185 mig

V

vaccin

i am trying to mig panels with a 185 hobart on the lowest amperage setting and increasing the feed speeds generously.
Has anyone ever lowered the amperage settings beyond what the panel settings are ?
I have too much heat with this 185 although I purchased the mig not knowing i would be panelwelding.
I am using a shielding gas and I have tried fluxcore with similar exess heating.
 
any setting will burn. it's not the machine. you need to practice and learn to weld in burst.
 
What size wire are you using? A smaller wire like .023" might help out as well. Not sure of your welding technique but like Shine says you need to weld tacks and skip around the seam to minimize heat. Take two peices of scrap metal the same thickness you are welding and practice on your technique and setup.
 
Are you lap welding or butt welding ? Some pictures would be helpful.
 
I tried .023 and had a bunch of feed issues in my Lincoln 255(I think its just not made for that small of wire) I switched to .030, get some test panels and just keep turning it up till you burn thru then back off a touch. Also make sure your panels have zero gap as that will cause burn thru as well. Grind and fit and grind and fit until they are dead nuts. Also make sure your steel is squeeky clean(I wipe down with acetone for my last step in steel prep.

You can also lay a wet rag next to or a piece of brass behind of the area you are welding for a heat sink. I use this as a last resort only kind of method. I would think your welder should be capable of being turned down enough to weld just fine.

As stated my Lincoln is 250 amps I set somewhere around 110 on feed and about 13-14 volts if its any help.
 
I run my Lincoln 180 with .23 wire and I'm in the mid range of my adjustments for sheet metal. A higher heat selection and lower speed might help out. I've noticed with mine that a lot of wire feed makes it burn in a lot more.
 
welding is welding . the mig is not some magical tool that welds by it's self . you have to learn to weld. i can blow a hole with any wire on any setting . i use .030 wire for everything .
here's a tip . get a 60 watt flood lamp and make a stand for it. set it behind you so you can see what you are doing better. a good helmet also helps. you must learn to see the the temp change. just before it turns molten you must stop or feed more wire to cool it. you can also keep a piece of wire to feed in like tig welding .
 
ER70S-6 .023 wire, 75/25 gas, dials at 1-2, wire speed at 30-40 should work , it does fine for me on Miller 175 which is the same basic machine. 1-25 with .023 I can run stringers on solid .020 sheet without burn through with no difficulties.
As shine says, you need to learn to weld to weld.
do not be like so many and put a bunch of bird shit on some steel and think you have welded it together. I see so many projects where guys have bought a mig and think they are doing great things and all they are doing in many cases is making a death trap when they are doing frame/suspension welds.

Learn how to weld, watch the puddle, it shouldnt take to long to get the hang of it.When I attended welding classes I totally hated running coupons for hours on end. Seemed like a waste of time at the time. In retrospect it was called learning and that takes time and practice.
Run a lot of coupons replicating the work you intend on doing. When you can make 10 in a row without a mess up, you are ready for THAT particular application. Takes hours to learn, years to master.
(btw, nothing worse than burning coupons for a cert, talk about nerves making the stinger shake, lol.)
 
I use .30 wire for everything now, per Shine a long time ago, really seemed to help me... YMMV.
The proper heat setting/technique is there, but you may have to practice on a lot of scrap metal, to find it.

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I use .30 wire for everything now, per Shine a long time ago, really seemed to help me... YMMV.
The proper heat setting/technique is there, but you may have to practice on a lot of scrap metal, to find it.
 
somewhere along the line the idea of smaller wire not burning got started . the wire is what cools the weld. less wire = more heat which will turn molten and fall out . it is not a burn hole it is where a drop of molten metal fell out . this is why you need the stick out so you can close in on the weld and cool it.
 
shine;32414 said:
the roller will have 2 groves in it. one for 023 one for 030 . just flip it over.
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on the 140 I bought the grooves are for .030 and .035. don't quite understand why its like that.
 
Some MIG machines work well with .023" wire on thin sheet and some don't. My Miller 250 is fine with .030".
 
my hobart 210 worked good with 030 . it just went wacko today. not sure what is going on. weird stuff. nasty looking welds growing bubbles or blowing holes on low. nothing i tried worked so i will take it in this week .
 
shine;32488 said:
my hobart 210 worked good with 030 . it just went wacko today. not sure what is going on. weird stuff. nasty looking welds growing bubbles or blowing holes on low. nothing i tried worked so i will take it in this week .
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That is weird, sounds like no gas but I'll bet you looked for that. I had something like that happen with a TIG torch, I melted the gas hose off the fitting in the handle. So when I held the torch up near my ear I would hear the gas flowing but still problems. When I pulled the cover back the melted hose was obvious. That was when I bought a water cooler system.
 
i believe it is gas related. looks almost like flux core welds. i will look one more time. will use soapy water to see if i have any leaks. i need to weld up some qrt panels so i can get rid of the car . seems like the harder i try to empty the shop the more bs happens.
 
Welder feed is on 3, amps at zero dial setting.
Which welding wire is preferred for panel welding. The wire for start is too hard ,seems.
Thanks for the help with this thread.
 
I use lincoln L-56 wire in .030 diameter. You may have to weld up some scrap to get your settings dialed in
 
bomccorkle;38661 said:
I use lincoln L-56 wire in .030 diameter. You may have to weld up some scrap to get your settings dialed in
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70 S6 was recommended by a local welding supply maybe not ideal ?
 
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