MIG and Arc differences

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- vk3bfa
  
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posted
15 years ago

Fri, Nov 21, 2008 12:37 PM

Hi all - started my welding unit, first time with a MIG welder - WOW!!! what FANTASTIC machines. Only trouble is, my LCD helmet, with a fixed setting of DIN 13 goes so dark I cant see the weld line - all I can see is the arc, and maybe a little each side of it. So doing a straight line is impossible, it wanders off.

With my DC inverter Arc welder, no problems - the arc provides plenty of light, I can see what I am welding, no problems...

So - whats going on? - does MIG give more or less arc intensity, do I need to get a helmet with a different DIN setting? - any input welcome.

Andrew VK3BFA.

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- woodworker88
  
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posted
15 years ago

Fri, Nov 21, 2008 3:28 PM

A Shade 13 helmet is extremely dark for anything except high-amp arc welding. You want a shade 11 or 12 for MIG (the arc is quite a bit less intense). If you are going to do alot of welding, you might consider investing in an autodarkening helmet with variable shade darkness. My Miller Elite is variable from shade 9-13, which covers everything from 5 amp TIG through 400 amp stick.

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- RoyJ
  
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posted
15 years ago

Fri, Nov 21, 2008 4:03 PM

13 is way too dark. You didn't say how big the mig is but somewhere around 10 or 11 is pretty normal.

The shade and the cover sheets are completely replaceable. I have 3 different grades, use one for very light work and tack welding, a medium grade for moderate amperage steady welding, and a higher grade for high amperage welding.

Clean> Hi all - started my welding unit, first time with a MIG welder -

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- matthew maguire
  
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posted
15 years ago

Sat, Nov 22, 2008 9:44 AM

Hi Andrew,

Shade 10 or 11 works up to 150 amps for most folks...

Also a common error for folks new to mig is getting the eyes too close to the work. Short circuit mig has a very "nervous" arc and puddle action with shadows and puddle edge reflections going everywhere.

When I was teaching my son to mig he was all over the place...(he tig-ed race cars fine at his real job). I gave him a cap screw and nut and asked him to put them together, which he did at arms length, I then asked "why didn't you do that 4" from your nose so you could see better?". At arms length with the torch he got better fast...

I've been mig-ing for years and if I have a horizontal flush butt weld weld that needs to look good I'll follow a wide soapstone line. I think it just keeps me from looking at the arc.

Matt