An important component in any job that deals with metal is welding. The cost to get someone to the the welding for you can cost you hundreds of dollars so why not learn how to do it yourself? Once you know the proper techniques mig welding becomes very easy to do and becomes rather fun. Lets go through a step by step guide on how to do a basic mig welder job to allow you to see for yourself that it is in fact possible to do it on your own.
Things You’ll Need
- MIG Welder
- Welding Feed Wire
- Ground Cord
- Wire Feed Welder Cord
- Wire Brush
- Welding Helmet
- Protective Eye-wear
- Leather Gloves
- Pliers
- Wire Brush
- Safety Clothing
Instructions
- Locate a 220V outlet.
- Plug in your MIG Welder into the outlet.
- Attach your ground cord into the welder.
- Attach your wire feed welder cord into the welder.
- Attach the welder’s feed wire.
- Adjust the voltage and wire feed rate to your preferred settings.
- Switch on the welder.
- Use the wire bush to clean the surface that will be welded.
- Use the ground cord from the welder to cramp onto the piece of steel to be welded.
- Place the welding handle near your starting position.
- Pull your helmet over your face.
- Begin welding by pulling the wire feed trigger.
- Weave a wire feed from side to side.
- Continue welding until you see expected outcome.
Dos
- Read your manual before you attempt to do any welding.
- Make note of the proper voltage settings and feed rates for your welder so as to ensure that you run your welder at the correct settings.
- Wear all your protective gear as a welder is a powerful machine and can be very dangerous if run without protection.
Donts
- Never position the wire feed too close or even directly on the surface you are trying to wield as this will cause the wire to stick to your weld and you will not be able to do any welding until you chip or bend the wire free.