7 replies to this topic

[E1LDR]

Please see images attached. This is of the door post/ A panel - welding the check strap panel.

I prepped both surfaces front and back and exposed bare metal. Plug welding with good penetration and ground back. As you can see from the images, 70% have filled and ground back nicely, the other 30% have either blown holes or not filled very well. I practised on loads of metal prior to this, most of similar thickness with good results - hence moving onto the panels.

I am using a Clarke 135te with argon mix gas. Settings on 2 and MIN, wire speed 6/7. I did then try 1 and Max, same wire speed. Both times gas flow has been set to 6ish (using the hobby bottles - I know they aren’t the best and run out, will soon convert to larger bottles)

Can anyone advise where I’m going wrong please or any tips on filling the remaining holes.

Again, your help is greatly appreciated.

Attached Files

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[Rosslin Racing]

third photo looks like the panels are not touching or you  have a small gap hence the burn out.

try on some scraps first. higher volts setting less wire speed when your welding move the welding wire around the hole clock wise, if you not happy try anti clockwise.

[sonikk4]

Plug welding normally needs high power with increased wire speed.

Same welder as yours, 1/4” holes, high power then wire speed at around 8 or a bit more. As for gas setting without going into figures I usually have a gentle hiss, no howling gale. Do make sure the metal is properly clamped otherwise as mentioned you will blow holes.

You can see my plugs welds on Project Paddy in the signature link below.

[gem1]

I have a 155 te turbo clarke the one i use mostly anyway and at wire speed 8 it would blow holes i have power on minimum number 2 and wire speed 4.5

to be honest sonik has the same welder and his welds are good so i would use those as a base and adjust wire to suit yourself

[sonikk4]

Just trawling through some threads and here are the settings for the gas all for the 135TE

 

And for normal welding ie seam or pulse welding here are my settings, so Two and Min

 

With Plug welding i up the power to Two and Max and the wire speed to approx 9 and that will give you a plug weld like this

 

which knocks back to this

[E1LDR]

Thanks for the responses. I managed to fill the holes today with settings on 2 and min, wire on 7. This seem to do the trick. I then had a go at seam welding on the car - again, some welds were good and others blew holes in the panels.

- sonikk4, those seem welds look good. What method do you use when holding the torch to achieve this? Angle or directly on top of the weld, left to right or right to left etc.

[sonikk4]

Thanks for the responses. I managed to fill the holes today with settings on 2 and min, wire on 7. This seem to do the trick. I then had a go at seam welding on the car - again, some welds were good and others blew holes in the panels.

- sonikk4, those seem welds look good. What method do you use when holding the torch to achieve this? Angle or directly on top of the weld, left to right or right to left etc.

 

With a plug weld i start at the top of the side then bring it down or across. I never use a hole smaller than 3/16th. 

 

5/32 holes that you get with a hole punch can be hit or miss. Not enough power and you fill the hole but get little to no contact with the metal behind forming a very weak plug weld.

 

Seam welding, i hold the tip at an angle then draw it back slowly with a small rotational movement. Or you can pulse weld which is effectively a slightly more powerful tack weld and then you can achieve something like this.

[E1LDR]

Thanks For the pictures and explanation. I will give this ago next time I’m in the garage!