Different gas, totally different weld?

[Davek0974]

I've been using a mix gas for some time now, HobbyWeld 5 it's called, tri-mix.

Been having difficulty getting a decent sizzling sound form the arc, more of a loud crackling.

Ran out of gas yesterday and pulled out the reserve bottle of pub Co2, made some joints tonight and totally different - a smooth sizzling sound just as the videos show it. A fair bit of spatter but I expect that as i'm welding through mill scale on HR sheet.

The welds also stand a bit prouder but i think thats normal??

Was it a duff bottle of mix or is this normal??

 

[Hobbyweld]

Oh No! I'll ask our team at the filling plant to put a few of our mixes through the gas analysers to be on the safe side.

 

[Davek0974]

Come to think of it, it did seem like it got worse as the bottle went down, when i took it off it was still showing maybe 1/4 full but the welds were coming up with yellow soot and sounded crappy no matter what settings i used.

Maybe the mix separated and left just the argon or something??

Bottle was about 9m old, new one came yesterday, will have to see what happens.

 

[Hobbyweld]

Let me know how you get on Dave

 

[Davek0974]

Looking much better now, still sounds totally different than the C02 - much sharper crackling sound and not sizzling bacon.

The old bottle must have gone duff I guess.

Bottom weld was on the old gas, top two on the new.

 

[Davek0974]

Yep just the gas, maybe a tiny change to wire feed as i retuned it for the new gas.

Much easier to get a decent joint now.