I've gone out and bought a wire feed welder (convertable to mig welder)... I have no clue what i'm doing... Is there any first steps or does or don'ts that I need to know... I havn't tried to weld anything yet... I seem to pick up things quickly, so i figure i will do good once i get going and make a few mistakes here and there, but all in fun... any info, tips, education would be awesome... thanks

 

practice first oin scrap metal

 

To learn on, use some heavier steel at the high end of the welders ratings, make sure it's clean from paint and rust, use a self darkening helmet, be sure your gas tank is set to the right pressure and weld away.

Just lay the edge of the gun on the metal at an angle aiming into the seam, kinda, and keep movin the gun in very small movements until you get the hang of it.

By all means here, until you get some real training, even if it's just a beginner course stick to ornamental stuff. Don't even try to do anything structural or that life and limb may be in jeopardy with. There's more to it then it looks like and just cause a weld looks pretty doesn't mean it's sound. The easiest way to tell if your gettin good penetration is if you look at the back side of the metal it should be discolored from the heat but not melted or warped. It's a fine line.

 

the best way to learn what your doing is to watch someone who knows how to weld a couple of times. Its hard to explain everything as there are so many little things to know. Find a good welder and watch him do the weld a couple times.

 

don't weld above your head or while laying down above you... hot slag hitting your neck and rolling down your shirt doesn't feel too good... an auto darkening helmet is your best bet... learning how to control your power levels and wire feed speeds will come to you over time... i usually start a bead and then slowly move away from it moving in a half moon shape. takes time to learn but the more you do it the easier you'll understand it. oh yea and unless you don't like your eyes too much, don't weld without some type of shaded eye wear. you'll look like you just smoked a pound of green and your eyes will feel like someone's pouring sand in em have fun

 

Check out the local tech college. 1 near me has a basic welding class like every 6 months or so. Think it was 8 or 16 hours? but it was $250. They won't cover everything you need to know to go out and weld a bridge but the basics and most importly, safety.

 

watch somebody weld first then practice after you catch the drift it will take a bit ta get welds that look and hold desent, its just like on the job training just watch learn and practice.

 

So, I'm assuming this is GMAW? (Gas metal arc welding, MIG for old-school fellas)
Well, from my own experience this is how I learned it:

Amperage - depends on the thickness of the electrode being fed, thickness of the metal being welded and what type of metal it is. Too high an amperage and it will burn up too fast and sputter the **** everywhere and won't weld properly. You can also run the risk of melting metal away from the intense heat. Your weld won't look nice; more like an elongated pool than a nice weld bead. Too low an amperage and it won't penetrate enough to make a secure weld and your weld bead will be really narrow.

Feed rate- this depends on the wattage. Get the wattage right first. It'll be pretty obvious what happens when the feed rate is too fast or too slow....too slow and it will consume electrode faster than it's being fed, interrupting the weld and allowing contamination. Too fast and you'll end up with a ton of wire feeding out.

Other than those two things, technique is something that can't really be described in words. As said, best to watch and learn. Proper electrode feed angle, speed of advancement and height from the surface of the metal are the three most important things IMHO.

I haven't welded in like 6 frickin years though....it's been a while.
Good luck man!! It's fun stuff once you get the hang of it!!

 

practice alot

 

An easy way to set up the welder is look at the cheater-chart on the inside of the door, and set according to what it says and as you get better and more comfortable tweak it as you need. If you know someone that can weld have them come over and give you a quick pointers, wire welding dosn't take very long to get the hand of, you can always check out the Lincoln and Miller websites and see if they have any how to videos, could also check your local library, and maybe youtube, but I see alot of idiot's on there. Good luck, welding can be fun, I should know, I do it at least 8 hrs a day at work!