So what area some tips and tricks to welding thin stuff with my powermig 255?
I have the spot-stich option panel but never have used it (came w/welder)... Is there an online manual or can someone provide quick instructions on how to use this?
i`m going to be working on body panels soon as well as maybe some exhaust work..
Welding Essentials: Questions & Answers is a good one. You might be able to find that one and its companion Welding Fabrication and Repair: Questions & Answers at harbor freight.
As for welding on this metal;
Heat is the enemy. So try to let it cool as much as possible. I’ve seen sheet metal welders use a small round piece of copper on a stick (handle) to draw the heat through the metal instead of melting it. Personally I haven’t used that method but it seams to work.
i use copper couplers from home depot, cut them in half and flatten them out. i use larger magnets to hold them in place, gotta bridge over the copper.
You must mean between stiches. Otherwise you would blow your shielding gas away and I have no idea what compressed air would do blowing your weld puddle around.
low speed, low setting, and "listen" to the weld. It makes a very distinct sound right before it will burn threw. I stop right before that sound and let it cool.
With sheet metal i only do like 1/2 inch stitches. with exhaust i can usually do the complete weld.
I an not a "pro" welder by any means but i have gotten really good at body and exhaust work. Two things that once you friends find out your fucked with all the work they will bring you :laughing:
Just stiched a bunch and after about 2ft of it I got pretty damn good.
Stiching thin stuff to thick stuff I`m now able to run it on the thicker metal settings, and let the puddle flow into the thin stuf gets 100% penetration pretty much I can see weld on the opposite side. I turned it down a lil so I wouldn't burn through so easy, but using hte stich method (on/off) for sheet metal I can do do it damn fast now
Next I`ll have to be doing THIN SHEET METAL to THIN SHEET METAL.. Probably have to be a lil more careful but atleast it's not that tuf
With the thin-to-thin stuff, give it time to cool to avoid warping. My brother likes to have a buddy hold a damp rag on the back side of the metal when doing body work. Might not be the safest thing to do, but with only a little bit of time for cooling, his stuff doesn't warp.
With the thin-to-thin stuff, give it time to cool to avoid warping. My brother likes to have a buddy hold a damp rag on the back side of the metal when doing body work. Might not be the safest thing to do, but with only a little bit of time for cooling, his stuff doesn't warp.
Sounds interesting. I just don't like getting water on recently welded surfaces if it's hot or cold hot normaly instant rusts, and cold just rusts really easy..
Oh well, picked up a bunch of 14g so it's not that thin I was originaly going to go with 16 but it was $7 more for the 14g sheet :grinpimp:
14g shouldn't be hard to do at all. I did 18g and after about ten minutes I had things dialed in and knew the limits of when I would/wouldn't burn through.
I use my welder on a med high heat same heat setting that i use on thicker metal. I use realy short spot wellds and i will work fast over a 1 inch area then move to a new area to let it cool ... turns out perfect everytime looks good and verry little grinding afterwards...
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