First MIG welds covered in White dust
Joe Kirlew
Ive just bought a small hobby type MIG welder{Clarke 130 turbo for
hose in the UK}, and I'm getting on OK. The only problem is that the
pieces of steel I've been practising on seem to be covered with a
whitish deposit(on both sides) after welding. I expected this might
happen with flux core, but I'm using a gas welder with Argon/Co2.
Also, I've seen posts in the group claiming that CO2 is cooler than
Argon mix; I thought it was the other way round. This is pretty
important to me as the one problem I still have is controlling
distortion, despite tacking and clamps/rivets. will I have to stick to
plug welding thin panels?
Any help is appreciated
Joe Kirlew
C. Joy
tell you a little about the gas differences.
The argon/co2 conducts electricity better that
straight co2 so.. the voltage will be higher for
a given setting and the bead will be flatter.
The penetration isn't as deep as co2 but its a
narrower bead. It also means that you have to
turn up the wirefeed. also you will have less
spatter with the mix.
Thomas
wrote:
>Hello,
>
>Ive just bought a small hobby type MIG welder{Clarke 130 turbo for
>hose in the UK}, and I'm getting on OK. The only problem is that the
>pieces of steel I've been practising on seem to be covered with a
>whitish deposit(on both sides) after welding. I expected this might
>happen with flux core, but I'm using a gas welder with Argon/Co2.
>Also, I've seen posts in the group claiming that CO2 is cooler than
>Argon mix; I thought it was the other way round. This is pretty
>important to me as the one problem I still have is controlling
>distortion, despite tacking and clamps/rivets. will I have to stick to
>plug welding thin panels?
>Any help is appreciated
>
>Joe Kirlew
Hi I'm not a professional welder but it might be zinc or tin plating
that was on the metal before you started welding . I know when I had
welded parts that I knew were plates that I got powder forming ojn the
boundary of the weld bead.
Thomas
-------------------------------===-------------------------
"If you look like a rabbit, and act like a rabbit, you will be treated like a rabbit - prey for all
predators."
Stony Loft
Clayton Evans
so be extreamly careful with the fumes.
Randy Zimmerman
your panel in position. Even the tacking should be sequenced to phase out
wrinkles or buckling. This is a universal rule that can be applied to 1mm
sheet or 12 mm sheet. An assembly tack welded together will resist a great
deal of distortion when compared to pieces simply welded together with no
restrictions on the sheet.
When welding up use a squence and don't be in a great rush to pour the
metal on without consideration to shrinkage.
Good luck,
Randy
Joe Kirlew wrote in message <361129e1...@newnews.dial.pipex.com>...
snip
Mike Graham
>wrote:
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>Ive just bought a small hobby type MIG welder{Clarke 130 turbo for
>>hose in the UK}, and I'm getting on OK. The only problem is that the
>>pieces of steel I've been practising on seem to be covered with a
>>whitish deposit(on both sides) after welding. I expected this might
>>happen with flux core, but I'm using a gas welder with Argon/Co2.
>>Also, I've seen posts in the group claiming that CO2 is cooler than
>>important to me as the one problem I still have is controlling
>>distortion, despite tacking and clamps/rivets. will I have to stick to
>>plug welding thin panels?
>>Any help is appreciated
I get the same result if I stick-weld with bare wire. This would
tend to indicate to me that perhaps your gas isn't flowing properly.
Perhaps you're running the wire too long (wire speed too fast) or your
regulator isn't working the way you think it is.
Mike Graham <mike at off-road.com>
Caledon, Ontario Canada
Mangler of metal. User of many grinding discs.
Cut with an axe, beat to fit, paint to match.
Mike Graham
<rzim...@uniserve.com> wrote:
>To control your distortion make sure that you are skip welding after tacking
>your panel in position. Even the tacking should be sequenced to phase out
>wrinkles or buckling. This is a universal rule that can be applied to 1mm
>sheet or 12 mm sheet. An assembly tack welded together will resist a great
Aaaactually, technically anything thicker than 1/4" is *plate*, not
sheet.
I know, doesn't affect the statement you made, but it was my first
opportunity for a 'nuisance post'. 8-)