


I still don't think it is a gas flow problem.

[TimmyTIG]

You probably just weren't holding your mouth right.

[Dan]

The brand of wire you're running can have an influence on the quality of the results you're able to achieve. Welding over mill scale definitely kills weld puddle wet out some. Pulling the weld puddle tends to want to make a weld bead that is on the ropey side if you don't use a fair amount if oscillation. Based on what I am seeing in your pics, I'd try increasing the inductance.

[BarnyardEngineering]

I think you just need to get more comfortable before you pull the trigger. The welds look like one handed attempts.

Nope, two handed, braced, as comfortable as I can get, making small cursive e's like all the howto videos tell you to.

[BarnyardEngineering]

The brand of wire you're running can have an influence on the quality of the results you're able to achieve. Welding over mill scale definitely kills weld puddle wet out some. Pulling the weld puddle tends to want to make a weld bead that is on the ropey side if you don't use a fair amount if oscillation. Based on what I am seeing in your pics, I'd try increasing the inductance.

...and how would you go about that? My welder does not have any "inductance" setting.

I can change voltage, and I can change wire feed speed. Any more voltage results in burnback to the tip, and a ruined tip. Any less voltage results in the wire "poking" at the work, lots of pops, and lots of spatter. Any less wire again results in burnback and a ruined tip. Any more wire again results in the wire "poking" at the work, lots of popping and spatter.

[Oscar]

.Any more wire again results in the wire "poking" at the work, lots of popping and spatter.

this is where you play with the voltage as well. It's a combination of the two that results in the proper operation. Make sure you are running a ~1/4 to 3/8" CTWD. What you just mentioned is the exact jist of what it means to "learn how to weld", at least with MIG welding.

[albrightree]

Press for Options
press the knob below the screen to change options as noted on my picture, (
Just in case you lost the manual: https://www.lincolnelectric.com/asse...3/imt10164.pdf
pages 19, and 20 should help.
From the symptom you describe ,the most likely problems are: bad ground, mill scale in weld zone, wrong size tip , nozzle loaded with spatter making it not arc properly.
Things I noticed in picture: not welding in a straight line(can't see weld area?) , travel speed, or movement inconsistent(bead goes narrow to wide?). Inconsistent gun angle (starts out tall and lumpy, and widens/flattens out as it goes,as if SMAW)
Consistent distance, movement, angle are needed to get a good weld. Almost like the gun is on rail and sliding in one axis. I don't mean to be overly critical, this is just what I'm guessing from the pictures you posted. I have the same welder, and have made, and continue to make some of these worms. Thats why I do a test weld to check setting before welding a finished piece, often need to adjust a little, unless your welding the same thing over, and over. There are also many you tube videos on setting up the 210mp. I'm sure there must be someone in your area who could help. Are you located right in Rochester NY ? My Inlaws used to live in Danville NY, just south of there.

Hope it helps, wish you luck.


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[TimmyTIG]

If you adjust one, you generally need to adjust the other accordingly.

[Broccoli1]

...and how would you go about that? My welder does not have any "inductance" setting.

I can change voltage, and I can change wire feed speed. Any more voltage results in burnback to the tip, and a ruined tip. Any less voltage results in the wire "poking" at the work, lots of pops, and lots of spatter. Any less wire again results in burnback and a ruined tip. Any more wire again results in the wire "poking" at the work, lots of popping and spatter.

Your machine does have inductance.
it is in the manual.

[Brand X]

...and how would you go about that? My welder does not have any "inductance" setting.

Best leave it me to argue with Dan..Even then I only can ding him on the fringes...

[Oscar]

Your machine does have inductance.
it is in the manual.

Yup. School'ed! Page 22.