09-21-2013, 05:58 PM
Keep at it Ed. you'll master it. As Doubleboost said crank the heat till your burning through. then cut back.
I bought the mig a long time ago while I was building a never finished boat, (long story). Thought it would speed up a lot of welding that needed to be done. I tried it and went back to stick. The welds looked good but were cold, on test pieces I could break the weld off the base metal too often. Some time latter I read about using a gas mix with 2-3% oxygen, which I still use. Night and day difference. Suddenly the base metal got hot and the welds flowed, using .035 wire became the same as 1/8 7018 stick. But useless for anything under about 12 gauge, I keep a bottle of straight argon / co2 for light work.
I bought the mig a long time ago while I was building a never finished boat, (long story). Thought it would speed up a lot of welding that needed to be done. I tried it and went back to stick. The welds looked good but were cold, on test pieces I could break the weld off the base metal too often. Some time latter I read about using a gas mix with 2-3% oxygen, which I still use. Night and day difference. Suddenly the base metal got hot and the welds flowed, using .035 wire became the same as 1/8 7018 stick. But useless for anything under about 12 gauge, I keep a bottle of straight argon / co2 for light work.
Free advice is worth exactly what you payed for it.
Greg
Greg