Just can't get the technique down

[agdodge4x4]

I have a Lincoln Weld Pak 155. I've been welding with stick for a while, and while my welds don't look great, they aren't terrible. I figured a wire welder for lighter work would be a cake walk. I've been working on a project with this welder for three days now and I feel like no matter where I set the wire speed or voltage, I get spatter out the wazoo and probably spend more time grinding crappy looking welds down than not. Trying to get my welds to look any other than hammered dog crap is impossible. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I have ground everything to bare metal. I ground down my ground clamp so it has clean metal. It's attached to freshly ground metal. My wire is .030 and I'm using the right contact tip. If I go slow, I get burn through, if I go fast, I just get globs of metal that must be ground off, if I go anywhere in between I get a crappy looking bump globby weld that looks like like absolute crap.

What on god's earth am I doing wrong? There is just no way this can be that hard. Pic of my disaster is in the link. I'm embarrassed to even post it and ask but I have to have some help here as Im out of ideas and there is no more pages in the getting started section of the manual. I've done what it said. The only good thing about any of this is that after grinding the weld off, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, then and painting, it looks ok if you don't get closer than 10'. At least it's not going to fall apart.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/K4m4fz53YtLFCGUR7

[IAMsteelworker]

I take it you're using flux core wire? If so is the welder set up properly for that.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[agdodge4x4]

Yes, so far as I can see with the manual. Plus, this machine has never been set up with gas and it come defaulted for flux core.

[agdodge4x4]

With a little more testing, I went from “B” and speed of 2, to 4 and it seemed to be slightly better. Send kind of fast for .030 wire but I think the globs are from the stick blowing out. The faster speed may be allowing it to keeep up.

[Louie1961]

What brand and type of wire are you using? Also, double check that you have the correct polarity. I'd bet a dollar it is not set correctly. You need to be electrode negative. Set your voltage for "C" and wire feed for "4". Make sure you are dragging the weld and not pushing it. Also make sure you have at least 1/2 inch and no more than 5/8 inch of wire sticking out from the contact tip to the metal being welded.

[N2 Welding]

Stickout or contact tip to work distance could be an issue.

[IAMsteelworker]

Yes, so far as I can see with the manual. Plus, this machine has never been set up with gas and it come defaulted for flux core.

As stated verify its set up correctly inside the door.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[smithdoor]

Flux core needs stick out from contact tip to metal about 3/8" to 1/2" for 0.030 wire.

If try to larger wire on 220v it may not work out too.

Dave

I have a Lincoln Weld Pak 155. I've been welding with stick for a while, and while my welds don't look great, they aren't terrible. I figured a wire welder for lighter work would be a cake walk. I've been working on a project with this welder for three days now and I feel like no matter where I set the wire speed or voltage, I get spatter out the wazoo and probably spend more time grinding crappy looking welds down than not. Trying to get my welds to look any other than hammered dog crap is impossible. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I have ground everything to bare metal. I ground down my ground clamp so it has clean metal. It's attached to freshly ground metal. My wire is .030 and I'm using the right contact tip. If I go slow, I get burn through, if I go fast, I just get globs of metal that must be ground off, if I go anywhere in between I get a crappy looking bump globby weld that looks like like absolute crap.

What on god's earth am I doing wrong? There is just no way this can be that hard. Pic of my disaster is in the link. I'm embarrassed to even post it and ask but I have to have some help here as Im out of ideas and there is no more pages in the getting started section of the manual. I've done what it said. The only good thing about any of this is that after grinding the weld off, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, then and painting, it looks ok if you don't get closer than 10'. At least it's not going to fall apart.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/K4m4fz53YtLFCGUR7

[agdodge4x4]

I have a Lincoln Weld Pak 155. I've been welding with stick for a while, and while my welds don't look great, they aren't terrible. I figured a wire welder for lighter work would be a cake walk. I've been working on a project with this welder for three days now and I feel like no matter where I set the wire speed or voltage, I get spatter out the wazoo and probably spend more time grinding crappy looking welds down than not. Trying to get my welds to look any other than hammered dog crap is impossible. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I have ground everything to bare metal. I ground down my ground clamp so it has clean metal. It's attached to freshly ground metal. My wire is .030 and I'm using the right contact tip. If I go slow, I get burn through, if I go fast, I just get globs of metal that must be ground off, if I go anywhere in between I get a crappy looking bump globby weld that looks like like absolute crap.

