MiG Welding?
Question:I used an ARC welder for years. I want to learn MiG welding. Is it that much different.
Answers:
not much different.you wont have the slag that rod leaves...the application is mostly the same.you hold the nozzle at about the 45* like rod welding.I like either push or pull method...it takes a touch of practice but if you've had enough experience then you will fall into it very easily...I love it for filling large gaps or cracks...dont have to slag at all...just keep applying filler wire til it is filled. Overhead will take you a little time to get your hand and eye and settings.but, works like a charm..good luck
I like MIG better than Arc when I am doing thinner material. Can not get the penetration like you can with Arc, but the ease of use is great. Not much different with the technique, should be able to adapt fairly quickly to the differences.
Well your question is pretty vague, so I will have to assume. You have stick welded for a good number of years and youre comfortable with it.
You, for whatever reasons , want to learn MIG.
Well, Im getting the picture you dont work with alloys or non-ferrous metals.
There are wire machines that run a flux-core or innershield wire for next to nothing in price. These are good for home projects and farm use. There is no shielding gas to mess with, as the shielding is in the wire itself. These are good machines. An innershield wire is a beginners dream. You can run limited motion, with little viscosity and little slag. Most that Ive seen on the market will run overhead, some will run 6g. Penetration will vary depending on the wire, but you can do other things to boost, which I shouldnt get into right now.
If youre running rods right now, youll have no problem with it, after a few hours of practice.
If youre wanting to learn MIG per se, this will be a little different. Steel wire is cheap, compared to flux core (which is 14$ a pound or close) but there are limitations on its use compared to the other, and you will have to run a shielding gas. This will depend upon what you are welding. I would only run MIG for use in aluminum or SS... If youre running mild steel I would go with flux-core, as the shielding on wire can be "tempermental" and pretty dirty at times, depending on position.
All in all, I would say that wire welding is much easier than what youre used to. Youll have no problems with it.
I have not much experience -- just a short course in stick, MIG, and gas welding. I own a gas system, and now a Miller 210 MIG welder also. I've mostly welded mild steel -- nothing exotic -- with both methods.
During the course work, I had a much harder time with stick welding. I found it harder to strike an arc, and much harder to draw a good bead. The spatter from the flux was messy, and the glassy slag deposits were a pain to chip away.
MIG was comparatively simple. I know that I will (justifiable) draw criticism from those who are experienced and talented, but MIG welding was more like using a hot-melt glue gun for steel. With the Miller 210, I have enough heat to handle the 4" channels I've been welding, as well as thinner 1/8" materials. I haven't welded sheet metal. With thinner metals, I've had less trouble with burning through than I have had with gas.
I always use a shielding gas, and not the internal flux wire. My machine handles shielding gas, and one thing I like about MIG is the lack of flux and slag. Flux wire is not only much more costly, but it also spatters flux that must be removed.
Although I'm not a certified welded, I have cut through some welds to gauge penetration -- and found that I was getting good results. Deep penetration in thick material, full penetration in 1/4" material. Follow the usual V-grooving procedures and multiple passes for deep welds in thick material.
So, is it different? If you are an accomplished stick welder, I can't imagine it taking more than a couple of hours playing with the process to achieve equivalent or superior results.
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