Argggg!! This Mig welder is driving me nuts!!!

I spent nearly 2 hrs getting my trailer frame perfectly square and level. Only to be twarted by my welder.
After tack welding the 4 corners. 6 tacks in each corner. I got my grinder out to grind some burs off and the vibration from the grinder caused all the tack welds to pop loose. All the rails just fell apart into a heap on the floor. GRRRRR !!!!!
That was a very disapointing sight. I spied my 10 pound sledge hammer and was looking at the welder with my other eye.I just turned every thing off and went into the house.
I suspect that this welder is not up to the task at hand. 90 amps must not be enough to get good penitration. The thing says its suppose to weld up to 1/8th thick stuff but I doubt that is true.
I dont know what I am going to do now. I guess the stuff will just sit there till I figure it out.

Your mileage may vary.

Good luck.

Personally, I always use gas and non-fluxed wire. I tried using fluxed wire with gas once on some outside work, and it was terrible. I could not get a decent bead at all. I don't know why.

If I was welding 1/8" steel I wouldn't have my machine at the highest current setting- probably less than half way, which would be about the max setting on yours.

Others here are more experienced than me, but your machine should be capable of good welds, if you do it right. My mig was my first experience with arc welding, so I've been spoiled. I was recently given an AC buzz box, but I've not yet tried it out.

Did you grind and bevel all your joints? Preparation of the joints is important.

• Haynes

I am hestant to believe anything running on 120V can weld with enough penetration for any strength.

Your right I do plan to haul heavy things with this trailer. Need some thing to drag stuff back from auctions and such.
I think I may chuck the steel over in the corner for a bit and try to get a hold of a 220 Lincoln Ark welder. See if I can run a good bead with that.

That's the combo I use. Buzz box (mine's AC only) for the heavy stuff and mig for light (my mig's 220v). The extension cord I made is #8 copper wire to extend the outlet, undoubtedly not code. Works great for both welders.

I played around with my mig on heavier steel and decided I better go with what I know works, rods. Might very well be me, not the mig that didn't get good penetration. A friend calls my welding "gorilla welds", strong and ugly. But they don't fail.

You missed a great source of info when you didn't get all of T_Bone's advice. When he brings me that ironwood I'm going to get a mig lesson.

Tried my buzz box out today. It works great!!!
I first had to fix the secoundary going to my shop.
Good thing I work as a under ground utility locator. So I could find the fault. Also good my wife works for the power company so I could get free fixins. Other wise this would have been spendy.

Now you posted a big problem, not enough amps. If your using an extension cord it needs to be atleast a #12/3 amd a RV #10/3 works even better. Wally world RV Dept. sells a 25ft #10 for about $30. HD also sells them reasonable.

This will keep you from voltage drop to the machine thus creating the low machine amps. Century with flux cored wire works well for the size of machine.

I suggest you start with a lite gauge SM, 16ga and see if the machine works well. If not then we need to correct that problem before trying to weld any thicker material.

If it won't weld 16ga then try a plug in closet to your breaker box. If that works then your getting a voltage drop to the receptical that you were using.

If the machine is running fine then take a piece of scrap the thickness your frame is. Run a couple beads. If your not getting any penetration then preheat the weld zone with a torch then weld.

Post back with the results and we'll go from there.

T_Bone

Ya, 90amps is just not enough for heavy Mig welding.

You'll like the stick much better for welding the trailer frame.

To test your welds, your using a good method. Weld a 90* butt joint then bend and break the weld. If the weld splits down the center with equal weld metal on both sides then you have a good penetration joint weld.

This method is also good for telling how to correct for mistakes.

As you can tell I didn't make the response posted below to you.

T_Bone

The yarn tree???? hummmm

or whoever you want to call yourself as it ruins ones credibility.

Please use your own name when POSTING and NOT mine!

T_Bone

There seems to be some misunderstanding here..

I see how you thought that I was using your name after seeing the posts side by side. That was unintentional on my part and I appologize for it appearing I was posing as you.

The post was started with "T Bones..." and the rest of the post was continuation of the whole sentence. "T Bones shore 'nuff sharp on th' weldin' huh?"

It was meant to be most complementry, but I guess it didn't come across right in print. I've thought all along that you really know your stuff on most of these welding topics. I myself, as much experience and knowledge as I have about it all gained some pretty good info from one of your posts the other day that I'd always wanted to know about, and you had it all laid out for someone on here. I felt quite enlightened and appreciated it.

Bone you and I have corresponded on here and on E Mail, I consider you an cyber friend and I'd not attempt to pass myself off under your, or anyone elses, name. Once again I appologize that it appeared that way.

The Yarn Tree?
Yo No Comprende.

You caught me on one of my slow day/nights...Yes it makes sence now, sorry for jumping the gun.

There's a t-bone from Pampa, Tx that gives me fits on another board so when Texas pop'd up upon the search, I put 2 and 2 together and got 5. :)

as in knitting??? LMAO
Humor, very little but still humor :)
I best explain that one in a e-mail

T_Bone

Maybe neither one of us was "playing our A game" yesterday as Tiger would have put it.

Sometimes something that makes such perfect sense in out heads just totally crashes on paper and vice versa. It might be something like trying to read "Who's On First" rather than hearing it.