"Jim Newell" wrote in message
...
I have been practicing welding with my MIG. I think I am getting good
welds. I beat on them, and they don't seem to break.

What I am bugged about is the "fit and finish" of the process. I see
sites that show different welds, and they look great. For example I saw a
Ducati motorcycle frame that claimed to be MIG welded, and it was
superb....apparently no grinding or other cleanup.

Is it just a lack of skill on my part, or is there always a ton of
cleanup, grinding, etc...to get a nice looking fit and finish?


Remember that a lot of those welds are done by robots. I can get beyootiful
welds with my MIG, and then, a real groaner. These are identical welds like
repetitious welds when welding wrought iron.

There are some things that robotic welding has over humans. They travel at
an exact speed. On starting a weld, they may have a pause time, or may even
be moving before the arc is struck. When everything is right, higher heat
can be used with less chance of burnthrough. Rule is that the better a
weldor is, the higher heat he can run on the same materials with the same
rod.

But I do agree with you. I see some welds of manufactured goods, and
wonder, "How'd they do that?"

Steve