crap welds -

Looks like a job for a stick welder to me. You need penetration and a stick is better at that, although the MIG in trained hands can certainly do the job.

R.

Stick !?!? Yuk !!!

On the bench, stick (SMAW) does tend to have better penetration than MIG (GMAW). That being said, MIG must be good enough. I was a production welder for 20 years and can attest that every light pole and traffic arm and power transmission tower you drive past, or under has been welded with MIG. The larger power transmission structures likely have been welded with flux core (FCAW) but that is still MIG. It's been the standard of the industry for a good 40 years. BUT, I agree, those welds pictured are indeed, crap, albeit easily fixed. Key is as said; grinding, or gouging out the porosity and cracks (the bad welds) first and making a clean weld joint.
Good luck,
Scott

I dont remember how many piles of balled up mig wire I removed from the front end of my B-van when I re-did the suspension last year. No super scary welds like that K-frame but nothing to be proud of either.

That's typical k-member welding on Mopars. The worst that I've seen was on original DC K-members.

I would definitely be shooting a generous helping of 7018 at that mess.

Looks like my MIG won't have a problem with 10-12 gauge (up to 1/4") ... what I found odd is they recommend flux core on anything heavier than 14 ... gas is shown for lighter metals - again, I'm a beginner, so ......

"Crap welds" Did somebody call my name?

"NR-211-MP .030""

This is all I have been using lately. I found the .035 to be less forgiving. I haven't spent the money for a gas bottle for my welder (Hobart 140) so I am still using it as a flux machine. Unless I'm doing something that shouldn't be tried, like bridging a wide gap, I get good results.

Thanks guys - all I've used mine for is patch panels in bodies - only a time or two in flux-core mode - I'll grind these out clean and give 'er a shot one evening this week.

Good luck. Let us know what your machine is and how you make out, this kind of info can be invaluable to beginners that read this later. You might even run down to the local steel supply, get some scrap from the bin of equivalent size, and just practice on it. that's how I always start

BTW, make sure you're on a good outlet that has NOTHING else plugged into it, including worklights. For a 110 unit, you want a dedicated circuit with nothing else drawing on it. Also, for extension cords, they are better off left on the pegboard. If you do have to use one, make sure it's big. like 12-gauge, and no longer than 25 feet. When welding at the top range of a 110 unit, they can put a serious draw on your outlet and voltage drop can create really confusing problems at the torch

Regarding the .030 flux-core, I was having problems with the .035 as well. I received some advice from a pro to try the smaller wire - pound for pound, it will act like you have a slightly bigger welder when you neck down the wire size. It was like night and day, I couldn't believe it.

For MIG wire I prefer .025" L-56 copper coated

And I'd use a dry 7018 stick with a Lincoln Idealarc in DC reverse polarity.

But to each his own taste....

My MIG story - One year my cousin needed some extra money for college and beer, so he got a job welding Haybusters together. He'd watched his dad weld but he'd never done it before in his life. He was really impressed, he was a PRO WELDER after one day! The MIG was like magic. They just got guys off the street, slapped on a helmet and put the welder in their hand and they were pro welders. Just like that.

I have a feeling that weld appearance and production are superior with the MIG, and that's why all those weldments mentioned above are done that way.

Now, I am not a pro welder but have welded some samples that passed guided bend tests, so I know a little more than the guy off the street. Many MIG welds I have seen were beautiful but had nearly zero penetration. That's why I'd prefer stick.

And yes, my ideas may change if I ever buy a MIG and start getting experience with it.

R.

Quite some time ago I was looking at an ARC welder but came across an article that suggest that for Car frame repair for example in the USA - State regulations and Insurance Cie, requires that Car Frame welding be performed with a MIG welder not ARC.
I read a similar article years ago that showed the average tensile strength of MIG versus ARC welding and it too showed MIG to be far superior to ARC.
I just did some repairs to my Vintage DC Hemi/Big Block "A" Body "K" Frame with a MIG.
IMO use a MIG with the gas and put the Flux Core roll in your tool box for emergency's. Clean metal (NO RUST, PAINT, OIL, UNDER-COTE etc) is a MUST!!!

sorry for the poor quality pix

That looks like most of the welds on my K-member. I just welded it up and added some gussets. It was impressive that the thing could hold together so many years.

Whoever welded together that K must've welded together the body of my wagon too.

I'll have to get some pics of '1973 build quality'...........

The welder must have been drunk AND stoned. MIG is prone to cold lap ie looks fine, no penetration. A 115v MIG will be maxed out for this work, but can get the job done properly if you take your time, prep the weld area, accept it's low duty cycle and preheat. Fish plating or gusseting would be sound procedure. If you have a 220v MIG, by all means use it. They're not all that expensive and perform vastly better than 115v. Miller an online calculator for starting settings:
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/calculators/mig_solid_amperage_calculator.php

Anyone who said MIG is stronger than SMAW is insane or completely ignorant. Structural steel is all SMAW or FCAW because they're simply stronger ie better penetrating weld procedures. Technically, a SMAW weld made with a 60 series rod ie 6010/6011 will be weaker than a proper MIG weld made with ER70S6 wire, but practically speaking, a poor SMAW weld will be obvious, whereas a MIG weld can cold lap which will not be obvious to the naked eye. S/F.....Ken M

Thank you!

R.

MIG will be fine if you take your time and your machine is hot enough.

You also need to check out the lower control arm areas on it. Looks like the K-Member welders had a few too many liquid lunches back then. On my GTS the sleeves inside the K-Member where the lower control arms mount were cracked and moving. That was why I never could get it to drive worth a dang. I touched up several areas on mine while I had it out.

Here is a pic of one of the cracks. Both sides were cracked like this with similar bad welds.



www.gtsdave.com

-Dave

I have a newer Miller 211 and thought I was good using it...until I produced some welds just like the ones with the pits in the pictures. I discovered that while I did turn on the sheilding gas bottle I did only the first part of the process and in my haste to get started I did not adjust the pressure regulator for flow and got...nothing! Now I have to grind the weld out and do it again. You never forget the lessons you learn from your mistakes.