![]() ![]() Use these values to adjust the settings on the face of the machine. These are based on the material type and thickness, and the diameter of the filler you’re using. Pro tip: nearly every MIG welder has a chart - including my Millermatic® 211 - often just inside the hinged access cover, which gives you the suggested settings. Once you’ve developed some skill with the gun, you can experiment with optimizing the amount of gas used.īefore making a weld, there are two essential settings to adjust on the welder: the voltage and the wire feed speed. There are many variables here, but a good rule of thumb for light-duty welding is to use about 20 cubic feet per hour of gas flow. The gas bottle has a regulator or flowmeter to set the gas flow. The majority of MIG welding requries a gas shield - carbon dioxide and argon/CO2 mixes are the most common. In other instances, welders might use a flux-cored wire, either alone or with a gas shield. To do this, direct shielding gas over the weld area, and control the flow of gas by the trigger on the gun. MIG welding requires shielding the weld from the atmosphere. Pulling the trigger electrically energizes the welding wire and starts the motor drive, feeding the wire automatically as you weld. ![]() The gun has a trigger that controls several functions simultaneously. The hand-held gun is the “business end” of a MIG machine. There is a spool of wire, usually housed inside the power supply case, along with a drive mechanism to feed the wire through the cable, toward the gun. A work clamp connects the base material to the power supply, completing the circuit. The power supply uses transformers and rectifiers to modulate line voltage, which stabilizes the arc and provides good arc starts - as well as incorporating circuitry to protect against overloading. MIG welding uses a power supply providing constant voltage, most commonly Direct Current Electrode Positive (DCEP). Typically called Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), the term MIG welding is much more common, so we’ll use that here. Let’s start with a definition: MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas welding. In this article, we’ll cover the basics - and it will be a good refresher for those who already have experience. Because it’s such a great process, there’s a steady stream of newcomers determined to learn. It’s fast, strong, versatile and fairly easy for most people to learn. MIG has been the most popular welding process for decades, for both professional welders and hobbyists. ![]()
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