welder help

[Scribbles]

I just bought a CH 110v Mig welder, the gas bottle I have for it is 100% co2, I was reading the manual and it recommends against using 100% c02, for steel it recommends argon co2 mix. Could this be causing really poor penetration? I thought that co2 helped weld penetration. I am just practicing welding a bead on 1/4 plate. I get a really tall bead even when trying to burn in, and if I hit it with a sledge hammer I can shear the weld bead off the plate. What else could I be doing wrong; I am using a .30 wire

I was welding a bunch of pipe I cut up at odd angles, and the welds looked really tall, it was thin wall like 1/6 thick or so. Either tall welds or punch through. And yes I had the welder at the highest setting. It is a ch105, but I think it only puts out 85 amps. The welder says it is capable of welding 3/16 in a single pass. At 20% duty cycle, I welded all day but never tripped the duty cycle I was surprised by that. I went through a 2 lb spool today.

And I have never welded before today, so I am most likely doing something really stupid wrong.


sorry did not know where to put this.

[Scribbles]

It was the gas. I had 2 problems. One the welder is not really designed to work with co2, 2 it has a non adjustable regulator set up at 35cfm, it was blowing the weld out. I got a new tank today co2/argon, and a decent adjustable regulator. I used up all of my .30 wire so I switched to .23, I grabbed some 1/16 scraps that I could not get penetration on before and had to turn the welder down to the lowest power setting and got GREAT penetration. Had a good clean weld out the back side of the panel. Used up the last of the .30 wire I had on the 1/4 plate, and same deal. It was an ugly weld, (I still suck), But much flatter, and good discoloration on the back of the plate.

[JPJP]

Good info...........but what does it have to do with Paxton SN SUPERCHARGERS!?

[Hammer]

Miller 185, I use only co2 and argon. Most welders on the inside on the wire feed door there is a chart for the settings depending on how thick the metal is. These charts are never wrong. Do not try and mig weld in front of a fan. it will blow the sheilding gas away from the tip and the weld will be very poor and have holes in it. I run my gas pressure around 28 to 35. The best welders are like artist. there is an art to welding.