What on god's earth am I doing wrong? There is just no way this can be that hard. Pic of my disaster is in the link. I'm embarrassed to even post it and ask but I have to have some help here as Im out of ideas and there is no more pages in the getting started section of the manual. I've done what it said. The only good thing about any of this is that after grinding the weld off, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, then and painting, it looks ok if you don't get closer than 10'. At least it's not going to fall apart.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/K4m4fz53YtLFCGUR7

The wire was .030. Some no name stuff. I just finished it and installed a .035 Lincoln wire. I’ll double check polarity. Not sure how the wires need to be but I bet if I RTFM again it’s in there. I’ll try again on some scrap tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.

[agdodge4x4]

I have a Lincoln Weld Pak 155. I've been welding with stick for a while, and while my welds don't look great, they aren't terrible. I figured a wire welder for lighter work would be a cake walk. I've been working on a project with this welder for three days now and I feel like no matter where I set the wire speed or voltage, I get spatter out the wazoo and probably spend more time grinding crappy looking welds down than not. Trying to get my welds to look any other than hammered dog crap is impossible. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I have ground everything to bare metal. I ground down my ground clamp so it has clean metal. It's attached to freshly ground metal. My wire is .030 and I'm using the right contact tip. If I go slow, I get burn through, if I go fast, I just get globs of metal that must be ground off, if I go anywhere in between I get a crappy looking bump globby weld that looks like like absolute crap.

What on god's earth am I doing wrong? There is just no way this can be that hard. Pic of my disaster is in the link. I'm embarrassed to even post it and ask but I have to have some help here as Im out of ideas and there is no more pages in the getting started section of the manual. I've done what it said. The only good thing about any of this is that after grinding the weld off, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, rewelding, grinding, then and painting, it looks ok if you don't get closer than 10'. At least it's not going to fall apart.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/K4m4fz53YtLFCGUR7

Here is how it’s set up now.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/L5zfuCW98qiRsiUy9

Unless I’m reading the manual wrong, the polarity is wrong on it. Looks like the original owners hooked up the GROUND CLAMP to the NEGATIVE terminal. This would be correct if using gas. Looks like they didn’t read the manual.

Am I correct that my ground clamp needs to be on the POSITIVE terminal?

If so, I’m sorry, I’m a dumbass and just assumed family members followed the manual. Plus I looked in the box and thought it to be correct.

[Munkul]

You are correct, the polarity is wrong for fluxcore gasless. Switch it round and hopefully you'll see some improvement

Just bear in mind that fluxcore is not great on sheetmetal... it runs a bit too hot. It's sweet spot is 3mm+.

[agdodge4x4]

You are correct, the polarity is wrong for fluxcore gasless. Switch it round and hopefully you'll see some improvement

Just bear in mind that fluxcore is not great on sheetmetal... it runs a bit too hot. It's sweet spot is 3mm+.

When I say I'm "welding sheet metal", I really mean that I'm tacking it to a piece of angle steel. I'm replacing a bed pan in a John Deer Gator that rotted out along with the entire frame. It doesn't need to be pretty, which, so far, I've accomplished amazingly well. I just need to not blow holes in it and make it look terrible.

[smithdoor]

I do agree flux core run hotter.
But by changing technique you can weld sheet metal too. I welded down to 20 gauge with out a backing bar.
Welded 24 gauge to 12 gauge too.

Dave

You are correct, the polarity is wrong for fluxcore gasless. Switch it round and hopefully you'll see some improvement

Just bear in mind that fluxcore is not great on sheetmetal... it runs a bit too hot. It's sweet spot is 3mm+.

[smithdoor]

I would check polarity with a VOM is sometimes the Manufacturer also did a oops.

Dave

The wire was .030. Some no name stuff. I just finished it and installed a .035 Lincoln wire. I’ll double check polarity. Not sure how the wires need to be but I bet if I RTFM again it’s in there. I’ll try again on some scrap tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.

[smithdoor]

FYI I used Fluxcore since the 1980. Used E70T-1 or E71T-1 with CO2 0.052" from 1980 to 2018 then switch to E71T-11 0.030" in retirement.

Dave

You are correct, the polarity is wrong for fluxcore gasless. Switch it round and hopefully you'll see some improvement

Just bear in mind that fluxcore is not great on sheetmetal... it runs a bit too hot. It's sweet spot is 3mm+.

[Willie B]

I tried a few inexpensive MIG & fluxcore machines. For me they simply did not work. Other machines work fine.

[agdodge4x4]

Pretty much no spatter at all now. Lol. Seems to be working great. Geez. Easy fix.

[N2 Welding]

This guy teaches a lot of info in an easy to understand no bs style. I’d watch this video that’s like a professional classroom setting full of instructions that are easy to follow and understand.

[smithdoor]

That is great 👍
What was the fix?

Dave

Pretty much no spatter at all now. Lol. Seems to be working great. Geez. Easy fix.