"Morgans" wrote in message
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"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
. ..
I am struggling to master a simple 115V wire feed welder. I need to
repair a glider trailer. Now, I'm pretty damn good with oxy-acetylene and
TIG but this wire feed thing has me stumped. The rig I borrowed doesn't
have an argon bottle for true MIG welding so I'm using flux core wire.

Of course I RTFM and practised on some scrap until I could run a modest
bead. The big problem is upside-down welding on the bottom of the
trailer. Aside from the need to lie in a shower of hot metal, the results
are really ugly. Any tips?

The real trick with a wire welder, is figuring out the exact power
setting, and the feed speed to make it work right.

Have you worked with (practiced on) some small squares of the same
thickness you are going to be welding? On lots of welds, you think you
have a fantastic, pretty weld, then you test the strength, and it breaks
right apart. No penetration.

Weld two 3" x 3" squares together (butt weld), then put them in a vise and
grab a pipe wrench and bend the squares to see if you can break the weld
apart. If it breaks next to the weld, and not at the weld, you have the
penetration right. Good. Now to get it to work upside down, or any way.

The key to the weld is the power, and the wire feed speed, right?

You set the feed speed by the sound it makes. Really! You need to get a
consistent sizzle, like frying onions in butter. If it is a pop pop pop,
then slow the wire down. If the sizzle is too slow, or it stops and
starts, speed it up.

If you get the penetration and the speed right, welding upside down is
easier on a wire welder, than with any other type of welding, IMHO. Of
course, you want to position yourself a little off to the side, so you are
not "directly" below the weld, getting a sparkler bath. g

I apologize if some of this description is too elementary for you, but
perhaps someone can learn from it. There is a possibility that the welder
you used was a worthless piece of crap. Some of the lower line ones are.
The fact that it did not have a way to use gas, suggests that it is
possible that it was a lower line model.

Good luck!
--
Jim in NC
That 'pop/sizzle' wirefeed/power bit is good advice. I kinda figgered that
out on my own and the results improved. The welder does have the option of
gas but I didn't borrow the regulator since the owner didn't have a gas
bottle or any solid wire. Would I be better off to change to gas/solid
wire?

Getting out of the sparkler shower is kinda automatic once I got burned a
coupla times. Wearing a welders leather getup helps.

Turning the trailer over is a non starter. The trailer is probably 1500
pounds and 35 feet long with a fiberglass camshell top.

Bill Daniels