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How to make MIG welder spool smoothyl
DIY Si - 10/9/10 at 05:55 PM

Evening all.

Now that I've finally gotten myself a reactive mask, I am now struggling to get my SIP Migmate Turbo 130 to spool out the wire smoothly. This is now getting really annoying as it keeps stopping and starting as the torch moves.

I'm currently running a 5kg 0.8mm reel and the welder is standard.

Is there anything I can do to improve it? Is there a better liner and torch set up that I can get cheaply? Or is it better to try and upgrade to a better MIG altogether?

big_wasa - 10/9/10 at 06:05 PM

You just want a new linear and nip the roller up as much as it will go.

A metal one transformed mine.

iank - 10/9/10 at 06:05 PM

Worth having a chat with welduk
They sell this http://www.welduk.com/Details.asp?ProductID=607 so it seems the shoddy feed mechanism is something all SIPs suffer from.

Though £7+p&p is a bit much for a bit of bent steel, something to home fabricate?

[Edited on 10/9/10 by iank]

jacko - 10/9/10 at 06:08 PM

1 thing to check is that the tip is nipped up tight

britishtrident - 10/9/10 at 06:08 PM

Sip ---- "nuff said"

MakeEverything - 10/9/10 at 06:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by big_wasa
You just want a new linear and nip the roller up as much as it will go.

A metal one transformed mine.


Ditto. Saved mine from the skip with a new liner. I was going to smash it up with a sledge hammer before i fitted it. Now it runs quite well.

DIY Si - 10/9/10 at 06:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Sip ---- "nuff said"


I know, but it was all I could afford at the time. And now I've got it, I'd rather make it work than bin it.

Any links or thing to look for when getting a metal liner for it? I'll have a go at bending the bit of metal up, as I had noticed tonight that the top roller sits wonky compared to the bottom one.

loggyboy - 10/9/10 at 06:48 PM

Cheap option is to use 0.6 wire. Ive been using it for years and works very well.

l0rd - 10/9/10 at 06:48 PM

when i did my welding course, one of my problems was that i was too big to work in the small confined area where we did our practice and the feed pipe was bend enough to annoy me with similar problems.

I ended up puting the feed pipe over my elbow trying to make it a bit more straight and that was prety much it. Spot on welds after that.

Obviously a new tip can make wonders as well as ours were abused from the learners and most of the times, we had to unweld the wire from the tip.

brianthemagical - 10/9/10 at 06:55 PM

Have a look at the mig forum.
It pretty much boils down to a relay and some caps.

Do you find the wire feed has to be in a sweet spot? The weld is somewhat ripply when it shouldn't be? There is pretty poor burn back/the wire protudes when releasing the trigger?

I was shocked at the difference it made. No need for extra power supplies or anything.
Saying that, i was welding last night and the house lights were diming, which is never going to help.

T66 - 10/9/10 at 07:13 PM

The SIP feed isnt so good, I ran a SIP 150 to restore my Lada (Yes Lada)

It will not be happy with 5kg reels.


It says so on the tin, but stay with the small spools.


A metal liner will help, as the SIP comes a s standard with a pap plastic one. If its nicked inside you will have bother.

I have moved onto a Clarke 195 and much prefer the Clarke to the SIP.


I weld my Lada (Yes Lada) quite often, if your not doing too much with it the the SIP will last ok. Mine did ok after completely replacing floors and sills in the Lada (Yes Lada)

However I wouldnt buy another...


If I can help you any more , ask....

Bigheppy - 10/9/10 at 07:16 PM

Curtain wire can be used as a liner the plastic coating had to be removed to fit into the torch on my cebora 130. And its cheap.

MakeEverything - 10/9/10 at 07:50 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Bigheppy
Curtain wire can be used as a liner the plastic coating had to be removed to fit into the torch on my cebora 130. And its cheap.


Top Tip, and Locost too. Thanks.

