Millermatic 211 Welder

I bought a bottle filled with mixed 75% Argon/25% CO2 also known as C25 gas from Sidney Lee welding in Macon. Don knew just what I needed for welding steel and had me on my way quickly.

I had already ordered a welding cart from Harbor Freight and it was on the way at the same time. I modified it to hold the bottle more securely.

I used some pieces of 1-1/2" plywood I had left over from a shooting bench project. It is just some 3/4" plywood glued to make it 1-1/2" thick. I put some wood strips each side of the bottle and made a floor with a 7-1/8" diameter hole to keep the base of the bottle from moving.

Now the bottle is much more secure.

My first attempt to lay a bead was a failure. I was splattering the metal everywhere. So, I took the time to watch some YouTube videos before trying again. I was much more sucessful after seeing what to expect as I welded.

I learned the metal must be much cleaner than I had gotten it. The rust and dirt was causing most of the problem. I am used to stick welding burning the crud out of the way.

Then I cut some pieces of 18 gauge sheet metal and started welding it back together by small spot welds. It took several tries, but I got better at it by practicing.

I will need a lot more practice before I will feel comfortable welding on the car anywhere it can be seen However, the welds above are sound structurally and penetrated well.