MIG Technique

I was wondering if on a mig welder, whether you move the gun from left to right, or right to left. I'm right handed. I find it easier for me to move the gun from left to right. I can see the weld puddle better, and have better overall controll of the gun. What do ya'll think?

Thanks,

Landon

 

Well I had to do some air welding to remember how I do it. Normally I am left to right unless I am in a situation that does not allow for that. I think the difference is pushing the puddle verse pulling, and I think each has its time of use but I can't remember which is which.

 

Left right up down no differance , now push pull is a whole different ball game. Most metal I strait down weld 90% of the time so it kills the whole push pull arguement.

 

Stick pull and mig push.

 

he said it left to right dont matter it's all how you hold the stinger it should point in the direction you are welding

left to right \
right to left /

you should never pull the weld in no type of welding atleast that is how i was tought

 

Actually most recommendations for stick welding is to pull or drag the electrode.

For MIG, most often people push into the puddle, however you can pull a MIG as a way to get more heat into the weld. With experience comes the ability to actually control bead profile and weld penetration by pushing or pulling the mig gun. One caution, if you pull a mig gun be sure to stay ahead of the previously deposited weld metal and at the leading edge of the puddle as there is greater likelyhood for slag inclusion if you don't. Either method of travel is acceptable and can produce equally sound welds in the hands of a experienced (practiced!) welder. Hobart Institute of Welding Technology puts out some excellent fully illustrated manuals for all types of welding. Their Gas Metal Arc Welding Basic book, part number EW 369 GMAWB, is an excellent reference and available at most technical college bookstores (since it is often used as a welding course textbook), and it's also available online. Check it out, it can definitly help anyone become a better welder.

 

ive never herd anyone say that this method is recomended. that dosent mean that it isnt but i do know for a fact that at the local recycling plant that poeple have got turned down for a jobie because thay used this method one of the head maintance crew has his structural critifaction in horazontal vertical and overhead and also is a good friend of mine that is how i know about ppl getting turned down

 

I was talking about stick welding electrodes, not MIG welding in my first sentence. Also, take a look at the recommendations by the stick electrode manufacturers, they often list the ideal welding position and technique for their products, and a lot of the stick electrodes list a dragging motion as ideal.

Mig can be pushed or pulled, in fact, according to the people I have worked with, and by the training manuals for certification, either pushing or dragging can be used effectively if the technique is proper, in fact most MIG welding courses will teach you both methods towards your certification process.

 

x2 on what uglyjeep said. I've always been taught "if there's slag you drag".

One thing to also remember is that alot of people think they know how to weld, most of us don't. Not everyone knows this but for every differant heat range, filler material, filler thickness, and welding process there is a differant certification. Everytime you change something in the process it requires a differant certification. If a person tells me they're a certified welder the first thing I ask is what kind of cerification they have. If they give me a BS answer like "mig welding", "stick welding" or something like that I won't even test them. I have seen people get bounced on a certification for improper preperation. Welding like many other things is 75% prep and 25% glory(or welding in this case).

Hope this helps.
Anders

 

Well said Anders, good points about the different facets of certification. Preparation and practice are super important.

Another thing I thought to mention is that even though a weld may appear good on the surface, it isn't necessarily structurally sound. That is where proper knowledge of the welding process and experience come into play. Without destructive testing or professional inspection procedures, the only way you are going to be relatively sure that your welds are sound enough is to have the proper knowledge and skills that you gained from practice, and inspection and testing of practice pieces.

 

Is it not easier to see the molten weld puddle when you weld from left to right like this / ? I have tried /, going left to right, and / , going right to left. When I weld like this / going right to left, I see more of the wire than the weld bead. What do ya'll think? Oh, and I'm using Flux core wire. I'm going to start using gas next week.

 

The right/left left/right is not the key here. When you are welding is the gun being pushed (gun behind the weld pool with the wire feeding towards unwelded metal) or are you draging (gun facing were you have just welded with the wire feeding into existing weld). With flux core you need to use the drag technic. IF you push with fux core it is like pushing with stick and you have a high probablity of cold lap (welding over slag causing a pores weld that isn't penatrated into the parent metal). Hope this helps.

Anders

 

Don't forget to swap your polarity when you switch to gas.

 

Thanks for the reminder.

 

Anders,

I am dragging the gun. When I switch to gas, do I switch my technique to pushing, or do I stay with my drag technique? Thanks for everybodys help!

Landon Bell

 

I would personally drag with gas as well. People tend to move to fast when pushing so tey don't pile the weld up, then they get very little heat into the parent metal. No heat no fusion. If you are unsure of your welds take some scrap metal and do several differant welds (butt weld--, lap weld_-, fillet weld_[. Hopefully my mock examples are understandable). Once you have welded them break them put them in a vice and break the welds apart. Take some pics of them before and after. Post them up so we can see what it looks like and we can help you out a little better. Idealy you want the metal around the weld to break. The main thing you want too see is how well it is attaching (penitrating) itself to the parent metal.

Anders

 

Thanks everybody! I'm supposed to get my credit check okayed today so that I can start rented gas cylinders. I am interested to see what kind of difference that the gas will make compared to flux core wire.

Landon Bell

 

Well I got the gas yesterday and the difference it makes compared to flux core wire is incredible! Its tons easier to weld with gas and the beads look great! I tried pushing as well as dragging and I was able to do both.

 

if i am runing spray, pulse or duel shield core wire then its pushing the weld, stick and short arc pulling, of course these paramaters are in the 1-G and 2-G postions, up-hill and over head things change, stick and short arc i then go up ( pushing ), jason.

 

If you are going to do a lot of welding on thin sheet metal (like a jeep body) it is better to use the Argon/CO2 mix than the plain CO2. (The exhaust repair shops use the mix on thin exhausts.)

Frans