I may try that. How hot should I get it before welding?

 

Do you have an actual oxy-acetylene torch? I believe it was around 500 degrees but I can't remember these days. I used to have a little 135 miller and I remember going through the same thing. I was able to get close enough using a propane torch. It wasn't anything that was going to support a structural load but the bead seemed to lay down better Vs going in cold. Other things like slowing the wire speed and having the heat all the way up will help too!

 

I can get a oxy torch.

I have the wire speed turned down as far as I can, it actually almost has a hard time arcing initially. Like I said the weld lays decently flat but it is built up a hair, and that is laying flat in a vise.

 

Pre-heating will help with this and you will be able to turn the wire speed up just a tad. Remember your welding cold plate the MIG wire has to strike an arc first in order to melt the wire. The plate will take a few seconds to warm up before the weld pool will really start to flow. By Pre-heating the plate your warming the weld area up and the pool will start flowing almost instantaneously.

The other thing you can do is bevel the end of the plate that is going to be welded. This will reduced the material thickness that has to be melted in order for the weld pool to stick and fuse to the materiel.

Give it a shot and see what happens. Also try and see if you can prop the material up in a position that will similar to your actual working condition. When you feel comfortable then do it for real.

 

What type and thickness of wire are you using? In your case i would switch ti .40 flux core wire

 

bevel the edges of the metal ur welding. a 135 shouldnt have a problem welding 3/16 metal. if ur welder can be set up for welding gas, hook a bottle up to it. i just dont trust flux core wire. its harder to control and weld with.

 

I use gas for thinner metals like sheet metal and exhaust Pipe. I use flux core when welding 1/8 - 1/4. I think flux burn hotter and pentrats better, gas IMO just makes thing cleaner and burns cooler

 

Right now I have some .30 or. 35 wire in it.

And yes it hooked to gas right now I'm not sure what the mix is though. Should I try a different mix of gas while I'm bench testing?

 

Use flux core in it and yes it penetrates better then hard wire

 

I hate flux core with a passion!