MIG Question

[TS-Off-Road]

Well to me I agree mig is aim and squeeze.
IT takes little to no operator skill to do,
the most complicated part is setting up and trouble shooting of the machine.
Also the easiest process out there and with pulsed its even easier.

Aim and squeeze! No operator skill???

Hmmm..

[shorerider16]

There is so much more to MIG welding than aiming and squeezing. In fact, the only thing that is easy is screwing up. MIG is the only process where you can have an entire weld that is cold and still look acceptable without close ispection. If you can't TIG properly you will know it, and if a stick weld is cold there will be definite signs. Technique does matter, if you don't know what you are doing your welds will not be a strong as they could be. Luckily a little practice and mabye some instruction and you will be on your way to making quality welds.

On the topic of comfort. Yes comfort does make it easier to make good welds, it is not always realistic. In the real world you will often have to put yourself in uncomfortable positions to get the job done. The ability to concentrate, stay steady and lay a nice bead while standing with one leg on a stool, the other on a saw horse and leaning on a wobley weldment are the mark of a truly great welder .

[Duck]

Amen BroBen!!!! Thanks for your response

[phila.renewal]

Just aim and squeeze?

Ha.

Ha ha ha.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha . . . . . .

Ok, now that I've stopped laughing, back to the OP's question. What can help depending on your gun is to slice a little off the end of the nozzle. Flux core wires generally run more stickout than solid cores (for me at least) and most nozzles seem to be designed for both (and extend beyond the contact tip a good bit).

If the nozzle extends beyond the contact tip, I slice enough off of it so the nozzle is even with the contact tip. Makes it easier to see the puddle (for me at least) and never had a problem with shielding coverage. If you switch back to flux core you don't really need a nozzle anyway and it's not hard to judge the stickout even with the nozzle sliced this way.

[weldone]

There is so much more to MIG welding than aiming and squeezing. In fact, the only thing that is easy is screwing up. MIG is the only process where you can have an entire weld that is cold and still look acceptable without close ispection. If you can't TIG properly you will know it, and if a stick weld is cold there will be definite signs. Technique does matter, if you don't know what you are doing your welds will not be a strong as they could be. Luckily a little practice and mabye some instruction and you will be on your way to making quality welds.

On the topic of comfort. Yes comfort does make it easier to make good welds, it is not always realistic. In the real world you will often have to put yourself in uncomfortable positions to get the job done. The ability to concentrate, stay steady and lay a nice bead while standing with one leg on a stool, the other on a saw horse and leaning on a wobley weldment are the mark of a truly great welder .

As it goes you can have cold good lookin welds with no fusion in any process.
that may look good to the eye but cant pass any type of mechanical test.
But out of all the processes its still the easiest by far.