Clarke welder instructions

[wardi]

Hi I have been wanting to learn to weld for a while. I have watched loads of you tube videos to gain some insight. I have now been given an older Clarke Mini Mig welder but would like to find some basic instructions on how to set it up. I am ok with the wire speed dial but there are just switches for selecting I presume the amperage. Can anyone enlighten me what amperage the four settings are. Even better would be a link to a set of instructions.
I am attaching a photo of the welder in question.
Thanks
David

 

[Cobbler]

Looks from the photo, min/max on left switch & then high/low of either position with the switch on the right. If you have a volt meter, connect it between the torch tip & the return clamp & take the voltage readings of the switch positions, this will tell you the switch order. Welcome to the forum, there a lot of good advice to be had on here, also have a look at the tutorials on the green buttons on the header. Have a good look at the wire, if it’s rusty bin it as it will jam up in the liner, also unless you know the history, a new liner would be well worthwhile, it’s the same size as curtain wire & it’s cheaper. The old hobby welders used to use poly tube as a liner & the wire binds up in it & won’t feed properly, it’s the source of many welding problems when people start out. Those old Clarke’s are bomb proof, keep going forever.

 

[tigdlo]

The switches set the voltage, if you have a multimeter you can measure the open circuit voltage for each setting and work it out. My clarke 150 settings didn't match the manual so it's worth doing it even if you find a manual.

 

[wardi]

Looks from the photo, min/max on left switch & then high/low of either position with the switch on the right. If you have a volt meter, connect it between the torch tip & the return clamp & take the voltage readings of the switch positions, this will tell you the switch order. Welcome to the forum, there a lot of good advice to be had on here, also have a look at the tutorials on the green buttons on the header. Have a good look at the wire, if it’s rusty bin it as it will jam up in the liner, also unless you know the history, a new liner would be well worthwhile, it’s the same size as curtain wire & it’s cheaper. The old hobby welders used to use poly tube as a liner & the wire binds up in it & won’t feed properly, it’s the source of many welding problems when people start out. Those old Clarke’s are bomb proof, keep going forever.

Thank you for your advice. I do have a multimeter so I will check that out. I set it up earlier today and had a play to see if it actually worked as I was given it and she did not know. Very pleased to say it does work. Unfortunately the wire ran out before I had really tried. It was loaded with 0.7mm wire and I only had 1.0mm wire in stock. I don't yet have a 1.00 tip so could not carry on. I was waiting to buy any consumables till I knew it worked. I shall have a look at the green advice section thank you.

 

[wardi]

The switches set the voltage, if you have a multimeter you can measure the open circuit voltage for each setting and work it out. My clarke 150 settings didn't match the manual so it's worth doing it even if you find a manual.

Thank you, I shall do that once I have got some more wire and tips as well as some spare gas. It's going to be a long learning curve. My main fun is wood work and although I can braze and silver solder, I am new to welding. Going to be fun to learn. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Cobbler]

Don’t think that welder will take 1mm wire, for use with gas it’s 0.6 or 0.8.you can get spare tips etc from Machine Mart

 

[BrokenBiker]

Get some thicker metal, set it at max 2 and crank the wire speed right uo, it will try and push the torch away from the metal, then just bump the wire speed down til til it stops pushing the torch away...thats your may setting, then you can use that method for working out setting for thinner metals by clicking the voltage switches down and doing the same.

I've never found a manual or settings chart that has been real world accurate and technique will affect what settings you want as will joint type and position.

 

[wardi]

Thank you so much. Hence the requirement for some instructions. Thank you so much, I shall stick to the smaller wires. Will have to get the tips. I have a steel trailer and I was going to practice by going over some of the welds on it as I had one break last year. It's constructed mainly of 40 x 40 x 3mm angle iron. What determines the wire Thickness?
Thanks David

 

[wardi]

Get some thicker metal, set it at max 2 and crank the wire speed right uo, it will try and push the torch away from the metal, then just bump the wire speed down til til it stops pushing the torch away...thats your may setting, then you can use that method for working out setting for thinner metals by clicking the voltage switches down and doing the same.

I've never found a manual or settings chart that has been real world accurate and technique will affect what settings you want as will joint type and position.

