Q: How to set optimum wire feed speed
Glenn Pure
wire.
Q: Is there a recommended procedure for setting the optimum feed speed
of the wire (which will obviously vary depending on the current output
I select)?
I basically fiddle with it now until the welds look OK but I'm new to
this stuff and would like to know if there is a better way to set the
feed rate.
BTW, I have mostly been welding light weight steel tube, 25 mm (1
inch) square and 1.6 mm thick (whatever that translates to in
imperial).
Cheers
Glenn
Mike Graham
>Q: Is there a recommended procedure for setting the optimum feed speed
>of the wire (which will obviously vary depending on the current output
>I select)?
The Official Procedure 8-) is to set the wirespeed according to
requirements, then adjust voltage to suit. So, if you're welding 1.6mm,
that's basically 1/16", so if you look inside the machine at the big sticker
that's inside the door you open to change the wire (I'm assuming it has a
big sticker) and you check the chart for 1/16" using the size of wire that
you're using, it will tell you to use 'F' or whatever on the wire speed
knob, and it will probably give you a voltage setting, too, but it will
probably be too low, but at least it gives you a starting point.
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Mike Graham | Steel-fitter and CWB-certified weldor
mike at metalmangler dot com | Building big, steel tinkertoys that
<http://www.metalmangler.com> | get put together into shopping malls
Caledon, Ontario, Canada | and warehouses.
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John Crighton
Hello Glen and Mike,
with my small baby SIP Migmate, I just reach over with my left
hand and adjust the wire speed knob while welding on a piece
of similar size scrap metal.
At the welding school a few nights ago, I was practicing
3 run 2 layer fillet welds on pieces of 10mm steel. I set
the machine, a WIA Fabricator to where I thought it was
best and was happily welding away then gradually the
sound and feel changed for the better. "WOW, I am getting
the hang of this" thinking my technique is improving.
When I turned round, the teacher was in the welding booth
and had adjusted the machine while I was welding. Heh heh heh....
(the machine was too far away from the welding table for me to
reach over and adjust the wire speed knob while welding)
Mike, I know you are a big fan of Mig welding, well I was
impressed myself at the school last week.
We were were making fillet welds on pieces of steel
225mm by 75mm by 10mm, single run then three runs.
0.9mm wire with gas. 200 amps, 25V approx.
Later we made the same fillet welds using the stick
welder, 130 amps, 3.2mm rods.
To economise on materials we weld and then use
the press to break the joint and re-use the pieces
of steel. The Mig welds were "far stronger" than the
stick welds. The pieces of steel were bending before
the joints were cracking open.
I have read your posts about the benefits of Mig
in your job. It was good to discover the strength
differences between Mig amd Stick for myself
using the press.
Regards,
John Crighton
Sydney, Australia
Mike Graham
>Hello Glen and Mike,
>with my small baby SIP Migmate, I just reach over with my left
>hand and adjust the wire speed knob while welding on a piece
>of similar size scrap metal.
That works great when you can reach.
>Later we made the same fillet welds using the stick
>welder, 130 amps, 3.2mm rods.
What kind of electrodes were you using?
>I have read your posts about the benefits of Mig
>in your job. It was good to discover the strength
>differences between Mig amd Stick for myself
>using the press.
In theory 'a weld is a weld' if the filler material is consistent and
fusion is consistent, but MIG is easier to do good welds with, for sure.
Once, on a bet, I did a stick weld that was waaaaay stronger than a fluxcore
weld, but I cheated (hey, all's fair...) it was a fillet weld and I gouged
out the joint with 6010 electrodes run way too high, then filled it all up
with 3/32" 7018, and then put the proper 5/32" 7018 passes on top, so when
it was done it just looked like a standard 3-pass fillet, but it had,
effectively, over 12mm of penetration. The press couldn't break it. 8-)
John Crighton
>
>>Later we made the same fillet welds using the stick
>>welder, 130 amps, 3.2mm rods.
>
> What kind of electrodes were you using?
>
the teacher brought out a packet of
CIGWELD Satin craft 13 E4113
and a packet of
WIA (Welding Industries of Australia)
Austarc 12 P E4112
I could not pick any difference when breaking
the stick welds on the press but I thought my
three run fillet welds looked better with the 12 P rods.
I really enjoy attending the classes. Heh Heh Heh...
Regards,
John Crighton
Sydney Australia
Mike Graham
>Hello Mike,
>the teacher brought out a packet of
>CIGWELD Satin craft 13 E4113
>and a packet of
>WIA (Welding Industries of Australia)
>Austarc 12 P E4112
Okay, that was kind of an unfair test, then, because the MIG wire would
have been significantly higher in tensile. I *do* like E 4113, though
(E6013). I very rarely use E4112 (E6012), personally.
Glenn Pure
guide anywhere I can see, so I'll rework my question:
1. What symptoms would you expect to see if the wire feed rate for the
job you are doing is too fast?
2. Too slow?
Cheers
Glenn
Mike Graham
>1. What symptoms would you expect to see if the wire feed rate for the
>job you are doing is too fast?
Too fast - bead has a flat profile when viewed in cross-section - lots of
spatter. In extreme cases the wire will 'machine-gun' meaning you will feel
it hitting the base metal.
Too slow - bead has a tall profile in cross-section, poor tie-in at the
edges. Wire will tend to want to burn back to the tip.
Glenn Pure
G