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  •  » problem with welding

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    7/30/2014 8:09 PM  #1

    1fststang
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    Registered: 6/02/2013
    Posts: 419

    problem with welding

    Had taken the rear bracket off of my fender so I could sandblast it and patch a rusted area on it as well as the lower fender.

    Got all that done and figured today maybe 20 minutes I could fold the fender lip back over it and plug weld up the 7 or 8 welds grind them flush and be done.

    I guess the bracket/brace was galvanized at the factory so I ground them clean with my die grinder and put everthing in place and let me tell you the welding was a pain in the butt.  It almost acted like I had no gas in the welder and poping, burning back etc etc,  I am sure it is related to how that brace was treated  but there has to be a better way to try and mig weld this up.  Frustrating when you know you can do a good quality job and the end product comes out like crap.

    I almost broke out my tig to see if that would work better but I havent practice much with it since I got it and i have reaf that if the metal isn't extremely clean tig doesn't work so well.

    any advice other than trying to grind the metal very clean?  Seems like what ever they treated it with workied its way deep in to the metal.

     

     

    7/30/2014 9:15 PM  #2

    Jon Richard
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    Registered: 8/23/2013
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    Re: problem with welding

    If whatever treatment is contaminating the weld pool is that permiated into the metal you may need to burn it out with an oxy/accetylene torch.

    Not an ideal solution, but if grinding is not an option something needs to be done to get rid of whatever nastyness is coming up when brought to molten temps.

     

    7/30/2014 9:29 PM  #3

    6sally6
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    From: Surfside Beach,SC
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    Re: problem with welding

    Burning-it-out don't usually work either!
    Grind it some more.
    Wipe down with aceytone(NOT Brakleen!)
    I would do a trial run on some other metal just to make sure its NOT the welder/gas..or lack there of.
    TIG weld it and the "stuff" will just contamianate the Tungstun...not good.
    Gotta get the "trash" ground off! Sorry
    6sally6

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
     

    7/30/2014 11:59 PM  #4

    bulletbirdman
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    From: Saucier, Mississippi
    Registered: 5/23/2013
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    Re: problem with welding

    Harbor frieght has these 220v spot welders damn the coating just fry'em together.

    I made enough money to buy Miami, but pissed it away so fast
     

    7/31/2014 11:01 AM  #5

    Derek
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    From: Eatonton GA
    Registered: 4/01/2013
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    Re: problem with welding

    6sally6 wrote:

    Burning-it-out don't usually work either!
    Grind it some more.
    Wipe down with aceytone(NOT Brakleen!)
    I would do a trial run on some other metal just to make sure its NOT the welder/gas..or lack there of.
    TIG weld it and the "stuff" will just contamianate the Tungstun...not good.
    Gotta get the "trash" ground off! Sorry
    6sally6

    Agree wtih Sal. You should try some welds on some scrap to make sure it's not the welder acting up. It almost sounds like your wire speed is too slow, could be the feed wheels aren't tight enough and are slipping. Too small of wire in the wrong wheel can also cause slippage
     

    It's hard to type "funny"
     

    7/31/2014 3:15 PM  #6

    Pablo
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    From: Georgetown, Texas
    Registered: 4/12/2013
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    Re: problem with welding

    1F, I have seen the same thing where there are layers of metal involved.  I could clean where I was going to weld, and clean the piece welded on, but not between the layers.  The muck between the layers will sweat out and really trash the welds.  I had also thought about heating the area with a torch to sweat the goo out. 
    If anyone has a solution for this, sound off.
    Enjoy.

     

    7/31/2014 5:24 PM  #7

    Derek
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    From: Eatonton GA
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    Re: problem with welding

    The problem with heating sheet metal is distortion. If it involves an exterior peice of sheet metal your best bet is to clean it with your favorite metal prep. 

    It's hard to type "funny"
     

    7/31/2014 6:23 PM  #8

    1fststang
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    Re: problem with welding

    Well I kept trying to forge ahead with this. Cleaned with roloc grinder disc, isn't pretty but got it done/

    Just frustrating. No one will see any of the welds as they are on the backside of the fender just hate doing what I call sub par work.  This isn't a critical strength weld and the welds while ugly are pretty strong.

    The Lincoln 140C is s decent welder but thinking about selling it and upgrading to a lincoln 211. I dont have a second 220 circuit right now but it runs off of 110 as well.

     

       •Thread Starter
     

    7/31/2014 7:49 PM  #9

    6sally6
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    From: Surfside Beach,SC
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    Re: problem with welding

    Well GOOD on ya!
      Sometimes that's all you can do.....just keepa try'in til sumpthing sticks!  A grinder is still my best friend when it comes to welding.
    Ye-see....that weld is a living breathing thang. Just as soon as you think you ..."got-it"...it ALWAYS comes back and bites you on the  butt! 
    I have hung some real gooberz and had to grind that puppy right into submission!
    Some times known as "gorilla welding". Big...ugly..and strong. Trust me...I've done my share.
    "Grind'er down and then paint the c(r)ap out of it" is a good motto to have.
    6sal6

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
     

    7/31/2014 7:52 PM  #10

    Jon Richard
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    Re: problem with welding

    I happen to agree with 6sally6 as well, but asked under the pretext of no more grinding there really isn't much more to suggest. I'm glad you got it done and understand your frustration, 90% of a successful weld is in the prep.

    I bought a Miller passport, a portable wire feeder that can run off 120v or 240v. It's an inverter which may seem unnecessary for a DC CV machine, but man the arc is so crisp and very low spatter for a mig.

     

    8/04/2014 6:36 AM  #11

    Jieve
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    Re: problem with welding

    I'm a little late to the party on this one, but thought I'd toss in my 2 cents since I recently posted about this. If you were welding galvanized steel, your welds would be covered in silky white residue and you'd see them floating through the air (don't breathe them in!). 

    I agree with what a lot of the others have said, I've occassionally had that same experience after cleaning the metal as shiny as it would get, and generally it comes down to the crap between the layers as Pablo said. I'll  think I have the metal ready for a nice weld and *pop*, *sputter*, holes are blowing and I'll even get some porosity sometimes even with the right wire feed and gas settings. Also sometimes an unseen gap between layers will cause this. Generally I don't have issues on new metal, it's always the original stuff with god knows what residue left over on the surface.

     

     

    8/04/2014 8:59 PM  #12

    MS
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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
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    Re: problem with welding

    To keep from blowing holes, be sure both pieces are held tightly together with no air gap between them.  I have found if there is no air gap, then the welds come out alot better.  Once you weld one spot, hammer the next inch or so together, weld that part, then continue on, assuming an overlapped joint with plug welds every inch or so./

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
     

    8/07/2014 9:46 PM  #13

    Rsmach1
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    From: Downey, CA.
    Registered: 4/05/2014
    Posts: 80

    Re: problem with welding

    Flux core wire (gassless) is probably the best for method for galvanized. Just be sure to switch the polarity  of your Welder. Do it in a well ventilated area and DONT INHALE THE SMOKE !! 

    Last edited by Rsmach1 (8/07/2014 10:00 PM)

     

     

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