The top 10 Mig Welding Mistakes...

Just a list compiled by various welders over the last few years.

1. Not cleaning your parts is the most common mistake in welding. Keep the metal in as perfect shape as you can get it.
2. Not understanding travel speed, the travel speed of your hand as you move. When you’re welding, stick out, or the distance that the electrode is allowed to stick out from the contact tip, along with travel speed are areas that a person has got to keep under control.
3. Improper gas selection. Cheaper gasses can cause problems. CO2 is going to be less expensive at the face of it, but might not do the job. Mixed gas usually gives better MIG welding results.
4. Mismatched filler material and metal. You must get the right tensile strength.
5. Inadequate shielding is another big mistake. Something as simple as not blocking the wind as you weld can cause huge issues.
6. Buying a welder that isn’t up to the job. People buy smaller welders thinking they are saving money, but it isn’t savings if you can’t do the job you need to.
7. Improper welder settings are a killer. You understand the settings and adjust them correctly. For instance, if your welder isn't set right, it will weld will lack fusion. It can look like a good weld, but isn't one. Using a light duty extension cord is a cause for this, as you can get a voltage drop. You'll have only half the output you thought you would.Your bead won't melt in, so it lacks fusion.
8. You must set polarity correctly - and many people don't. Setting your machine on the wrong polarity results in a really ugly weld. You can tell it’s wrong by the sound and how the welder isn’t flowing in your hands.
9. You have to maintain your wire feeder’s basic wear components. Liners, contact tips, and other parts wear out over time. Check your welder’s specs and replace them on time.
10. Wrong contact tip sizes. You can’t put a random contact tip on a MIG welder—it’s too critical of an element. Buy new ones as needed and size them right. Since the contact tip is where the electrical contact makes contact with the wire, it should be right. When a contact tip is burned back, don’t cut it off and try to keep welding. They aren’t that expensive and your wire will be sloppier if you tip isn’t set right.