Fix This MIG Welding Problem

Lumpy welds are a bummer...Let's fix it!
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Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), also known as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is the best welding process for many different applications. This tutorial provides the solution to a very common MIG welding problem beginners face.

[@hannahsdadpietro]

I am 62 , and when I grow up I want my welds to look as good as yours.

[@johnlamberti2735]

Me too, and I am 64.

[@timeistooshort2933]

😂...when I grow up...but you are right though, never too old to learn...I'm 60 so when I grow up too 😂

[@luckyred1818]

The older i get the more it’s apparent that age, experience, skill, and rendered results have less in common than i once thought

[@melgross]

Great advice Tim. Vertical welding is the most difficult thing most non pros are going to encounter. Overhead is something else altogether.

[@4speed3pedals]

Amazing, I know I watched this video last year but totally forgot the main uphill tip - turn down the wire speed for up to two thicknesses thinner and weld with manipulation. It doesn't sink in until you have a problem and I did welding on my Jeep frame repairs putting the repair channels over the frame and welding the perimeter. I am embarrassed how the welds look but it seems to be holding OK. Seeing, laying on my back or side, having the body raised about 5", working around the axle housing and light being in all the wrong places, I had a tough time just seeing where I should be depositing weld beads. I used the recommended settings and it was too fast and caused me to grind a lot. This would have been something that would have been helpful. I am thankful I went back and watched again. Thank you very much.

[@dogleg6669]

Been stick and oxy/acetylene welding for 30+ years. I just picked up a Flux core wire feed a few months back to learn on your videos have been very helpful, thanks bro.

[@dougsheron8352]

Hi Tim, I must say all your vids and tips are great for me, having learnt way back in the early 70's.... as an apprentice, done lots then but now getting back into it All... MIG, TIG en Stick in my garage for classic rebuilds..... great reminders for me, retied Brit engineer, cheers Doug

[@bruced1429]

Tim there is one or two other things that can be done. Use dual shield wire with 75/25 works quite well and no torch manipulation. Next pulse spray with 90/10 works well too. The reason I mentioned this is that I also struggled at times with ropey uphill and droopy down hill welds , just at the wrong time, so now I use the above methods and have better welds. You are very correct on the wire speed especially with the newer welders were you can adjust exactly what you need. The older welders with just numbers for wire speed and voltage are way more difficult to adjust. Keep up the good work you a very good instructor.

[@apexcustomsmokers]

I totally agree, spray is awesome, however I think most of Tim's target audience are not set up for spray, as most hobby machines aren't powerful enough for spray, they're only meant for short-circuit. Add to that most hobby welders get their gas at the tractor supply which only carry 75/25 or 100% argon, and no tri-mix. But what you're saying is absolutely correct. Dual shielded flux-core and spray are the way to go!

[@danl.4743]

@@apexcustomsmokers I never get clear answers about spray. My machine gets to 32.7 Volts (I just checked). Can't tell you amps because it shows wire speed on the same Amps digital display. But it's a 300 Amps machine. Is it capable of doing spray? At what settings does it start spraying? Or basically, on that machine, what settings would you do to start getting spray?

[@apexcustomsmokers]

@@danl.4743 your machine sounds like it's more than capable of doing spray. There are many factors involved but the simplest thing I can suggest to START, is get a bottle of 90/10 and use your machine's setting chart and follow the aluminum settings, as aluminum MIG is spray transfer, which is why we need straight argon to weld. Play around with the settings, but the aluminum chart should get you in the ballpark. Now I have heard of guys using 75/25 for spray, however technically spray needs at least 80 argon and I've only personally used 90/10. Hope this helps!

[@melgross]

@@danl.4743 you can do spray with a 200 amp. Machine if you have the right gas mixture. Normally, you can just begin spray at 80/20, though some claim to have done it at 75/25, but I’ve never been able to. But the bigger the ratio, the easier it is to do. So 85/15 is easier, and 90/10 easier still. At lower ratios, you need more amperage. But you have plenty.

[@tomnewman7347]

I have found that if you go down about two material settings, run a side to side zig zag motion and hold each leg for about 1 sec while spending as little time as possible on the center of the weld as you are moving from one leg to another that produces the flattest weld with no drooping in the middle. Tim's welds here with the triangle manipulation still produces a slight crown at the center of the weld.

[@creeplife2802]

I finally got back into welding after 7 years! I did a trailer repair. I had to replace 3 hinges. It was going slow but perfectly, up until the weld lol. I preheated the pieces with map gas, and used my autoset feature. The metal was 5/16 but in 110v I could only get up to "3/16", man it was super hot. The top welds were fine, but the vertical, and bottom welds were dripping. I got so frustrated, I've forgotten so much welding info over the years. Well, maybe not forgotten, but mixed up.

