Who's the best welder? Pro tips?

[Chainlube]

Any pro welders in this crowd? Seeking advice on my snowmobile trailer rebuild.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Any pro welders in this crowd? Seeking advice on my snowmobile trailer rebuild.

I'm certainly no professional but do decent. Practice makes perfect. Watch some videos, make sure the surface is clean, then practice running lines on flat surfaces. Next use a metal marker and write letters then practice making the letters. Once you can do that start practicing on joining metals together. An instant dark shield really helps a lot. Charts on how high to turn the welder for different metal thickness is a must.

 

[Chainlube]

I'm certainly no professional but do decent. Practice makes perfect. Watch some videos, make sure the surface is clean, then practice running lines on flat surfaces. Next use a metal marker and write letters then practice making the letters. Once you can do that start practicing on joining metals together. An instant dark shield really helps a lot. Charts on how high to turn the welder for different metal thickness is a must.

Thanks Jerry, but I know all that. I completely rebuilt a car, every nut and bolt and new floors. It's angle or not to angle.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

Thanks Jerry, but I know all that. I completely rebuilt a car, every nut and bolt and new floors. It's angle or not to angle.

Some say push and some say pull. If I'm going down hill I like to pull, everything else I push. l like using a 2 hand technique to stay steady. I angle so that I have my best view.

 

[Chainlube]

Running a mig with gas you should always let the wire extend into the pool, go slow and make "C"s. It's what you call drag, but you're right about the angle though.

I was more interested in the ends of my steel, whether to 45 my parts or just butt weld. I 45ed everything now, so it's one continuous weld around the whole end.

 

[Wrench]

Metal thicker than 3/16" bevel the edges of a butt joint,

 

[J-sizzles]

Running a mig with gas you should always let the wire extend into the pool, go slow and make "C"s. It's what you call drag, but you're right about the angle though.

I was more interested in the ends of my steel, whether to 45 my part

I always push solid wire, the old if there's slag you drag saying. I really try to avoid downhill welds in general unless the inspector isn't around then I'll run my root pass downhill, that's different though it's at work and it's stick welding pipe

 

[DieselTech]

I think either way will work, a 45° joint/weld looks way more professional to me, but of course takes more time to do. A 45° joint/weld will flex more without breaking the weld over a butt weld. The 45° joint/weld will take more repeated flexing. Also cut some triangle plates to lay in the corners or on the bottom of the corners. Then just weld the 90° portion of the triangle along the edges to frame work. I'm no pro, but I was certified years ago.

 

[Wrench]

Yeah I'm certified and worked in the shipyards of Hawaii

Oh the memories
Gotta remove the old before ya can put the new
Nothing like scarfing out the rusty hull of an old barge

 

[DAMIEN1307]

Yeah I'm certified

And here I was thinking all this time that you were just certifiable...lol...lol.

Nothing like scarfing out the rusty hull of an old barge

Ahh...So you HAVE met my ex mother in law then?...lol.