Mig welding volts and wire speed

[M J D]

Here's some 1/8", .035 wire, 19.3 volts, 287 wfs with c-25. Way hotter than I would typically run on 1/8". Normally I would be around 18.5 volts, 260 wfs.. Sorry about the flash.

[motolife313]

I’ll see you guys in the next thread to hate on

[John T]

I’ll see you guys in the next thread to hate on

"Kory pouts and walks away"

[TraditionalToolworks]

I’ll see you guys in the next thread to hate on

I don't have any dog in this fight, but was following this thread, not all but much of it...

I have to ask, why create a thread and ask for advice if you want to insist on doing it your way anyway?

In the beginning you were getting advice, from post #5 on down that you were using too many volts and it was way too hot, but it seems you insisted your way was the right way.

This is where the 'que never disappoints, even if you burn the f#@$ out of the meat, it usually beats a bowl of peas any day of the week...

[Welder Dave]

Nobodies got any hate on. As I mentioned earlier it seems like you're trying to reinvent the wheel and not wanting to listen to experience. Just curious if you are licensed welder with any formal training? Not everywhere requires licenses for employee's to weld but a lot of the questions you're inquiring about would be answered in the apprenticeship training.

[smithdoor]

In the building industry you never want your weld to fail.
Or new job after sending with state you say " do you want fries with your burger"

FYI I was license in California B and C51.
Up untill the 1990's you did not need your employees to have cert it was up to license holder to be responsible for most welding.
Today most jobs need certs after the earthquake in Ridge Crest that change.

Dave

ach, you are right, i wasn't thinking properly. The tensile strength of weld metal is supposed to be equal to or greater than parent, in general. BUT not always.

But... it does depend what you're trying to do, what alloys, what tests, and what is going wrong. It's too broad a question to definitively say one way or another.

[Yofish]

This has to be the most entertaining thread, ever. Crap welds and crap advice and not some crap, too. What I don't understand is why one sets them self up like this.

[motolife313]

This is some 11 gauge steel on heavily painted I think 1/8” I beam. Bigger thicker bead is millermatic 250 on 24 volts and 50 wire. Nicer looking tighter profile bead is 21 volts 258 wire on the brand new Miller 255. I think the 255 actually ran hotter because I had to move little faster or the puddle would run pretty hot looking. I think the volt dial and gauge is off on the 250 since the settings weld close to each other if not hotter on the 255 at lower volts that is not a crater or concave at the end of the weld that the 255 made with 21 volts and 258 wire. Welded pretty good

21 volt bead is the longer one

[M J D]

I'm not real familiar with the 255, it may have an adjustable inductance that may alter arc characteristics enough to make it seem hotter or colder. With that being said, the crazy amount of spatter or splatter, confirms an excessive voltage situation.

[Welder Dave]

On the bottom weld it looks pretty obvious you put a tack to fill the crater. You can see the edge of the original crater even better in the pic. above it. You have as much spatter as if you went through half a 12" spool of wire. When I went to school one of the instructors cautioned about trying to pull a fast one on them by doing something like turning your plate end for end and doing a downhand (6010) root pass instead of an uphand root pass. He'd said they had over 100 years experience between them and have seen just about everything so don't try to fool them. They can tell by looking the difference between a downhand and uphand root pass just like everybody can see you put a tack to fill the crater. Craters are part of welding. A good weld will address the crater. Why don't you try turning your volts down and try to eliminate 95% of the spatter?

[M J D]

On the bottom weld it looks pretty obvious you put a tack to fill the crater. You can see the edge of the original crater even better in the pic. above it. You have as much spatter as if you went through half a 12" spool of wire. When I went to school one of the instructors cautioned about trying to pull a fast one on them by doing something like turning your plate end for end and doing a downhand (6010) root pass instead of an uphand root pass. He'd said they had over 100 years experience between them and have seen just about everything so don't try to fool them. They can tell by looking the difference between a downhand and uphand root pass just like everybody can see you put a tack to fill the crater. Craters are part of welding. A good weld will address the crater. Why don't you try turning your volts down and try to eliminate 95% of the spatter?

That would be utilizing sound advice. This has turned into a circus high wire act with nothing else to do but use the speed elevator to the bottom.

[motolife313]

Thank you

[12V71]

Do you guys get away with a spatter mess like that? Just asking.