[@ayrtonezzy7936]

@TimWelds love that you're adding metric wfs in the captions for us aussie welders

[@rajaramchavan7842]

H

[@d1o2n4]

Thanks for including metric for the wire speed. A little thing that I think the rest of the world would appreciate.

[@pinecone9045]

I've been waiting for someone to say/explain that.

[@rsgjaay650]

Love how you summarize at the end of your videos

[@maxnine57]

I have learned too watch your videos to understand the concepts of adjustment of a welding machine some day I will try and be as good as you Tim thanks

[@SorrentoShore]

Thank you so much, this was super helpful. I'm starting an all vertical welding project, and this makes perfect sense!

[@JayKay-ht8rg]

Oh dear! Hope you had fun with that!! lol. All vertical project!! How did you get on!??

[@SorrentoShore]

@@JayKay-ht8rg hi, well two different guys quit on their day 1! and I completed the project. It was Corten and stainless with the CorTen weathering fast! Dissimilar metals: not fun when the client didn't plan well. And it was a pain it was on a slope it was narrow it was difficult it was hot there was no shade... Many challenges. I would finish entire sections and a combination of contraction and extraction would pop welds seemingly overnight, didn't have the right welder lined up and ready to go and the material sat around too long. The project was about $6,000 so I stuck it out and finished it! Done!

[@davidebevilacqua2575]

Thank you, i enjoy welding and i learn a lot from your video. Both stick and MiG.

[@justintasht1067]

Fantastic video and excellent explanation I’m not very good at welding up or down hill so will be going out tomorrow and trying this. Big thanks 👍👍

[@donaldhalls2189]

Thanks again your information is priceless, all the best to you and your loved ones

[@mrcolobike]

very clear explanation Thanks for sharing your knowledge and time!!!!Keep on !!!

[@fastbusiness]

Thanks for making the vertical up welds.

[@trymoregeorge4506]

Thanks for the good lecture. More time, I want to know the vertical up welding patterns

[@robharrison1427]

Hi Tim. New welder checking in, love you channel. Thankyou. Just starting yo think about vertical up and down 😘

[@c2thew]

Thanks for doing this video!!! Your channel is superb. Subscribed! Can you test another theory of the importance of a clean ground clamp? 1) Welding on a painted piece of metal with the ground clamped on the painted section, 2)clean ground connection to a painted metal area, and 3) clean ground to clean metal 4) completely rusted piece of metal for someone who wants to half ass a weld. “Does surface preparation matter?”

[@frez777]

I love this channel, and am subscribed

[@GreenEnergySE]

Great videos! Thank you very much!

[@jessicaandthorstenrichards3584]

I work for cummins. We only do verticle down welds. It's crazy hard here, but as a female welder, 5 are truly a great welding factory .

[@GliphinMichael]

I am a welding student... Can u arrenge a work for me ur facotry? Its a helpful of my current situation

[@ardynottle]

Thanks for the very helpful information 👍👍

[@michaelpaul721]

Thank you. Great advice!

[@paintboy3690]

Have loved your videos and have been binge watching this past month to learn the basics before buying a machine. I am just starting to practice MIG (mostly for auto use since i’m a mechanic). I know you made the comment in the past about practicing straight beads before worrying about any type of pattern. In my practicing I have found that a pattern helps me stick to a more consistent speed. Is this alright or would it benefit me to just focus on the straight beads for a bit?

[@paulshuppert4975]

Have a question .the reason we weld uphill is to stop inclusions. Will mig and clean metal the majority of inclusions are not there because of lack of flux. Is there a real need to weld uphill. Especially on anything under 1/4 thick. Been an industrial sheet metal worker for 42 yrs. Single passed 1/4 in. With weave with watertite and held up to explosive testing. 1/2in with multiple passes but did use different techniques. Stick welding i know is totally different. Your thoughts would be appreciated

[@paintballfreddy]

i use that same technique on flux core but i run it really hot.. believe its E-6 on my titanium 125 for 14 gauge thickness

[@vladtepes97]

1:50 what causes the crowning? what do the settings you used in the horizontal position have to do with lumps in the vertical position? 2:05 turn what down 10%, amperage? feed rate?

[@Thorsanbauer]

Thank you so much for the video super useful :-)

[@violanaura4513]

Thanks for tutorial

[@lancerudy9934]

Great video😊

[@aloud9738]

Another good vid Tim. How do you keep your shop so clean?

