18
piece farthest away from you, and at an
angle similar to that which will be used
when welding. (SEE HOLDING THE GUN
on page 18 if you are uncertain of the
angle at which you will be welding)
4. With your free hand, turn the Wire Speed
Dial to maximum and continue to hold
onto the knob.
WARNING
EXPOSURE TO A WELDING ARC IS
EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO THE EYES AND
SKIN! Prolonged exposure to the welding
arc can cause blindness and burns. Never
strike an arc or being welding until you are
adequately protected. Wear ameproof
welding gloves, a heavy long sleeved shirt,
cuess trousers, high topped shoes and a
welding helmet.
5. Lower your welding helmet and pull the
trigger on the gun to start an arc, then
begin to drag the gun towards you while
simultaneously turning the Wire Speed
Dial counter-clockwise.
6. LISTEN! As you decrease the wire speed,
the sound that the arc makes will change
from a sputtering to a high-pitc
hed
buzzing sound and then will begin sputter-
ing again if you decrease the wire speed
too much. The wire speed that creates a
smooth high-pitched buzzing sound will
achieve the best quality weld.
You can use the wire speed control to slightly
increase or decrease the heat and penetration
for a given heat setting by selecting hugher or
lower wire speed settings. Repeat this tune-in
procedure if you select a new heat setting, a
dierent diameter wire, or a dierent type of
welding wire.
LEARNING TO WELD
MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding is the process
of uniting metallic parts by heating and
allowing the metals to ow together through
the use of an electrical arc. The electrical arc
is created between a continuous consum-
able wire electrode (the welding wire) and
the work piece. An inert shielding gas is
used to protect the weld puddle from con-
tamination and enhance the welding capa-
bilities of the electrical arc.
Whether you have welded before or not, it is
important that you become familiar with
your new welder, its controls, and the results
achieved at dierent settings. We strongly
recommend that you practice
with your new
welder on scrap metal trying dierent heat
settings, base metal thicknesses, and weld-
ing positions for each type and size of wire
you will be using. By doing this you will gain
a feel for how changes in these welding
variables aect the weld.
Of course, if you have not welded before,
you will need to develop welding skills and
techniques as well.
The self-taught welder learns through a
process of trial and error. The best way to
teach yourself how to weld is with short peri-
ods of practice at regular intervals. All prac-
tice welds should be done on scrap metal
that can be discarded. Do not attempt to
make any repairs on valuable equipment
until you have satised yourself that your
practice welds are of good appearance and
free of slag or gas inclusions. What you fail
to learn through practice will be learned
through mistakes and re-welds later on.
HOLDING THE GUN
The best way to hold the welding gun is the
way that feels most comfortable to you.
While practicing to use your new welder,
experiment holding the gun in dierent
positions until you nd the one that seems to
work best for you. Refer to WELDING POSI-
TIONS - p.20.
Position the Gun to the Work Piece
There are two angles of the gun nozzle in
relation to the work piece that must be con-
sidered when welding.
1. Angle A (Figure 10) can be varied, but in
most cases the optimum angle will be 60
degrees. The point at which the gun
handle is parallel to the work piece. If
angle A is increased, penetration will
increase. If angle A is decreased, pene-
tration will decrease also.
