Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello everyone !!

I’m practicing on some 1/8 scrap mild steel. I am using my 180 mig welder with 0.30 wire, 35 on my flow meter 75/25 gas

I am planning to use this welder for a truck frame repair down the road. I tried going vertical uphill with a 45 degree angle and going in a repeated v-pattern and seemed to get a lot of undercut. I went downhill and the undercut went away, however I don’t think I’m getting a lot of penetration in both welds . Here are some pics, I would greatly appreciate some help

I would turn your gas down to 25CFH and also when your going up hill run your gun at a 30 degree angle up and I always do a circle up but that’s just me. What is your wire speed and heat at?


Jeremy Council
Buckwild Fabrications
Lincoln 350MP
Lincoln square wave
Lincoln 210 MP
Lincoln 4800

I would use a straight in angle on the gun and pause more on the sides. Spend much less time in the middle.

Please post WFS, voltage, and picture of actual mig gun orientation. Therein will most likely lie the issue.

Vertical up mig sucks. I prefer to run vertical mig down and space (gap) my pieces to allow more or penetration if it needs it.
Flux cor for vertical up for me.