Rate my MIG welding

[Aquaticbob]

I got a welder right before Christmas (Lincoln Handy MIG welder) and I have been practicing at least a few hours every day. I don't know anyone near me who welds other than my cousin, who just deployed to afganistan for a 9 month tour. So needless to say I don't really have anyone local I know that can come check out my welding progress. So let me know what you guys think! I used up the little 2lb MIG wire spool that came with it so I went and got a 10lb spool from my local supply store. I am using a 75/25 mix currently. I don't do much surface prep other than a good rubbing with my wire brush. I do have a grinder with a flap disc though now, so I'm going to get better at utilizing that.



What the weld looked like to the left before I cut into it. The part that was cut into looked a lot more consistent FWIW



Close up of the cross section for all to see.



What I think is my best looking weld so far

Let me know what you guys think

 

[nomadskidoo]

Bob: Not a bad weld job,,,keep up the good work,i'm learning more every day!as a hobbiest we all learn daily!40 years of welding part time and still learning,,buying a tig now

 

[vtec?lol]

Too cold. Heat it up and move a little slower with the wire feed down.

 

[Aquaticbob]

Too cold. Heat it up and move a little slower with the wire feed down.

To be fair, I'm welding 1/4" stuff and the welder is rated to do 1/8" on it's hottest settings (It's tapped at 4 settings). I'm maxed out on heat with a wirespeed of ~5

 

[dragginbalz]

I think now is the time to establish good habits and I think you know what you are doing incorrectly..

Clean your metal before you weld
Don't exceed the rating of your machine

You aren't doing yourself any favors by practicing on dirty, rusty metal that is double the thickness of what your machine is rated at.

Get some 2"x 1/8" flat stock, cut it into 3" long pcs and start welding those together. **** joints, fillet welds, lap welds, etc.

Good luck! Have fun!

 

[Aquaticbob]

You aren't doing yourself any favors by practicing on dirty, rusty metal that is double the thickness of what your machine is rated at.

Get some 2"x 1/8" flat stock, cut it into 3" long pcs and start welding those together. **** joints, fillet welds, lap welds, etc.

Good luck! Have fun!

Yeah, I've been just collecting scrap from a local spot and pretty much all they have had lately is the thicker stuff. I'm going to go back soon and check for thinner material, otherwise I'll buy up some flat stock.

I need to find a good place to buy my metal from. One of the local companies I requested a quote from had over double the price of an online store that had a location very close to me