At 10:03 PM 12/28/2001 -0800, you wrote:
>At times I can get a really good bead going for a few inches then
>!@#$%^&*. I most often am blowing holes in the 22-24 guage metal used in
>the Tiger's wheel wells (and elsewhere). I have had no problems with the
>thicker metal such as the inner rocker panels.
Larry was close with his remarks but what you really need is to develop a
welding technique that has a pause in the weld application. This is
sometimes known as pulse welding and I have a MIG welder where this feature
is fully adjustable. It welds for a short period at a high level and a
short period at a low level which allows the puddle to solidify. You can
replicate this without the sophisticated hardware by releasing the trigger
every second and re-squeezing the trigger a half or three quarter second
later, repeating this process for the full weld length. With some
practice, you will develop a timing which is correct for the metal
thickness you are welding. Obviously longer on time and shorter off time
will be hotter and visa versa. I don't know what wire diameter your using
but it shouldn't exceed .035 and .025 would be even better.
If your metal base isn't squeaky clean in the weld area, you may also be
getting blowouts from contaminants trapped in the weld area that outgas
when they reach welding temperature.
The final thing that makes this process MUCH easier is a automatic lens in
the helmet. This allows you to see thru the lens in place before you start
the arc. It's important to see well to weld well. The other advantage of
the automatic lens is that most of them are adjustable for timing (how
quickly they go dark) and how dark they get when they change. I've used an
#8 lens and had no problems but I wouldn't go too much lighter.
Tom
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