The secret to good penetration with a small 110 machine is to use the small wire so the heat is concentrated longer in one spot. Course this goes against anything I've ever seen in print.
Easy way to see for yourself is to take a couple of 1/4" pieces of scrap, set the gap between the pieces around 1/16" inch. butt weld the pieces using .045 wire and .023 wire and see which gives you deeper penetration. Make sure you speed up the wire feed just a little for the smaller wire.
Also penetration really isn't too big of a concern for strengthening of a sub frame because a) the frame is already welded and has lasted 30+ years just fine, and b) the pieces will be lap welded.
If your patching a hole and using a small machine, bevel the edges to gain the needed penetration depth.
Last edited by Sundance; 09-25-2009 at 01:55 AM.
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