The weld, hammer/dolly, weld technique is one that requires practice. Location of hammer / dolly is critical so you develop muscle memory as it becomes automatic.. also, Harbor Freight makes a dandy device that holds the welding torch. It is magnetic on one end, so it attaches it's self to nearby metal, and the part that holds the torch keeps it and it's hot end out of your way. It is just a piece of flat stock with a hole in it.. one side of the hole is cut to a slot.. you slip the torch in through the slot and "release it" and it "hangs there" ready to pick back up.. very clever and handy.. about $6 as I recall.
Hammering the weld will also break up the slag, which sets you proper for next tack weld. It works particularly well if you use the punch hole / lap joint process I first described.. On Mon, Jun 15, 2015 at 1:56 PM, clay via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > The machine is made to handle only 0.030 and 0.035 flux. The feed wheels > flip over to accept one or the other. Crank down barely grasps the 0.030 > enough to feed at lowest speeds. > > I am thinking your advice to hammer the hot puddle may require a third and > forth hand. I should be able to find something like that > > clay > > > On Jun 14, 2015, at 9:54 PM, G Mann via Mercedes wrote: > > > Question I failed to ask: > > > > What diameter wire are you using? .020, .030 or .035 ? > > > > To use the .020 wire, you will need to change the wheel gap adjustment to > > fit the smaller wire AND change the wire guide in the business end of the > > torch to fit the smaller wire. > > > > Smaller wire will give you a hotter, smaller weld puddle, so you will > need > > to change your speed of torch movement to adapt. However, with smaller > > wire, you should get a weld puddle that is more correct size for thinner > > sheet metal. If you have an amperage adjustment, crank it down for the > > smaller wire. > > > > Again, do spot welds, Hammer and dolly the welds while still red, which > > will flatten the weld joint and make better contact, thus better welds.. > > Your "tack weld" should be 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, so as you work the panel > > into position [tack on one side.. hammer/dolly to flatten.... tack the > > other side .. hammer/dolly to flatten.. As you work around the repair.. > > soon you have the patch "contained" with the weld joint overlap nice and > > flat from "hammer / dolly" and on the second pass.. instead of tack > welds 4 > > inches apart.. go in between the 4 inch tacks.. same routine.. so on > second > > pass you have a tack ever 2 inches.. repeat as necessary.. > > > > Soon you have a good repair. > > > > On Sun, Jun 14, 2015 at 6:26 PM, clay via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > wrote: > > > >> I actually read the destructions that came with the zapper. I followed > >> the set up to the letter and even made sure the wheels were in the > proper > >> orientation for the wire I was using. There are no teeth to the wheels > >> that would provide decent bite. Just some knurling like you would find > on > >> a dime in the grooves. I have the tension adjusted almost to the point > of > >> strangling the wire. It does not speed up or make the wire feed > properly. > >> > >> I am thinking the low speed setting is actually in Dummy mode. Since > >> there is no adjustment for heat, just speed, it could be a failsafe. > The > >> lowest speeds must be regulated in such a manner that using it on thin > >> sheet metal would not allow it to function long enough to burn through. > >> Maybe it is set to feed tacks so you do not overheat and warp. Sort of > >> forcing you to start and stop against your will. > >> > >> > >> > >> clay > >> > >> 2002 s430 - Victor, a Stately & well tailored chap > >> 1974 450sl - Frosch - Two tone green > >> 1976 300D - Blei Vanst - it looks silvery > >> 1972 220D - Gump - She was green, simple and ran > >> 1995 E300D - Gave her life to save me against a Dame in a SUV > >> POS 1987 SDL - Beware Nigerian Scammers > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Jun 14, 2015, at 5:03 PM, G Mann via Mercedes wrote: > >> > >>> Just had a flash on something our new welder said in an earlier post > >> about > >>> the wire not feeding consistantly.. > >>> > >>> I've never been into the bowels of a Harbor Fright unit.. but there > >> should > >>> be a "tension adjustment" on the wire feed motor. [everyone I've used > to > >>> date did have one.] If that tension is loose, the wire will not feed > >>> exactly according to the "magic number on the dial"... > >>> > >>> Check that, why don't you.. And.. get a small roll of flux wire, not > made > >>> in china. > >>> > >>> On Sun, Jun 14, 2015 at 3:00 PM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes < > >>> mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > >>> > >>>> Wasn't it Will Rodgers that said some people have to pee on the > electric > >>>> fence for themselves? Sounds like Clay has started peeing. > >>>> When he runs out of the rotten HF wire that EVERYBODY says sucks and > >> gets > >>>> some better stuff maybe he'll believe the rest of the world on that > too. > >>>> -Curt > >>>> From: Jim Cathey via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > >>>> To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > >>>> Cc: Jim Cathey <jim.cathey...@gmail.com> > >>>> Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2015 5:05 PM > >>>> Subject: Re: [MBZ] Wut I dun Lernt frum Wulding this week > >>>> > >>>> Wire feed welders are nicknamed "glue guns". Clearly, HF > >>>> does not make one such. Using the Miller on clean, reasonably > >>>> thick sheet metal, and I understand the nickname. > >>>> > >>>> -- Jim > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________ > >>>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>>> > >>>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >>>> > >>>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________ > >>>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>>> > >>>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >>>> > >>>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>>> > >>>> > >>> _______________________________________ > >>> http://www.okiebenz.com > >>> > >>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >>> > >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >>> > >> > >> _______________________________________ > >> http://www.okiebenz.com > >> > >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > >> > >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > >> > >> > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
