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The process of MIG welding was first developed in the 1940's and has slowly been perfected since then. it is a relatively cheap, simple and efficient process of joining two pieces of metal together, using a handgun, wire, gas supply and an electrical power supply. Learning how to operate MIG welder is relativelt straight forward once you know how. Here is a quick overview of how to use a MIG Welder.
Before you actually start the welding process, make sure that you have ample protective clothing and equipment to protect your body from any types of injuries or accidents. It is always advisable to wear work gloves, face mask, thick long-sleeved overalls and protective boots to avoid the harmful effects of the ultraviolet light and the fumes produced by mig welding. Once you have enough protective clothing, you can already begin to use your mig welder.
The first thing that you need to do when using your mig welder is to check the valve, and make sure that the shielding gas is open. Turn the mig welder on, and attached the ground clamp to your working table. Take the mig welder and slowly squeeze the trigger and allow it to come in contact with the metal that you need to weld. First-time users can practice using the welder in order to get the exact feel of the equipment. You can use a scrap metal and make a weld in a single line on the surface of a metal. Do this for several times until you feel that you are already comfortable with the welder.
You should also check the right settings that suit you, including the wire speed and the power settings. If you use very little power, you might produce a weld that will not penetrate deep into the metal. If you use too much power, the wire will just completely melt through the metal. Thus, it is very important to use the right power setting to be able to do your welding work properly. Once you have gotten the hang of it, you can start to do your welding work and start with a small piece of metal that you need to weld together. Take the welding gun and slowly make a sewing motion on the metal. Find the position that works best for you. Once you have done the welding, check if the weld penetrated deep enough to join the two pieces of metal together. If not, you can redo your entire welding process until you have successfully joined the metals together.
Once you have successfully joined the two metals together, you have completed your first welding job. However, if you want to have a smooth finish, and do not want any piece of welding metal showing on your final results, you can grind your weld to smooth it out. You can use an angle grinder to smooth the surfaces.
This is just users guide on how to use a mig welder, so it is very important to read through your user manual to have the complete instructions on how to fully use your mig welder. You can also read through your manual for any troubleshooting processes, and other pertinent information on how to use your welder.
