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Learning to Weld

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Jeffy:
Looking to finally get a welder.  I'm thinking about a Millermatic 211.  I've got 240v here and from all I've learned, a 240 MIG will do basically everything that I would want, or need to do.  Hopefully, I can get a decent price for one in the coming months.  There's a pretty decent discount right now but I think I'm going to miss it.

What I question on is all the other gear though.  What do you recommend for everything else?  I'm probably going to splurge and get an auto-dimming helmet.  Not sure which one though.  Gloves, wire, cylinder size, etc...

Jeffy:
Been able to practice welding for a few hours every week for the past 3 weeks.  Using a Millermatic DVI2.  Not really sure of the specifics of the machine but it does weld.  The sire speed and voltage are kinda weird though.  Voltage is labeled 1-6 so there are no fine adjustments.  Wire speeds are 1-100.  Kinda wish they would use the more standard Volts and WFS.

Jeffy:
First welds in almost 30 years.  Looks like crap but also not that bad for the first time.


The second time.  Basically, I get a few hours a week.  I think I was having gas flowrate issues.


Third week.  Still playing around with settings.  The welder is a Miller DVI2.  The controls are kinda weird in that there isn't an actual voltage.  I've got 6 positions to choose from.  Wire speed is 10-100.  May have still had some gas flow issues.


Week 4.  Had a guy help me set up the welder.  Was pushing the machine harder than it needed.  A bunch of HS kids also use the machine and change all of the settings all the time.  I've always gotta clean up after them before I can do any welding.  Lowered the wire speed and voltage and it welded a lot better.  Kind of counterintuitive.  Hoping to get decent before getting my own welder.  I'm looking at the Millermatic 215.  They have a stick welder and a TIG so once I get better at MIG I'll probably switch over to one of the others.

Jeffy:
Pretty much have been welding once a week since then.  Here's my very first project.  This was maybe the second week in.  Looks like crap but it's holding.  I'll probably redo it when I do more work on it soon.



This was in early February.



Then late last month, I figured I needed to fix my shock issue.  Up to this point I had been welding on a bench.  It was completely different having to shove my head into the wheelwell.



There's some poracity here but it's only that scraggly line.  I ground it out.



The welding part is easy compared to having to match the two sides.

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