Thread: Mig settings for 6mm steel?

Hi,
The problem with trying to give a figure for settings is in the wide variation of the stepped machine switch settings ie the voltage settings of all the machines out there.

The sods are different ( amount of numbered steps) on every brand of machine

Each step setting corresponds to a tapping point (set voltage output) off the transformer.

One machine may carry coarse and fine voltage adjustments of perhaps 5 steps each, while another brand may only sport 4 steps on each.

Machines are set by the coarse step first and progressing through to the the numbered steps of the fine setting.

As higher voltage settings are required, the 2nd step on the coarse switch is set and the settings on the fine switch are tried from 1 upwards and so on until the desired setting is reached.

A typical thin sheet metal setting will be coarse 1 ,fine 1 and an heavy plate setting coarse 5 ,fine 5.


The wire speed is set only after the voltage you have selected settings are adjusted .Its is tuned to that sweet spot on the particular voltage setting.

The more settings you have on your coarse and fine adjustments , the more precision you will have in adjusting setting your mig/or fcaw wire feeder.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Hi,
The problem with trying to give a figure for settings is in the wide variation of the stepped machine switch settings ie the voltage settings of all the machines out there.
Grahame

I was looking for a rough ballpark figure. I have a machine where I can set the voltage/amps/speed via a dial with "inifinite stepping". There are no discrete stepped settings like on some of the cheap machines.

Anyway I'll just go out an experiment I guess as I kind of need to do it now.

Cheers

HI,
Graeme is right every Machine is so different. I could only Estimate that a setting would be Wire Speed No. 2, Coarse Voltage 2, Fine Voltage 3. Your best bet is to Experiment with some scrap pieces,look at Penetration, Weld Bead Profiles. I worked out the Voltage, Amperage Settings for My Unimig 250SWF when I had it. I have also worked the out for My Boss 202A that I have now. To do this You need to know the Machines Lowest and highest Voltage, Lowest and Highest Amperage, Number of Voltage Steps. All this once Calculated is only a rough guide though. The Wire Speed you can only write down as You go, due to variables: Wire Size and Type, Day and Metal temp, Gas Type or No gas, Metal Thickness and Type -steel, Bronze, Alloy etc. Having Variable setting, Your Machine sounds a bit like a WIA 255?.
All The Best steran50 Stewart

Originally Posted by montiee

I was looking for a rough ballpark figure. I have a machine where I can set the voltage/amps/speed via a dial with "inifinite stepping". There are no discrete stepped settings like on some of the cheap machines.

Anyway I'll just go out an experiment I guess as I kind of need to do it now.

Cheers

I have to say it can be difficult to help someone when they post a question devoid of critical information that could used in solving the problem.

There is no one size fits all setting for 6mm plate. Each machine may have a different output to another,so settigs are all diffrent.The volume of the plate will have a bearing on input settings, is it a bracket or a ship from 6mm plate .

Is it a fillet weld or a butt, ?

Titbits like the make of machine,the control type ,

How can responders to the post,be expected to know that your machine is different from the majority of machines out there?.

Trial and error on pieces of scrap combined with writing down the favourable results will be the best solution. Set voltage to a point first and thing tune the wire speed until it runs the best.

Grahame

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

I have to say it can be difficult to help someone when they post a question devoid of critical information that could used in solving the problem.
Grahame

Grahame, please don't take this as a criticism of yourself as you provide excellent advice and have helped me a number of times for which I appreciate. Keeping that in mind..

What I'm actually starting to realise in an amatuer capacity is that there isn't much "science" behind welding. Let me clarify. Yes there is science behind what types of materials go with what however past that the settings seem pretty hit and miss from what I see.

I am expecting that if there was science behind it you could tell me that on average you need 18V, 145A at 5m/min wirespeed to weld 6mm mild steel would yield acceptable results with mig @ 0.9mm wire. (that's about what I'm using from memory except for the wire speed which I can't remember. I'd need to head into the garage to check it out). Of course you can fine tune it but using those settings you should get adequate penetration etc. I understand that there can be a little fluctuation in voltages at the points but there should be a "ballpark" where it will work across most machines.

I do admit that I probably should of stated the welds will be fillet but at the end of the day I don't think the settings will be all that different. Just the way you approach how you weld it.

Disclaimer: For anyone reading this I am NOT a professional welder and I DO NOT know if any settings I mention are the right settings. Seems to be fine for what I want but then again this is not going to be a structural component which can cost lives even if it fails so use those settings at your own peril.

Nah ,I am not taking offence,

I am back teaching and its end of term and I turn into a tired cranky grumpy curmudgeon about then.
People post questions and its like pulling teeth to extract information to give an answer.I will be nicer after a few days R&R, promise.

Your gonna tell you you got digital read out next, aintcha?

Ok then, if you have , you can go short arc between 17 to 19.5 volts and tune WS to suit by crackle noise. Check the bead to see if its a mitre section or not undercut.

Or go into spray if its downhand position around 22 volts and you won't get the WS tune by the crackle noise ,as it will only hiss at you. Do the visual inspection here to see if the fillet is lapped into to vertical and horizontal plates smoothly with out undercut.

If you are not sure of the bead integrity, do some on scrap of the same size say for 50 mm. weld it as a tee section. Weld 1 side only.

Stick 1 plate in the vise and belt the other one with a big Hammer.

If there is not peno,it will fall off easily. If there is peno ,plate will come off with difficulty and should tear out a little bit of parent plate with it.

Cheers
Grahame