Welding Techniques; Moving The Gun - Craftsman 196.205690 Owner's Manual

degrees.
The point at which the gun
handle is parallel to the work piece. If
angle A is increased, penetration will
increase. If angle A is decreased, pene-
tration will decrease also.
m i i
Angle A
Figure 9. Gun Position, Angle A
.
Angle B (Figure 10) can be varied for two
reasons: to improve the ability to see the
arc in relation to the weld puddle and to
direct the force of the arc.
Angle B
Figure 10. Gun Position, Angle B
The force of the welding arc follows a
straight line out of the end of the nozzle.
If angle B is changed, so will the direction of
arc force and the point at which penetration
will be concentrated.
On a butt weld joint, the only reason to vary
angle B from perpendicular (straight up) to
the work piece would be to improve visibility
of the weld puddle. In this case, angle B can
be varied anywhere from zero to 45 degrees
with 30 degrees working about the best.
On a fillet weld joint, the nozzle is generally
positioned in such a manner so as to split
the angle between the horizontal and vertical
members of the weld joint. In most cases, a
fillet weld will be 45 degrees.
Distance from the Work Piece
The end of the welding gun is designed with
the contact tip recessed from the end of the
nozzle and the nozzle electrically insulated
from the rest of the gun. This permits the
operator to actually rest the nozzle on the
work piece and drag it along while welding.
This can be very helpful to beginning welders
to steady the gun, allowing the welder to
concentrate on welding technique. If the
nozzle is held off the work piece, the
distance between the nozzle and the work
piece shoul_be kept constant and should
not exceed 1_4 inch or the arc may begin
sputtering, signaling a loss in welding
performance
WELDING TECHNIQUES
WARNING
EXPOSURE TO A WELDING ARC IS
EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO THE EYES
AND SKIN! Prolonged exposure to the
welding arc can cause blindness and burns.
Never strike an arc or begin welding until you
are adequately protected. Wear flameproof
welding gloves, a heavy long sleeved shirt,
cuffless trousers, high topped shoes and a
welding helmet.
ELECTRIC SHOCK CAN KILL! To prevent
ELECTRIC SHOCK, do not perform any
welding while standing, kneeling, or lying
directly on the grounded work.
MOVING THE GUN
Gun travel refers to the movement of the gun
along the weld joint and is broken into two
elements: Direction and Speed. A solid weld
bead requires that the welding gun be
moved steadily and at the right speed along
the weld joint. Moving the gun too fast, too
slow, or erratically will prevent proper fusion
or create a lumpy, uneven bead.
1. TRAVEL DIRECTION is the direction the
gun is moved along the weld joint in
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