Telwin Bimax 182 Turbo spatter issue

[Luck13]

Hey guys,

I have a Telwin Bimax 182 turbo that i have converted over to euro torch with the help of the posts here.

Everything has been going well using flux core wire without gas, but when i got sick of all the smoke i decided to try gas setup.

I have a good quality solenoid setup and gas (75-25 argon c02) is coming out of the torch well. I have also changed the polarity so negative on earth and positive on torch.

The issue is now when i try to weld all i get is spatter and popping. I have tried to adjust the wire feed on the fly as im welding but there is no penetration happening and the puddle is blowing up in my face.

The wire is 0.9 gas wire. The gas Lpm i have tried from 10-20. I have all the correct tips in torch. The steel im welding welds fine gasless but crap with gas.

Any help would be appeciated as im about to throw it out the door and buy a new one. Ive spent to much time and money on this old welder to this point..... But im broke haha

The first photos show the spatter and crap weld with gas, the third is gasless.

 

[Wozzaaah]

That still looks like you're using gasless wire to me, especially as you've said it's 0.9mm.
Show us a photo of the label on the wire reel.

 

[Luck13]

That still looks like you're using gasless wire to me, especially as you've said it's 0.9mm.
Show us a photo of the label on the wire reel.

There is no label on the wire reel but its solid wire. It doesnt snap when you bend like flux core.

 

[Wozzaaah]

That definitely doesn't look like the results you'd get using solid wire and gas.
Is it copper coated or silver/grey in colour?

 

[Hutcho]

Yes reading that again it’s reading your still using flux wire with gas .

 

[Luck13]

Yes reading that again it’s reading your still using flux wire with gas .

"The wire is 0.9 gas wire." Did you not read that part?

 

[Luck13]

That definitely doesn't look like the results you'd get using solid wire and gas.
Is it copper coated or silver/grey in colour?

Its not the copper coated stuff so its silver. The wire is solid.

 

[Tigman]

The third picture , metal looks like it's zinc plated ? That makes a mess of things !

 

[Hutcho]

Could you be using stainless steel wire then ?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Its not the copper coated stuff so its silver. The wire is solid.

I'd put money on it that it's flux core, solid mild steel wire is always copper coated.

 

[Richiew]

The third picture , metal looks like it's zinc plated ? That makes a mess of things !

Yes. Zinc plate gives white powderiness, in my experience.

 

[Richiew]

Galvanised scaffold pole. Notice all the white powder on the inside. The galv had been ground away on the exterior but the heat from welding produced all the white powder regardless.

 

[Luck13]

I'd put money on it that it's flux core, solid mild steel wire is always copper coated.

Bingo. I changed the polarity to negative on the torch and positive on the earth and turned off the gas and it welds.

I then cut a cross section of the wire i was convinced was solid and looked at it under a microscope and there is powder inside it.

Cheers for all your replies and making me question what i had convinced myself was correct.

 

[Luck13]

Yes. Zinc plate gives white powderiness, in my experience.

Ooh and that is galv RHS. It welds good with my 1.2mm flux core wire, just have to be careful of all the smoke.