If you are new to welding and need some tips on how to improve your welds, you have come to the right place. One of the main problems that welders run into is a lack of full weld penetration from the first piece of metal to the next. If there is a lack of penetration while welding, there are a number of things that could be causing it. The primary causes of weak or non-penetrative welds are: low voltage, slow wire speed, fast gun travel, excessive wire stick out, too thick material, and poor material preparation. Thankfully, there are ways to remedy each of these issues.
If your welding gun is running off of low voltage, simply adjust the voltage output to a higher setting and see if you can make a penetrative weld with more power. If you are experiencing a slow wire speed, adjust the wire speed to a faster setting. For fast gun travel, make sure to slow down the travel speed of your welding gun, dragging or pulling the molten metal puddle with you as you weld. For excessive wire stick out, move the contact tip on the end of the welding gun closer to your workpiece to shorten the exposed length of wire. If your material is too thick for adequate penetration, make sure your material does not exceed the maximum material thickness that is noted in your welder manual. Lastly, make sure you prepare your materials correctly for welding. If you are welding heavy gauge metals, try increasing the welding gap between the two pieces, and bevel the edges on the weld side of each piece. If you make sure that all of these factors are taken into consideration, you will not have a problem achieving full penetration when welding.
To learn more about welding and for more automotive FAQs, be sure to visit Eastwood.com.