Recently retired engineer, and hobby woodworker...looking to pick up welding to expand my capabilities.
Picked up a multi-process welder and got started with you-tube, I've competed some easy projects, but struggling to match my results with what I see in the many excellent videos for beginners.
One issue led to another: Can't see weld puddle, got a better mask; shade setting based on current, but MP welder setting only give you wire speed and Volts; found Jody's chart to setting wire speed based on current requirement for metal thickness, by extension I got my shade settings confirmed. New issue: Using Jody's approach, wire feed speeds are much lower that the initial settings recommended by the chart that came with my welder (does seem like I'm always turning things down), went to check my welder's wire feed speed my measuring, as Jody suggests, but alas my welder has a high speed feed feature that kicks in after 2.5 seconds....and a delay before wire feed starts, so that failed. But still, if I trust the digital readout of speed, and use Jody's recommended approach, my beads are looking much better.
Bottom line, the online resources are a great help, so here I am.
welcome.
don't bother setting the helmet to amps, just set it to your eyes. don't forget you can add back lighting to your work. rig up a lamp, that makes it much easier.
for beginners i highly recommend starting with stick. that way you learn the puddle before getting into twisting knobs.
don't bother setting the helmet to amps, just set it to your eyes. don't forget you can add back lighting to your work. rig up a lamp, that makes it much easier.
for beginners i highly recommend starting with stick. that way you learn the puddle before getting into twisting knobs.
tweak it until it breaks