Step 1
Attach the grounding wire to a grounded metal surface. The grounding wire has a clamp similar to those on automotive jumper cables.
Step 2
Check the valve on the welder for the shielding (inert) gas and turn it on. Plug the MIG welder into an electrical power source and turn the unit on. The MIG welder is ready for use.
Step 3
Adjust the welder’s speed and the welder’s heat temperature to a middle setting. The hotter the temperature, the faster you must feed the wire into the joint. If you move the welder tip too slowly, it could burn though the metal completely. If you move the tip too fast at a lower temperature, the weld will be shallow and will not penetrate the joint.
Step 4
Pull on the welder's helmet and gloves. Press the tip of the welder against the metal and slowly move it in a straight line over the surface. The welding wire will automatically feed out of the tip of the welder and deposit onto the metal surface.
Step 5
Inspect the welded joint. The weld should penetrate the joint. If it does not, turn up the temperature slightly. If you see excessive burn marks, turn down the temperature slightly. Repeat this step until you have a solid joint with little burning.
Step 6
Grind the surface of the joint with the edge of an angle grinder to clean the excess weld off the metal. You want to flatten the welded joint so the weld is even with the surface of the metal. Do not grind the weld down below the surface of the metal as it will weaken the joint.