MIG Mini Course Topic 2
Simple tips for Thin wall square tube
link to the next video in this mig series is at bottom of this page
Simple Tips for mig welding thin wall square tubing in all positions
just in case you missed it, here is another link to your
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For thin wall tubing or thin sheet metal, .025" wire works great.
.025" is also a good choice for 115 volt mig welders when using an extension cord.
make sure to have the ground clamp attached directly to the piece being welded on an area that has been ground to clean bright metal. A bad ground connection makes for rough arc starts and a rough arc.
limit the stickout also called contact tip to work distance (ctwd) to 1/2"
No gun manipulation is required but a slight movement helps me play the light and really help me see better and also helps in making a less convex weld.
vertical welds on thin wall tubing are made downhill and the arc is best directed to the thicker member ( not the edge)
settings used in the video were 18 volts 305 ipm using .025" wire speed.
Lincoln recommended settings for 16 ga with .025" wire are 17 volts 240 ipm so it goes to show you that there is a pretty wide range that works ok.
A quick note on cleaning mill scale
The mill scale coating on 2 inch square tubing is very thin and can easily be mig welded without cleaning .
In this video, the square tubing was cleaned anyway because it never hurts to clean the metal.
