My Epic Welding Failure(updated 08/02)
 

So Im trying to tackle some the welding that needs to be done on my car both maintenance and turbo. I bought a very used but I think functional wire feed flux core, and my gf got me the mask for xmas.
The welder is a 75 amp POS that im sure I paid to much for but I just need to fix a motor mount issue, and a rear jacking point issue and then make some of exhaust stuff. The mask is a HTP striker i got off ebay. Do you think ill damage my eyes using it?

Pic of said items:

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And pics of the failure:
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Im not even able to strike an arc!!

I tried for like and hour today and it just pops as soon as the wire hits the metal. I tried it on high and low setting. I did the "scratch like a match" thing and just touching and lifting up, but it would either stick to the metal or just get red and not do anything. Is it maybe the material or the wire? The wire is 0.03' which I know is pretty thin. Any tips would be much appreciated.

and some random pics of the saw I bought for the project aswell, if it ever gets anywhere. (I know i need to change the blade)

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Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

dont change the blade those things cut like butter :y

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

First off the saw is no good for anything but wood or depending on the blade, some aluminum. Return it if you are thinking about doing some exhaust work.

Turn the wire speed all the way up on the welder and try it that way. Make sure the ground is good. Check all the connections inside the machine (after you unplug it) You may want to reverse the polarity for flux core or vice versa. Look at your spool. Is that even flux core wire? Doesn't look like it.

Oh, and I wouldn't use a 75 amp machine to do anything structural. It may or may not even be good enough for exhaust depending on the duty cycle.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

i was going to say, youre running solid core and your polarity is backwards. my HF came that way too :y

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

are you welding mild or that aluminized ----?

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

You need to get your head checked a metal blade and that saw will work great. I use a similar one compound mitres Whats wrong with you why would you think that. He can make seriously precise cuts with that.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

You were right, its just solid wire. What type of monkey puts tig wire in a fluxcore welder? That ------- sucks. It makes sense that the polarity is reversed though, since the wire is getting much hotter than the material. Should I bother trying to switch the polarity or just wait till get the proper wire? There doesnt appear to be a switch for changing polarity.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

do both. you have wingnuts inside the wire panel to switch the polarity?

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

Well there not wing nuts just regular nuts and bolts that connect the positive and negative. I just put the right wire in, still no good. So ill try and switch the wires. I wish I knew what I was doing.

If i dont come back, you"ll know how I died. :1

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

Hrm...why are you scratching or lifting anything? Pull the trigger with the tip of the gun like 3/8" off the metal, what happens? The wire is feeding consistently right? Pull the trigger with it nowhere near the metal/ground clamp and watch how fast/even it feeds. In that pic you have the speed all the way down, crank that ---- up.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

Go to your local library and get a few books on welding. They take like 2 hours to skim through and you'll learn a lot fast. Enough to get you familiar with what you're doing. Helps alot and it's free. :y

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

Cut it on half and high.

You pull the trigger, it's not a stick welder. There is no manual arc striking.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

Take a picture of the inside by the wire feeder.There should be a couple of bars or wires or something to switch the polarity.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

dcep = wire is the +, ground clamp the is -
Because the saw blade is likely too:
Overheat itself
Overheat the workpiece
Dust collection is not designed to shield or capture spent metal
It will be prone to grab the workpiece and sling it at 80+mph.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

Ah ----, I got it working. Maaad easy!

For the saw, if I can get a smaller abrasive blade ill wing it. Otherwise it going back to Home Depot.

Thanks for all the help.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

post pics of your welds

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

Abrasive blade? It's not a rotary sander. You want carbide blades.

That welder is older than Mista Bone. I'd like to see your welds too.

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

For cutting metal ive always used those black "composite" looking blades. Makes a ---- load of sparks but it works fine, we built a whole car that way.

Ill get some pics up this weekend. Im supposed to ventilate the area while welding and at at -24 Degrees C (~-2Farenheit) outside, its way to cold to keep the door open. Stay tuned!

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

carbrandum or fiber reinforced carbon is the type. 'carbrandum' is the brand name who patented the blade. the rest are copies slightly differnt in makeup but do the same job at more or less cost

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

The only time you should use a carbide blade on metal is if its actually a wet saw (very low RPM, special milky lubricant), or if its a rediculously expensive rip-style carbide blade made for cutting only aluminum (non-ferrous, really). All wood-cutting blades use offset carbide that's cheaply brazed on, and only designed to cut the grain and remove material.

Chop saws grind steel. Beware they don't cut (grind) aluminum with that disc, unless you like seeing a 4000rpm 14" disk explode in your face. Chop saws also have a clamping base for a reason, flying chunks of metal are far more dangerous than wood (although that brazilian hardwood crap is close).


Yes, epic fail. :1

Re: My Epic Welding Failure
 

ive cut numerous alumninum things with my chopsaw.

i said CARBRANDUM not CARBIDE. i know the difference.
carbide is a super low speed 'cold saw' blade, also used in drillbits, lathe bits, etc. carbrandum is carbon bonded cutting discs.

My Epic Welding Failure(updated 08/02)
 

I finally got this thing going with all the settings straightened out. You asked for pictures of the welds so here goes:

Starting off:

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Then cut two more and stuck them together, the huge blob at one end is where I tried to tack it together before doing the whole thing. I have to work on that :1

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Then I stuck it all together and just we buck on it. But you get an idea for it. I burnt through some places so I can definitely have enough power to weld this thickness safely.

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And the blade i ended up getting: Its works fine, but you were right about the dust. Its all over the ------- place now.

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Re: My Epic Welding Failure(updated 08/02)
 

i think we both suck at welding :)

Re: My Epic Welding Failure(updated 08/02)
 

your wire speed is still too high, or your amps need to come up more it looks like. have you at all tried to weave your weld?

Re: My Epic Welding Failure(updated 08/02)
 

voltage too low raise the voltage. heat input too low (heat = amps/wire feed speed x travel speed), however the width of the weld is about right.
raise the voltage raise the heat, slow down a hair.

the angle of your welds is very wrong. That's a 90* angle k? You want that wire's angle to fit in there at a 45* angle, slightly tilted back (10-15*). You also want the wire positioned correctly. That wire should be running exactly on the joint. Not off to one side (in your case it's on the top piece more and you're angle is too steep)

if you will position your starts correctly, give a slight pause for the weld puddle to form to the size you want and THEN start moving your starts will be better and conciquently the entire bead. (instead of having it positioned FAR off at the start of the weld, pausing and wiggling to get it sorta back in the right spot, then continuing to weld incorrectly)

wipe your plastic cover plate off so you can see real good. then get your head down there where you can see. if you can't see what you're doing it's never going to work. (cotton T-shirt with an OLD denim shirt over it is aight to weld in denim > some spatter & wont normally catch on fire in a big hurry)

good scrap piece size btw. (if you'll hold it together and tack it at the very ends, its easier)

Re: My Epic Welding Failure(updated 08/02)
 

i made a whole turbo back exhast for my bmw with a saw just like that one and a $2 (10"?) metal cutting blade that fits right on it

All good advice.

I would also note that your weld bead is crowned. So you can do a couple of things to fix that. You want no concavity or convexity.

Either A: slow down your travel speed and let your puddle actually wet out, or B: manipulate your puddle with a figure eight, whip, or circular motion to make sure your filler metal and base medal are getting hot enough to wet it out. The flatter the weld, generally speaking in FCAW, the better penetration.

Best,

PC

Looking good. I need to learn how to weld..... I guess i need a welder first!!

that mask is sick

that's good for a start... with the practice you will do better..