Good welding requires a high degree of skill and experience. You should practice a few sample welds to get the hang of how to use a Wire Feed Welder on scrap metal before you begin welding your first project. Additional practice periods are recommended whenever you weld a different thickness of material, wire, or weld a different type of joint.
Avoid damage to Wire Feed Welders by not leaving the unit on for more than the listed duty cycle. The duty cycle defines the number of minutes, within a 10 minute period, during which a given welder can safely produce a given welding current. For example, with a 18% duty cycle at 140 Amps you must let the welder cool down for at least 8 minutes after every 2 minutes of continuous wire feed welding.
Most modern welders are equipped with an internal thermal protection system to help prevent
over heating the unit. When the unit overheats, it automatically shuts down, then automatically returns to service when it cools down.
If using solid-core wire, connect and secure an Argon/ CO2 gas hose to the the Welder. (If using flux core wire, protective gas is not required.) Securely clamp the ground as close as possible to the base metal to be welded, or to the metal workbench where the object is mounted and electrically connected.
The workpieces should be firmly held together and in position while welding. Use clamps to hold the workpieces so you can concentrate on the job at hand. The distance (if any) between the two workpieces must be controlled properly to allow the weld to hold both sides securely while allowing the weld to penetrate fully into the joint.
Set the desired welding current in amps for the type of metal being welded. Adjust the voltage based on thickness of metal being welded.
While holding the welding torch, with the welding wire clearly out of the way of any grounded objects, turn the power switch on.
Momentarily squeeze the trigger of the welding torch to test the wire feed speed. If necessary, adjust the speed.
Orient yourself on the area to be welded, then place a welding mask over your eyes.
The welding wire should be directed straight into the joint. This gives an angle of 90 degrees (straight up and down) for groove (end to end) welds, and an angle of 45 degrees for fillet (T-shaped) welds.
The end of the Welding Torch should be tilted so that the Welding Wire is angled anywhere in between straight on and 15 degrees in the direction of the weld. The amount of tilt is called the “drag angle”
The welding wire should extend no more than 1/2” past the tip of the welding torch.
Squeeze (and hold) the trigger switch of the welding torch and stroke the area to be welded with the Welding Wire to ignite the arc.
Never tap the welding wire into the welding surface to ignite the arc. This will cause the welding wire to stick to the workpiece.
For a narrow weld, you can usually draw the welding wire in a steady straight line. This is called a “stringer bead”.
For a wider weld, draw the welding wire back and forth across the joint in a curve. This is called a “weave bead”.
After you finish the weld, shut the welder off and do a thorough assessment of your weld. Make note of what you need to improve on, and what you did well. Wire Feed Welding is not easy, but with a little dedication, you will pick it up in no time. Always remember, the most important part of learning how to lay perfect wire feed welds is PRACTICE.
Tags: welding article, Wire Feed Welder