RAYLEE29 - 10/9/10 at 08:03 PM

Hi, also worth checking the wire hasnt gone rusty if you havent used it for a while
Ray

Mark Allanson - 10/9/10 at 08:14 PM

See here!

http://locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=142632

MikeR - 10/9/10 at 08:14 PM

You may want to look at this as well,

http://www.welduk.com/Details.asp?ProductID=607

iank - 10/9/10 at 08:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
You may want to look at this as well,

http://www.welduk.com/Details.asp?ProductID=607


*cough* 2nd reply

MakeEverything - 10/9/10 at 09:20 PM

aaaah, this is a good idea.



Might try this with mine.

loggyboy - 10/9/10 at 09:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
aaaah, this is a good idea.
Might try this with mine.


Not always, having too much grip can cause the wire to kink and bundle before going in to the liner if you hit an area with a bad earth.

iank - 10/9/10 at 09:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
aaaah, this is a good idea.
Might try this with mine.


Not always, having too much grip can cause the wire to kink and bundle before going in to the liner if you hit an area with a bad earth.


On the SIP the idea is to keep the top wheel running straight.

RazMan - 10/9/10 at 10:40 PM

My SIP 160 wire feed was very unreliable until I replaced the plastic liner for a steel one and changed to 0.6mm wire. As long as I keep the torch liner as straight as possible with just gentle curves, it's as good as gold now.

Peteff - 10/9/10 at 11:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by big_wasa
You just want a new linear and nip the roller up as much as it will go.

A metal one transformed mine.


You should be able to stop the wire by pinching it between finger and thumb. If it's too tight it crushes the wire and causes a lot of dust in the liner, can also cause bird nesting inside if the wire sticks at the gun.

v8kid - 11/9/10 at 12:17 AM

I hooked up a laptop power supply to the drive motor electrics 6 months ago in addition to the brace.

Details on various welding sites.

Works well and is cheap

Daddylonglegs - 11/9/10 at 07:56 AM

Glad to see it's a common issue and not just my bad luck. I have temporarily fixed mine with a block of wood jammed up lightly under the lower roller housing, keeps the rollers straight and certainly helps.

But I will be making one of the 'cheap' (not!) strips of steel to make a better, less heath robinson affair

02GF74 - 11/9/10 at 09:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Bigheppy
Curtain wire can be used as a liner the plastic coating had to be removed to fit into the torch on my cebora 130. And its cheap.


errrmmmmmm, without looking, I bet that is larger diameter so it may be more difficult to push trhough the hose.

Bigheppy - 12/9/10 at 12:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by Bigheppy
Curtain wire can be used as a liner the plastic coating had to be removed to fit into the torch on my cebora 130. And its cheap.


errrmmmmmm, without looking, I bet that is larger diameter so it may be more difficult to push trhough the hose.

Threaded through the hose with no problems, the diameter is the same as the plastic liner it replaced.

v8kid - 12/9/10 at 01:34 PM

How do you get the curtain wire to terminate in the gun?

The original appears to be stuck in. Ant pics?

Cheers

martyn_16v - 14/9/10 at 06:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by v8kid
I hooked up a laptop power supply to the drive motor electrics 6 months ago in addition to the brace.

Details on various welding sites.

Works well and is cheap


Same here, although i'd leave this mod until last. Changing the liner to a good quality steel one, and bracing the feed rollers made far more of a difference, you may find you're happy with it with just those two changes.

I only changed the motor power supply because I happened to have the bits kicking about, and because I can't leave well alone. It does change the 'feel' of the welder, it doesn't labour for a second as you strike up, and the wire feed stops much faster when you let go of the trigger. It's also more consistent, I used to be able to hear the wire feed speed up and slow down before. All in, I now get better looking welds from it.

The Black Flash - 16/9/10 at 11:10 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
aaaah, this is a good idea.



Might try this with mine.


Yup, I made one of these for mine and can confirm that it helps a great deal. The plastic supports for the rollers are just too bendy, this brace holds them steady.

DIY Si - 18/9/10 at 12:10 PM

I've now fitted my new steel liner and made up a bracket to hold the drive wheels in place, and it has made the world of difference to the welder! It now works much more smoothly and I can get into tighter spaces without worrying about things too much. Well worth the £17.