Hi - I'm a newbie here and have looked at some of the threads but my situation is a bit different as I have acquired a welder but dont know if my failure to make it work is down to me or the welder and before I go any buy a new one would like some advice if possible
Many years ago I learnt to stick weld and was reasonably proficient at agricultural stuff (eg building a trailer out of angle iron, that sort of thing!)
A couple of years ago I bought a SIP Autoplus 130 secondhand, and subsequently rented an argoshield bottle and bought a regulator.
The welder came with a roll each of .6 gas wire and .8 gasless, however there is no facility to change the polarity.
I just dont seem to be able to get on with it - I have (I think) a pretty good understanding of what I am doing wrong, but there just doesnt seem to be a fine enough adjustment on the wire speed to get the correct setting, and the welder power settings are fare too coarse a jump.
My main interest is car body sheet steel, and on the minimum power setting I cannot get a continuous weld if the speed is slow (just spots of weld sitting on the surface with no penetration) and just get 'push back' off the wire if the speed is increased. When I go to the next power setting up, I burn holes at any wire speed.
I read about a mod to the SIP wire speed controller which I attempted, but it doesnt seem to have made much difference. The wire speed goes from zero to about 10cm per second in about 5 degrees of rotation
Clearly this is an old welder (no longer features on SIPs site) - it does a fine job if I want to weld 5mm steel plate - but I wonder if it has had its day? I am tempted to cut my losses and buy a new one - but wonder if it is my incompetence, and I would just be throwing good money after bad?
I tried the gasless wire in frustration, but (as I have since read here) it tends to blow holes at all settings.
What would you recommend. I dont mind spending a bit more if this means I reduce the time grinding down excess weld material!!
Many thanks
Many years ago I learnt to stick weld and was reasonably proficient at agricultural stuff (eg building a trailer out of angle iron, that sort of thing!)
A couple of years ago I bought a SIP Autoplus 130 secondhand, and subsequently rented an argoshield bottle and bought a regulator.
The welder came with a roll each of .6 gas wire and .8 gasless, however there is no facility to change the polarity.
I just dont seem to be able to get on with it - I have (I think) a pretty good understanding of what I am doing wrong, but there just doesnt seem to be a fine enough adjustment on the wire speed to get the correct setting, and the welder power settings are fare too coarse a jump.
My main interest is car body sheet steel, and on the minimum power setting I cannot get a continuous weld if the speed is slow (just spots of weld sitting on the surface with no penetration) and just get 'push back' off the wire if the speed is increased. When I go to the next power setting up, I burn holes at any wire speed.
I read about a mod to the SIP wire speed controller which I attempted, but it doesnt seem to have made much difference. The wire speed goes from zero to about 10cm per second in about 5 degrees of rotation
Clearly this is an old welder (no longer features on SIPs site) - it does a fine job if I want to weld 5mm steel plate - but I wonder if it has had its day? I am tempted to cut my losses and buy a new one - but wonder if it is my incompetence, and I would just be throwing good money after bad?
I tried the gasless wire in frustration, but (as I have since read here) it tends to blow holes at all settings.
What would you recommend. I dont mind spending a bit more if this means I reduce the time grinding down excess weld material!!
Many thanks