[motolife313]

Yes we do

[Welder Dave]

Wow! Not much for quality control. Most would be ashamed to leave a weld like that.

[motolife313]

Too hot looking? I’ll try and turn the volts down 1

[Welder Dave]

Too much spatter. You should be able to get a nice bead with almost no spatter.

[Munkul]

18 volts is where you want to start from with that. Maybe 19.

It sounds really counter intuitive, but often less is more with short-arc volts.

[motolife313]

Maybe a lot is spatter from the joint setup. There’s kinda a gap since there’s a small radius on the I beam and when you butt the 11 gauge up it doesn’t match up perfectly. Did some welding on a new frame and there was very little spatter. It was the skinny I beams welded to some 3/16” or so 4 or 5” c channel. Came out nice and shinny. The engineer was happy with it

Tried 19.4 volts and 200 wire that was ok. Same amount of spatter. I prefer the 21 and 258 setting but not much difference, just little colder and slower still spatter and not much different looking weld just little smaller. I’ll start with that when doing some uphill probably or smaller stuff. Ran both setting on some garage door tracks that were probably 16 gauge made of galvanized and some 11 or 12 gauge stainless steel tabs that I sheard, punched and formed. Ran pretty good on both settings

[MinnesotaDave]

Maybe a lot is spatter from the joint setup. There’s kinda a gap since there’s a small radius on the I beam and when you butt the 11 gauge up it doesn’t match up perfectly. Did some welding on a new frame and there was very little spatter. It was the skinny I beams welded to some 3/16” or so 4 or 5” c channel. Came out nice and shinny. The engineer was happy with it

Tried 19.4 volts and 200 wire that was ok. Same amount of spatter. I prefer the 21 and 258 setting but not much difference, just little colder and slower still spatter and not much different looking weld just little smaller. I’ll start with that when doing some uphill probably or smaller stuff. Ran both setting on some garage door tracks that were probably 16 gauge made of galvanized and some 11 or 12 gauge stainless steel tabs that I sheard, punched and formed. Ran pretty good on both settings

Just keep in mind what I harp on.

WFS is the amps and controls penetration. That should be what is referred to as how "hot" a weld is. Whether it has proper depth of penetration.

The volts is just to make it run right. It wets out the puddle therefore is a surface condition and does not control depth of fusion.

The "hottest" settings are fast WFS with PROPER volts to wet it out correctly and no more.

This is what blows a hole in metal if you go too slow - high amps.

Refer back to another posting of mine to determine how to find the proper volts to go with your selected WFS. Adjust with one hand while welding with the other.

[12V71]

Maybe a lot is spatter from the joint setup. There’s kinda a gap since there’s a small radius on the I beam and when you butt the 11 gauge up it doesn’t match up perfectly. Did some welding on a new frame and there was very little spatter. It was the skinny I beams welded to some 3/16” or so 4 or 5” c channel. Came out nice and shinny. The engineer was happy with it

Tried 19.4 volts and 200 wire that was ok. Same amount of spatter. I prefer the 21 and 258 setting but not much difference, just little colder and slower still spatter and not much different looking weld just little smaller. I’ll start with that when doing some uphill probably or smaller stuff. Ran both setting on some garage door tracks that were probably 16 gauge made of galvanized and some 11 or 12 gauge stainless steel tabs that I sheard, punched and formed. Ran pretty good on both settings

What are you running for wire stick out? 1/4" is about right for me, seems like anymore than that starts the spatter mess. I like a long tip that sticks out of the nozzle about 1/16" to 1/8".
Works for me anyways.

[smithdoor]

FYI stick out will very depending on amps, wire size and type.
You right the right stick out works the best.
Typically the manufacturer will data on the stick out too.

Dave

What are you running for wire stick out? 1/4" is about right for me, seems like anymore than that starts the spatter mess. I like a long tip that sticks out of the nozzle about 1/16" to 1/8".
Works for me anyways.

[NathanDoty]

Was this a post asking for help to a problem, which I can clearly see there is? Or are we just trying to showcase terrible gmaw beads? If u want to get better listen to sound advice, or keep being the "golden arm" of ur hack weld shop. Seriously don't ask for help if u can't take criticism, we're not your mother, and we're not gonna lie to you to stop u from crying. Ur a grown man now act like one.