So you’ve chosen a MIG welder, grabbed all the accessories, and you’re ready to join some metal. How do you go about it? Stay tuned to learn the basics of MIG welding.
Before you power up the welder, you’ll need to install the wire and set up the wire feeder. Follow closely the instructions that come with your welder, and wear eye protection at all times. If you are using gas, hook up the gas bottle; and ensure that you are using fluxless wire. If you are going gasless, make sure you’re installing flux core wire.
Once the cover is back in place, attach the earth clamp to the item being welded. Before you touch the gun, ensure you have dressed appropriately in enclosed boots, trousers, long sleeves, welding gloves, and a face shield or welding helmet. Also clear the area of any children, animals, or people not involved in the job.
Now grab a piece of scrap metal, preferably an offcut of your final piece. Nothing can ruin a weld easier than an unprepared surface, so ensure the metal being welded is thoroughly cleaned of rust using a wire brush or grinder. Remove any paint, and wipe away oil or grease with a solvent such as wax and grease remover.
Switch on the machine, and dial in some settings to begin with. A high current should be used for thick materials, and a lower current for the thinner ones. Wire speed is something you will get a feel for with practise, so be prepared to play around with this setting throughout your practise welds -until you can turn out a good result.
Before you pull the trigger, try and get the wire length from the tip of the gun between 6 to 10 millimetres. Your gun should be held at approximately a 20 degree angle for flat welds, or 45 degrees for corner welds. Lastly, it is important to practise both forehand and backhand welding, or ‘push’ and ‘pull’ techniques; which will be useful across a variety of situations.
While in operation, your weld should make a sizzling sound, and the gun should travel smoothly without stabbing. Once the trigger is released, and the arc stops, clean up the weld with a wire brush if necessary - and inspect your weld. There may be some examples of good and bad welds in your welders manual - along with their causes. If not, there are plenty of images available online from reputable sources - which will help you make adjustments for the perfect result.
Finally, remember to pay attention to the duty cycle of your welder and do not exceed this. Once you are happy with your welds, get a coat of paint or primer over them as soon as possible to prevent corrosion.
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