Q&A topic

MIG welding: 10 questions answered

• How does mig welding work?

  MIG welding (GMAW — Gas Metal Arc Welding): a continuously fed wire electrode melts into the weld pool under an argon-CO2 shield. …

• What is mig welding used for?

  MIG welding is used for beginners, speed, sheet steel, general fabrication and trailers and gates. In Australian terms: trailers, …

• How hard is mig welding to learn?

  MIG welding is the easiest process to learn. Expect same-day usable beads.…

• What gas does mig welding use?

  MIG welding uses an argon-CO2 mix (Argoshield-family) or 100% CO2.…

• What thickness can you weld with mig welding?

  A 180 A hobby MIG welds to about 6 mm properly in a single pass; 200 A+ machines handle 10 mm+ with prep and multi-pass. Under 1 m…

• Common mig welding mistakes and how to fix them

  The most common mig welding mistakes: stick-out too long; travel too slow on thin sheet, burning holes instead of building a bead;…

• Can you do mig welding outdoors?

  Only with shelter: any breeze over ~8 km/h blows the argon shield away and the weld goes porous. For real outdoor work, switch to …

• Push or pull: which technique for mig welding?

  Push (torch angled 5–15° toward travel) for better visibility and a flatter bead on thin material; pull for deeper penetration on …

• What settings for 3 mm steel on MIG?

  For 3 mm mild steel on MIG: roughly 110–150 A on 0.9 mm wire at 12–15 L/min gas — set voltage and wire speed as a pair, watching f…

• How to weld vertical-up with MIG

  Vertical-up mig welding: drop 10–20% current, point slightly upward into the pool, and use a weave or triangle pattern to let each…