Well, you all are to blame. Based partly on the content of the recent HF thread, I went and plunked down my hunnerd clams on the renowned HF 90 Amp FCAW welder.
I've been playing with it today, and I figured I'd get some practice doing what I'm most likely to be doing with it--plug welds. So I've got a few scraps of sheet metal laying around and I punch some little holes in one piece and place it over another piece and clamp them together. Everything is pretty clean. With the machine on low power, I can fill the holes pretty well, but when I try to break them, they break. Not good. Seems I'm getting next to no penetration on the bottom sheet.
So my question: What's a good place to start, setting wise? I've got the wire speed down to 2. Do I need the high power setting even for 22-gauge sheet?
And before you jump to conclusions, yes, I've got it plugged into a 20-Amp outlet.
Thanks in advance! Er, TIA!
cwh
SuperDork
2/1/12 9:23 a.m.
Kick up the power until you burn through, then back off a bit. Metal clean? Play with wire speed, too. You are a newbie, so play with it. Just takes some time and burned wire.
Okay, referring to the instructions (gasp!) I find they recommend low power and wire speed of 1. I'll try that. Actually, they recommend low power for everything up to 14 guage. It only has the two settings--low and high, 60 or 90 amps. Practice, practice, practice. I'll be back in a little while and post an update.
I have the same welder and have just recently started messing with it.
According to the manual (I finally broke down and thumbed thru it) you need to
a)up the power {dont think I would do this but you can try just to see}
b) weld slower
c)up the wire speed
d) shorten the 'stick out'
I prolly would do all 3 just to see what happened.
bacon.
If welding sounds like hissing, i think that's too slow of wire.
it's supposed to sound like bacon frying.
Odd how things relate to bacon.
Well, just back in from the garage. High setting works better. Much better penetration, and not blowing through. I can't honestly imagine what the low setting would be good for.
Theres an app for that.
Literally. I believe Miller has the app for setting up welding rigs of all types.
ThePhranc wrote:
Theres an app for that.
Literally. I believe Miller has the app for setting up welding rigs of all types.
Really?? 
--------> off to the app store......
or...
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/search/
ultraclyde wrote:
ThePhranc wrote:
Theres an app for that.
Literally. I believe Miller has the app for setting up welding rigs of all types.
Really??
--------> off to the app store......
okay, got it. Pretty cool stuff if you know the actual speed and amperage settings on the welder you're using....
Okay, I think I'm done for today. I'm consistently getting welds that I can't break with my air chisel--it tears the surrounding metal first.
I've got the power switch on the high setting, running the wire speed a hair under 2. That seems to get the bacon sizzling!
Thanks for the input, guys!