[@TimWelds]

I hide all my junk behind the camera. 😆

[@nkronert]

It's all CGI 😉

[@georgevossen3846]

Thanks

[@JayKay-ht8rg]

To be honest I thought the finished results were not all that neat. BUT vertical welding is a pain in the butt!! lol. I weld down and up with a blob at the bottom that drops to the floor and goes of like little firework by my boot!! lol. But the finish is usually neat. Good advice though. Could it very helpful. Thankyou.

[@jxengine]

Thank you sir!

[@LilFish0]

Thank you, everyone likes to weave but im trying to find good stringer techinques.

[@apexcustomsmokers]

I run vertical down on all my smokers just for the simple fact I can get the "stack of dimes" look that most non-welders (customers lol) associate with "good welds".

[@JeepingMo]

Good instruction. 👍👍

[@Dahigi777]

What brand mig wire do you like? Does it matter much? I have Lincoln l56 but it’s not cheap

[@ianmac2963]

EXCELLENT - thank you

[@jkdog3242]

The shop I work at just runs everything vertically down, I've questioned the penetration of that but 🤷‍♂️ what ya gonna do

[@aadi0018]

Wire speed should be high in which case ? Vertical or downhill 🙏

[@TimWelds]

higher for downhill

[@gusfavoreto2966]

Thank you for the video! My welds are always dark gray. Are there any settings to have one light gray like yours? I always clean the mill scale and oils.

[@TimWelds]

A bit more gas could help.

[@Chou005]

How to fix the popping and stuttering?

[@abcmedia2297]

I confuse of Tig Weld and Laser Weld, the torch guns look the same. Anyone please explain it to me. also, how much voltage and current are set for welding ?

[@KatoElisa]

Thank you for the lesson I request theory notes on all gas welding process via my pdf reader

[@tractortinkerer11]

Trying this with a Hobart Handler 140 and my welds are crap.

[@rattlethewise]

TY

[@unsimplex]

Super 👍

[@jimmydickson8854]

Thanks tim point taken jimmy Australia

[@SorrentoShore]

How about welding in 90° weather, in the wind, vertically with ss to corten?! Here we go!!

[@itsnegl3ct341]

Downhill allday long baby, can bead it aswell 🎓

[@carlboe3986]

Too little education specific content. I. E. Hot welding shots are non specific if there is no proper technique demonstrated prior, cold, on camera,, to allow observation of the related operation, during the hard to follow, darkened, flashing, hot demo. 3rd of your videos that I've enjoyed. Content is good. I am a long time Tradesman recently retired who is now looking at getting back into his favorite portions of the trade other than my trade. At one time welding was one of the things involved in my trade then I changed my focus and it's been a number of years since I did any welding. I realize one of the major focuses of your videos is students into your classes. Unfortunately I am quite far off regionally from you. I am going to study and weld to bring my basic skills back but when it comes to testing prep I do realize I will need additional instruction. Which incidentally is something I did for my Tradesman. I enjoy watching a Tradesman passing his skills and you are obviously a Tradesman interested in passing those skills, congratulations

[@arunkumar-qy1dp]

👌👌👌

[@FOXCRF450RIDER]

that pattern is pretty complex. I just go back and forth in a straight line. travel then come back to pool then travel again. travel back travel back travel back

[@FOXCRF450RIDER]

same vertically and always top to bottom. travel down, then back up to pool, then down and back up.

[@paulshuppert4975]

Stack of dimes as far as welds in my opinion doesn't guarantee a good weld just a good weaver.

[@TimWelds]

Completely agree. 👍

[@Bruser71]

if you weld down ...... you need to find a new job .... welding down..... worst weld you can do .... contaminated, weak. yeah might look pretty but its a poor weld.... going up, your always into clean material, not a pretty weld, but is the strongest weld you can do

[@itsMeAzad]

Thanks dear()(((❤)))()... from BANGLADESH 🇧🇩

[@big_ute]

Since ive gotten into the mining repair side of the house a few yrs ago i suggested ditching er70s-6 wire in favor for the esab ni-h4 dual shied wire in .045 and 1/16". Management asked why and my answer was simple, " its flux core thats shielded by c25, it hits harder, penetrates deeper, its actually rated for structural welds and its stupid easy to run." Their response, "sounds expensive to get it set up." Me " ya it is but if you guys buy this stuff I wont have fix anymore of your old weldors shitty repairs with inferior products." Now the shop is runing what i suggested and Ive never had anything come back to me for re-work in the 2 yrs ive been with this company, im also the only certified weldor there so...