GraemeVW
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Been on the forum a little while talking tools, thought id ask about a problem i have with my welder.
I have an old clarke 150 turbo something or other.
I can never predict what it's going to do. It's capable of doing nice welds but you just can't predict what's going to happen when you pull the trigger.
Wire feed and gas supply both seem predictable and steady, but it may lay a nice weld, or it may produce porous rubbish.
It's not a cleanliness issue and it isn't any change in position etc. Even laying tacks, moving along an inch at a time, it may tack great, it may be porous. Just because the last weld was porous doesn't mean the one 1" further along will be. That one may be great!
Welder is old and tatty, but I know that it's capable when it behaves.
I don't really weld enough at the moment to warrant replacing it.
Any ideas on what causes porosity so I know where to look for the issue?
It's almost like it's out of gas but I always pool gas first so I'd know if the torch valve was intermittent. It's not quite like that anyway, I still know instantly if it's a welder playing up thing or if I truly am out of gas.
I've been playing at welding for 25 years so I have reasonable experience, but I've never been taught or anything so I'm not very technically adept.
I very recently put aluminium wire and argon in it to build up some broken fins on a motorcycle head and it managed that just fine! It might have just been having a good day though. Iirc that was run at quite high power though. Most of my welding is thinner gauge steel and lower power settings.
Could it be a fluctuation in power?
I have an old clarke 150 turbo something or other.
I can never predict what it's going to do. It's capable of doing nice welds but you just can't predict what's going to happen when you pull the trigger.
Wire feed and gas supply both seem predictable and steady, but it may lay a nice weld, or it may produce porous rubbish.
It's not a cleanliness issue and it isn't any change in position etc. Even laying tacks, moving along an inch at a time, it may tack great, it may be porous. Just because the last weld was porous doesn't mean the one 1" further along will be. That one may be great!
Welder is old and tatty, but I know that it's capable when it behaves.
I don't really weld enough at the moment to warrant replacing it.
Any ideas on what causes porosity so I know where to look for the issue?
It's almost like it's out of gas but I always pool gas first so I'd know if the torch valve was intermittent. It's not quite like that anyway, I still know instantly if it's a welder playing up thing or if I truly am out of gas.
I've been playing at welding for 25 years so I have reasonable experience, but I've never been taught or anything so I'm not very technically adept.
I very recently put aluminium wire and argon in it to build up some broken fins on a motorcycle head and it managed that just fine! It might have just been having a good day though. Iirc that was run at quite high power though. Most of my welding is thinner gauge steel and lower power settings.
Could it be a fluctuation in power?