Horrible welder here. My very best is probably way worse than your very worst. But sometimes I need to try.
I'm trying to repair a UTV. The gussets are just bent sheet metal that are torn.
I've always used shielded wire. But that isn't working on this job. It's just blowing through no matter what I do. I think I need a TIG welder or try to use some 025 solid core wire with shielding gas. Another new welder was vetoed by the CFO. Something silly like you don't even know how to use the stuff you have properly, you don't need another one to add to the confusion. So gas and solid wire it's gunna have to be.
Problem is that I dont know where to begin.
What gas is best (100% CO2 or 75/25 CO2/Argon?
My EasyMig 180 welder came with a pressure gauge and fittings. But will I need any special adapters or a flow gauge? Any and all advice is appreciated.
The 180 is a great machine for sheet metal. It's a little deceiving because it looks like the settings are detents, but in fact they are continuously adjustable, which is what you want. The ability to fine tune voltage and wire speed is critical. The inside of the machine will have a chart which is usually darn close to what you will find works well. You will see a huge improvement when you go to gas (75/25 is a great choice for steel as
@David_R8 says). It's important to match the settings to the gauge you are using, but your machine can do down to 24 gauge.
Flux coated wire like you have been using, or stick for that matter, is a pain to do sheet metal with. The main reason is that the welding pool gets hidden by the flux, so by the time you realize you are about to blow through, it's too late. If you've ever tried welding sheet metal with stick and a buzzbox, you know what I mean. If you think you are a bad weldor, and all you ever do is flux core on thin gauge metal, there's your problem.
MIG is only a mystery until someone spends an hour with you showing you how to do it right...especially with sheet metal. If you were closer I'd say buy a couple coffees, come over to my shop and I'll guarantee you leave with confidence in an hour. It really makes a world of difference with sheet metal if someone shows you the tricks. If you can find someone close to you who can show you how, your problems will be solved. You don't need TIG for sheet metal; you just need the right settings and a lesson—like all of us do. Most auto body shops don't use TIG for panels; they use MIG, and that says a lot. Your machine can work fine, with a few operator tricks.
The biggest mistakes with sheet metal welding are gap and heat.
Flux core is way harder to do on thin metal. But with gas you should easily be able to weld down to 20 gauge (thinner with practice). Gap has to be tight between metal in order to bridge it quickly. If it is too large, by the time you develop enough puddle to bridge the gap, you've blown through the metal. This occurs in fractions of a second. You can buy sheet metal devices cheaply to aid in the issue (
https://www.princessauto.com/en/4-pc-butt-welding-clamp-set/product/PA0008393878) but they aren't necessary. And as David says, thin wire is best. When I do 24 gauge, I swap out rollers and use .023 wire in my big machine. But you should be able to do 20 or even 22 gauge with .035 after some practice.
As you probably know, stitch weld only, until the gaps are well spaced and filled. When they teach on sheet metal they teach to tack weld small dots only. Then, as you get a feel for how much heat is too much, you lengthen the tacks. Soon you learn how long a weld you can do before the heat can't escape and it blows through. On 20 gauge it's about 3/8". The ends of the pieces being welded are the toughest because the heat has nowhere to go, and it blows through. Smaller tacks, or using a heatsink helps. If the speed thing frustrates you, keep a wet cloth nearby and cool the weld down immediately. That will speed up the project and help prevent warping. BTW if the speed thing does annoy you, don't ever buy a TIG because it is even slower.
One last tip—if you are using magnets to hold your pieces together (as many people do), stop doing this. In thin sheet it plays havoc when welding within close range. Either rig something different, or use the clamp set I referenced above. You will see a difference.
If you are still frustrated after converting to gas, post some pics of your project/coupons and I'm sure we can walk you through set up and welding online. Lots of great videos on YouTube, but if you can't find one that is a close match to your problem, I'm happy to replicate it as best as I can in my shop and do a video for you.