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Author: Subject: Welding (again)
Marcus

posted on 19/4/05 at 03:16 PM Reply With Quote
Welding (again)

A mate rang me at the weekend, and said "how's your welding skills" OK says I, what do you need welding?
Turns out it was a Midget wishbone mount, which had split. Now, his mig welder (can't remember the model) is a 130 amp thing with a live torch. The wire feed seemed ok when not welding, but as soon as I struck an arc, the feed became very sporadic, almost pulsing. Adjusting the feed speed and power made no difference. Couldn't get a decent weld to save my life!!
Any ideas what could be wrong?

Marcus





Marcus


Because kits are for girls!!

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white130d

posted on 19/4/05 at 03:24 PM Reply With Quote
Maybe

Wire size vs. tip size. It the wire is smaller than the tip you dont get good electrical contact and the arc will be hit and miss....That would be my first check.

After that, I am not sure...


D.





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JamJah

posted on 19/4/05 at 03:33 PM Reply With Quote
Has the wire split? If the wire has a slight ribbon comming off it it might have clogged up the drive. Happened to me in evening class, many years ago.
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clbarclay

posted on 19/4/05 at 03:39 PM Reply With Quote
Maby there is not enough tension between drive rollers. Is the wire in good condition, if its a bit manky then it won't feed well.






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rodders

posted on 19/4/05 at 03:41 PM Reply With Quote
I had the same trouble in an evening class last week, my tutor told me to keep the wire running to the torch as straight as possible. Did it and it worked a treat! I had it slightly coiled up and it made it more difficult to get pushed through. Might be the answer to the problem. Hope it helps
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Peteff

posted on 19/4/05 at 05:06 PM Reply With Quote
Had you got a decent earth?





yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

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longwayoff

posted on 19/4/05 at 05:34 PM Reply With Quote
Long shot but if any corrosion is on the wire it will drag and judder up the feed pipe and out of tip it happened to me when I used someone else mig that they had not used for a couple of years
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Mark Allanson

posted on 19/4/05 at 06:16 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
Had you got a decent earth?



I think you have it in one, Pete





If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation

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Marcus

posted on 19/4/05 at 06:50 PM Reply With Quote
Tried all of the above!! Earth was fine, even tried welding to the clamp!
Didn't look inside welder itself, could be dodgy contact I suppose.
I hear people slate small SIP welders for their wire feed, but ours is so much better than my mates. (105A turbo welded 2 chassis and even coped with axle casing)

Marcus





Marcus


Because kits are for girls!!

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clbarclay

posted on 19/4/05 at 07:06 PM Reply With Quote
Has the welder always done it. I've known some welders from new be complete swines, but a identical welder (make, model, etc) work beautifully.






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Peteff

posted on 19/4/05 at 08:24 PM Reply With Quote
even tried welding to the clamp!

Well that's got to be a good earth but it doesn't prove it's attached to the car You could weld to the clamp if it was laid on the floor.





yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

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clbarclay

posted on 19/4/05 at 10:32 PM Reply With Quote
To get a deacent earth with the earth clamp on an old arc welder, you some times had to tack weld the clamp to the work peice.
Start the arc on the edge of the clamp and then move onto the work piece.


Then agin cheap clamp and rusty metal.






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NS Dev

posted on 20/4/05 at 07:21 AM Reply With Quote
the answer must lie in one of the reasons above, but from my point of view (not helpful here!) this is the reason why my Clarke 150 TE mig went to a new owner, my big mig that I have now makes no such fuss, whereas the Clarke used to need constant fettling of the liner, the torch lead straightish, the wire utterly corrosion free, and a wd40 soaked scotchbrite pad bulldog clamped round the wireafter the feedrolls and before the liner end. Even then it was not good at even welds as the wire speed still tended to vary, but then it was only £200, whereas my new one was a very good bargain at £400 (sold by a big name at half that again +vat)
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