gsand
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| posted on 3/11/03 at 08:22 AM |
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Gas-less MIG welder?
They are cheaper and less hassle than getting gas all the time. What are they like and are they worthy of building a strong locost chassis?
Nuff Said.
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ChrisW
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| posted on 3/11/03 at 08:55 AM |
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A pile of crap. I bought one thinking it couldn't be as bad as everyone said. It is!
Chris
My gaff my rules
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 3/11/03 at 10:25 AM |
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Funny you should say that...
I used to think gasless MIG was a waste of time - until I put some effort in and got it set up correctly.
The reason I moved to gasless was that I'd done most of my welding and just wanted to do the occasional job here and there, without paying the
rental on a gas bottle. It does work, but it's not as neat and tidy as 'gassed' welding. I'm still having some issues with
maintaining a smooth feed, but it's good enough for my purposes. The only downsides are the fumes (can be quite choking, and smelly) and the
powdery deposit that needs to be cleaned off. Oh - and the wire is very expensive!
I suppose you could build a chassis with it, but if I was starting another one I'd probably use gas again - life is hard enough without adding
another complication.
cheers,
David
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Ben_Copeland
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| posted on 3/11/03 at 12:12 PM |
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I've used gas-less..... nowt wrong with it. When you know how to set it up and use it properly.
Ben
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mangogroove
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| posted on 3/11/03 at 01:51 PM |
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Gasless mig
Get you gasses from these boys Visit local pub first nip round back and retrieve one purple top cylinder and £11 @ http://www.towsure.co.uk/ for the
fill and that s a half size bottle. http://www.welduk.com/ is the company to ask if you need help advise I found them to be ealy good and the are
aimed at us weekenders instead of a company
http://www.towsure.co.uk/
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Lars
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| posted on 3/11/03 at 07:57 PM |
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i've used gasless, seems strong enough. David's description is right, however i have not used one with gas yet, and i was struggling a bit
with distortion.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 09:15 AM |
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Forgot to mention - gasless has one huge advantage in one situation - where you're trying to weld in a draughty garage or car-port.
Trying to do the same with a 'gassed' welder runs the risk of the gas shield being blown away from the weld pool.
BTW: I've realised why my wire feed was poor - I'm using 0.8mm tips, and most cored wire is 0.9mm! Doh!
Anyone know whether the hole in the tip is exactly the same size as the wire, or is it 'wire size plus a bit'? If it's the second
option, does anyone know what the 'bit' is?
cheers,
David
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Alan B
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 02:49 PM |
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Always wondered about gasless MIG....
Shouldn't it just be M welding.....after all the IG bit is gone....
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Alan B
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 02:51 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
......Anyone know whether the hole in the tip is exactly the same size as the wire, or is it 'wire size plus a bit'? If it's the
second option, does anyone know what the 'bit' is?
cheers,
David
Not certain, but I think it's around plus 0.1 mm
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 07:43 PM |
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Should be MIF Welding, metal inert flux?
Alan, the hole has got to be bigger or it would bind, or the wire a bit thinner. We used to use 1.2mm stainless wire with special tips, we reamed them
out with 50 thou gas pipe reamers, about 2 1/2 thou clearance
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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Alan B
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 08:04 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
.......Alan, the hole has got to be bigger or it would bind.......
That's why I said plus 0.1 mm.......or did I miss something?
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 08:13 PM |
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Alan, what I meant was that I have never given it much thought, but 0.8mm wire may be made to fit a 0.8mm tip, or a 0.8mm tip is made to fit 0.8mm
wire. The clearance we used on heavy stuff was 0.05" which is 1.27mm for 1.2mm wire.
Sounded clear as mud as I wrote it, probably worse when you read it!
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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Alan B
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 09:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Alan, what I meant was that I have never given it much thought, .........
Me neither to be honest....I think we are saying the same thing.......the wire is very close to nominal size, and the tip holes are just slightly
bigger than nominal for clearance....
That IS what we are saying, right?.....
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 09:57 PM |
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probadobalobaly?
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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David Jenkins
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| posted on 5/11/03 at 10:09 PM |
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Mark / Alan,
Sound like 0.95mm or 1.00mm should fit the bill?
DJ
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ChrisW
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| posted on 6/11/03 at 08:35 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I used to think gasless MIG was a waste of time - until I put some effort in and got it set up correctly.
Guess I'm just poo then 
Chris
My gaff my rules
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Ben_Copeland
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| posted on 6/11/03 at 08:38 AM |
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I'll have your welder then 
Ben
Locost Map on Google Maps
Z20LET Astra Turbo, into a Haynes
Roadster
Enter Your Details Here
http://www.facebook.com/EquinoxProducts for all your bodywork needs!
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 6/11/03 at 08:48 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ChrisW
Guess I'm just poo then
Chris
I still prefer to weld with gas - but it's not worth paying for bottle rental for what I've got to do. Because of that I've tried
to live with the alternative. Hopefully when I get the tip hole the right size then life will be even easier.
David
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ChrisW
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| posted on 6/11/03 at 09:17 AM |
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Going to convert mine to run on pub gas and see if that makes life easier.
Chris
My gaff my rules
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Peteff
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| posted on 6/11/03 at 10:39 AM |
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A long time ago I saw a place selling fluxed wire for use with CO2 which was supposed to give results comparable to Argon /CO2 mix for a reasonable
price. I don't think it ever caught on as it's easier to get gas now with small suppliers willing to deal with the public on a cash basis.
There is a one man outfit near here who does pub size cylinders for £10 exchange and sells all the consumables cheaper than the BOC depot as well. I
still use Energas at Derby as they are handy.
yours, Pete.
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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