Thank you, all very valuable advice. I have not seen or heard about that wire speed setting before, very interesting. My brother has a workshop with plenty of steel so I shall pick up some scraps for practice. Thank you greatly appreciated.

 

[bourbon]

welcome to the forum. Try and get a bigger bottle as you will use the smaller bottles really quickly, (hence the double straps on the back) I'm trying to find a model number for you
EDIT. It's a mini mig 7 mark1. Very obsolete. But the torch thread is the same as current models. Liners should fit as well. I'll give tech a bell and confirm. My colleague hasn't seen one for years. (I just messaged him)

 

[wardi]

B

welcome to the forum. Try and get a bigger bottle as you will use the smaller bottles really quickly, (hence the double straps on the back) I'm trying to find a model number for you
EDIT. It's a mini mig 7 mark1. Very obsolete. But the torch thread is the same as current models. Liners should fit as well. I'll give tech a bell and confirm. My colleague hasn't seen one for years. (I just messaged him)

Thank you for that advice and the model number. I was given a Mig welder years ago and although I had the circuit board replaced an electrician friend could not get it working. The wire feed was not working. It did come with a large bottle about three foot tall and five inches wide, I shall see if I can get that refilled somewhere (any ideas where to start?).
I have looked on Clarke's website but as you say obsolete, they do not list it.

thanks David

 

[bourbon]

Try Clarke international website. They may list it. Someone may correct me, but that sounds like a 20 litre bottle which will be better. Has it got any markings on it? as it could be rent free or contract.

 

[wardi]

Try Clarke international website. They may list it. Someone may correct me, but that sounds like a 20 litre bottle which will be better. Has it got any markings on it? as it could be rent free or contract.

I had a look at the website after you previously told me the model, no go they don't list anything that does not have numerical LED displays.
Thank you for the info on the bottle, I will have a look in the garage tomorrow.

I followed your profile earlier and saw that you were trying to sort out a hatch for your boat. I cant seem to get back to that thread. Now woodwork is something I do know about (unlike welding!!!).
It can be really expensive to sort when you only want a small amount. Hatches are normally marine ply with solid wood lippings along all four edges. As someone else on that thread said, plywood is very stable in all dimensions because the layers of veneer are placed at ninety degrees to each other and have a urea formaldehyde glue layer between each. If I was trying to sort it I would either go to a cabinet shop or boat yard and see if they have an off-cut. Alternatively you could buy a sheet of 3mm or 6mm ply and glue several layers together to get the required thickness. As its an internal hatch I would not be too worried about using marine ply. If you can find a sheet with a reasonable grain then you can stain and varnish it up and no one will ever know. I hope that helps!

 

[wardi]

Don’t think that welder will take 1mm wire, for use with gas it’s 0.6 or 0.8.you can get spare tips etc from Machine Mart

Thank you so much. Hence the requirement for some instructions.

 

[bourbon]

Not my thread on the boat hatch. I'll see if I can get some info from our technical department tomorrow

 

[Cobbler]

If you go to the Clarke section in welders & welding machines, the 2 top posts are manuals & instructions, there might be something there.

It was Ajlelectronics post about the boat hatch.

 

[Misterg]

Can anyone enlighten me what amperage the four settings are.

Hi,

The legend on the panel gives you the order for increasing *voltage* (both next to the switches, and as a pictogram along the bottom of the panel).

From lowest to highest:

MIN + 1
MIN + 2
MAX +1
MAX +2

What the actual voltage is doesn't really matter (a multimeter reading will give a high result unless the welder is actually under load).

 

[Misterg]

It was loaded with 0.7mm wire and I only had 1.0mm wire in stock. I don't yet have a 1.00 tip so could not carry on.

That isn’t 1mm flux core / gas-less wire, is it?

I don’t think that machine will run gas-less without modification.

 

[wardi]

Hi,

The legend on the panel gives you the order for increasing *voltage* (both next to the switches, and as a pictogram along the bottom of the panel).

From lowest to highest:

MIN + 1
MIN + 2
MAX +1
MAX +2

What the actual voltage is doesn't really matter (a multimeter reading will give a high result unless the welder is actually under load).

Thank you

 

[wardi]

That isn’t 1mm flux core / gas-less wire, is it?

I don’t think that machine will run gas-less without modification.

Yes you are correct it is flux cored wire. I will get some different wire today as well as some new gas. Thank you