MIG welding is designed to deliver the filler material, in wire form, to the work while carrying the electrical energy. The work area is flooded with the inert gas.

Could I not get the same effect by taking the spool of wire, electrifying it and directing it with one hand while directing the inert gas from a tube held in the other hand?

This way would not have any wire feed rate to adjust or mechanisms to fiddle with. Just feed the wire manually with the spark at the tip.

Granted care would have to be excercised with the "hot" wire, but it seems you could get into those tight spots easier, not having the torch get in the way.

Would still need the proper power source, of course.

Simplistic for sure, but do-able?

dave

hmmm, sounds like a very dodgy attempt at something like arc welding, i'd be very hesitant about trying something like that, the heat/power involved to make it work would be a little dangerous to say the least

[Edited on 21/2/04 by Staple balls]

The wire gets its electricity from the contact tip, which is only 10mm away from the arc, directing your own wire would mean the supply would have to be some distance away from the arc, and the entire wire would be in short and instantly melt, would give you great scars on your hand though.

You could rig up a holder to supply the electicity and gas at the same time and you could then add the wire manually, but someone already thought of that, Mr Tig, the system now bears his name.

really have no intentions of trying - just curious. really don't think the entire length of wire would instantly melt, though. when stick welding, the entire stick doesn't melt, just the area of the spark. that is, unless the weld rod sticks to the work!!!

speaking of TIG, you suppose the wire intended for the MIG machine could be used for the filler in a TIG set up?

[Edited on 21/2/04 by dmottaway]

I really think it would! Just try feeding 6" of wire out of your mig, them touch it to the earth clamp and pull the trigger

im with mark

atb

steve

I'd agree with the concensus, it wouldn't work, partly for the reasons given, and partly due to the speed at which you'd have to move the wire to get any sensible amount of deposition - bear in mind that the largest size mig wire people tend to use for locost stuff is 0.8mm, whereas a sensible size of tig filler would be 1.6mm, twice the diameter, but 4 times the cross sectional area, plus tig deposition rates are typically far slower than mig.

If you wanted a really low profile mig torch, there would probably be more mileage in creating one with a wire and tip only head and have the gas supply offset.

Kingr

plus the smooth feeding of the mig wire is what produces good welds with that constant crackling sound, you could not reproduce the speed and accuracy with your hand. Even if you could, at the speed mig feeds you'd only be able to weld for about 2 seconds before having to take another handful of wire.